[Opinion] Citizens` Obligations

Citizen has become a term referring to every member of a state today, but it originally contains the meaning of discrimination. In ancient Rome, there were certain people with citizenship. Roman citizens enjoyed the right to vote and to be partially exempted from paying taxes. So everybody in the regions occupied by the Romans wanted to become Roman citizens. But they did not just enjoy their privileges. Their obligations were more important. Their biggest honor was to protect their own country. The Roman army consisting of citizens had mighty power.

Many scholars think that “The Constitutio Antoniniana” issued in 212 caused the collapse of the Roman Empire. The edict declared all men in the Roman Empire were to be given Roman citizenship. The measure to collect more taxes brought the erosion of the spirit of Roman citizens that had protected the empire. In the past, people living in provinces fought hard for the empire to win citizenship but they lost their motivation. Roman citizens were no longer willing to fulfill their obligations. When the sense of responsibility for protecting one’s family and a country is lost among members of a state, the survival of the state is at risk.

The term “citizen” is commonly used when referring to recent candlelight protests. Those who are leading the protests emphasize the term. For example, groups participating in the demonstrations call themselves “civic groups,” while calling the opposite side “conservative groups.” Some media also say, “Police is excessively cracking down on citizens.” But this is not objective and can even justify violence. Of course some citizens may call for the resignation of the administration and others may be against the protests. Nevertheless, can we still call those who use iron pipes to younger riot police and infringes other people’s right to life “citizens”?

In a country where people experienced what the authoritarian regime is, citizens are considered the subject of resistance. Some even said that the current situation is the confrontation between a state and a civil society. However, we also need to think citizens’ responsibilities concerning social order and public welfare. We should protect our future for ourselves and nobody can do it for us. It will not take long to tell who the real “citizens” worried about their country are.

Editorial Writer Hong Chan-sik (chansik@donga.com)