iCitizenForum by Colonial Williamsburg

Citizenship Declaration - Group A (Raleigh Tavern)

Draft "Declaration of Citizenship in the 21st Century," in association with Dialogues in Democracy: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Presented for Debate in the House of Burgesses, Williamsburg, Va., November 11, 2007.

1. No citizen shall be abandoned to languish in conditions which threaten his or her survival, regardless of the circumstances that render the citizen in need.

2. We reaffirm the principles put forth in the Preamble to the Constitution. All people should actively participate in an ongoing public discourse on important national, public issues. All people should possess the tools, such as education, technology and information, necessary to participate in national, public conversations.

3. Citizenship means to take responsibility for ourselves and our families, so that we are not an unnecessary burden on others; to keep abreast of public questions; to participate in public deliberations; to speak out when necessary; to serve our country in time of need; and to live exemplary lives and pass on our values and wisdom to the next generation.

4. Our youngest citizens develop their values, faith, and moral reasoning through institutions such as the family, places of worship, civic organizations, schools, and the media. The government should encourage each of these institutions in promoting American values.

5. We advocate partnerships between government and the private sector to be developed in the fields of education, national security, healthcare, workforce/employment and other systems where individual and personal support are necessary to succeed.

6. In order to reduce unplanned pregnancies and to increase access to adoption as an alternative to abortion, the government shall fund the dissemination of reproductive information and resources. The government shall not fund any abortions.

7. Marriage is defined as either a civic or religious/spiritual institution. Therefore, the government shall grant a civic marriage license to any persons who petition for it. The government shall not require any religious/spiritual institution to approve, bless, or in any way sanction any civic marriage.