Some people think that paying taxes is enough to contribute to the society. Others argue that being a citizen involves more responsibilities. Discuss, what is your opinion?

A good citizen is a blessing to society. Some people opine that paying taxes is enough contribution towards the society whereas others believe that a good citizen has a lot more responsibilities than just paying taxes. I personally go with the latter view. In the following paragraphs I intend to enumerate the responsibilities of a good citizen.

It is irrefutable that paying all the taxes and in a timely manner is one of the major responsibilities of a citizen. It is necessary to pay taxes because the money that is paid by citizens is used for constructive purposes, like building and maintaining roads, schools, fire protection, defence services etc. The different types of taxes to be paid by citizens are income tax, excise tax, property tax, sales tax etc. Most people try to avoid taxes, but to have the freedoms that we have, we must fund our government agencies. All taxes exist to make our lives better. To enjoy our comparatively trouble free lives, we must pay taxes.

However, there are many other obligations which a good citizen must fulfil. To begin with, voting in elections is very important. When citizens fail to vote or have political opinions, they allow vested interests to have their way. Secondly, they must obey law and order. If all citizens are law abiding, then the whole nation would be a paradise on Earth.

It is also the responsibility of a good citizen to provide public service to the government. This means volunteering for various agencies and charities. Finally, it is a citizen's duty to scrutinize the government's actions and take stands when something wrong happens. When citizens get too complacent, they will not notice when their freedom is being cut down.

To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that, a good citizen should pay taxes, exercise his voting rights, be law abiding, do voluntary work to help the government and take a stand if anything goes wrong. Blythe Danner has rightly said, “We all have an obligation as citizens of this earth to leave the world a healthier, cleaner, and better place for our children and future generations.”