The great empires and civilizations in mankind's history have first succumbed to internal problems before dying or being conquered from without. This is the reason that a nation must be strong from within. The guts of a country such as America consists of its citizens. The internal strength of the United States of America is all the more reliant upon its citizens because of America's democratic form of government that depends upon individuals to participate in such activities as jury duty, military service, voting, and other activities. .
From our earliest years, we learn that privledges we enjoy entail obligations. The privledge of living in a nice house obligates one to take care of it. The privledge of having friends obligates one to respect them as you would have them respect you. The privledge of attending a nice school obligates you to try your best to meet your highest potential in that curriculum. The privilage of having a pet obligates you to give it the proper care you would give to a small child. And, all of these privledge/obligation experiences also hopefully lead us to understand that to living in a country that allows a person the privledge of working, to live, raising a family, also entails an obligation to make that way of life a continuing process, not only for yourself, but for those around you and for future generations of Americans.
Individual freedom means individual responsibilities also for the leaders of America that are elected by its people. There is a duty for people in office to carry out their job in such a way as to express the wishes of the people who put them in office. The privledge of leadership, of having power, of having control over others futures and lives, places a heavy obligation upon those given that power. Leaders must resist the temptation to abuse such power, to let that power be used in the pursuit of personal agendas, lest they risk corruption and a failure to serve the good of the common people who placed them in that position.
