Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience"

In Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience," Thoreau makes three direct references to citizen that I wish to reference:

"But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it."

"Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience, then? I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward."

"The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies [...] They have the same sort of worth only as horses and dogs. Yet such as these even are commonly esteemed good citizens."

In daily speech and film -- Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

Consider the movie: Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

In the 2009 film, Law Abiding Citizen, Clyde's wife and child are raped and murdered by two men. Clyde is witness to everything; however, the prosecution decides to have a plea bargain with one of the murderers in exchange for his testimonial against the other murderer. The lack of justice for his family causes Clyde to go onto a killing rampage in order to seek his own justice.

Warning: The following clip has some vulgar language.


In the context of this movie, the title is clearly a direct reference to the common term "law abiding citizen" -- this is a political and social notion of citizenship. This term and movie link the idea of being a citizen to someone who acknowledges and follows the law and social norms. What this movie asks of the viewer though, is what does one do when the justice system is corrupt? What rights are citizens guaranteed through the court system?

Remarks on Citizenship

Intro:
The idea behind this blog was originally suggested by one of my GSIs for a group project. Instead, I have decided to use this blog to create a space in which I can analyze and cultivate thoughts regarding the concept of "citizen" and "citizenship" in preparation for a thesis paper.

This blog may be a combination of ranting and analysis and will include and use different cultural forms (i.e. literary, audio, visual, etc).

I hope this blog inspires you and challenges you to think.

What makes a citizen?
What does it mean to be a citizen?
Who is and who is not entitled to the rights of citizenship?
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Citizenship is a complex concept and the term citizen itself is loaded with meaning, especially in relation to time and space.

Depending on the field and lens through which one analyzes "citizen" -- there will be different understandings and different histories.