Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Don't Call Me a "Citizen"!

I try to avoid using the word "citizen" when I speak of the people who inhabit a region. The Dictionary.com definition I linked to defines "citizen" as someone who "owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection". By that definition I am quite positively NOT a citizen. I owe no government anything but contempt, and I am not "entitled" to anything from any government but to be left alone.

Another of the definitions is "an inhabitant". I do inhabit this area, although I don't worry about the local (or other) Rulers who, while lording over the compliant inhabitants, may think they have authority over me. As an inhabitant, I could be considered a "citizen", although that usage sounds silly.

I am just me. There is no need to label me because of where I live.





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