And, with great power comes… well, you know the rest

Mrs. du Toit has a post about ownership, freedom, and responsibility, and how those things tie into being an American:

As with most things like this, however, some folks can get the wrong idea. They’ll get the idea that because no one overtly stamps a list of rules on your forehead that there aren’t any. Further, that because no one gave you a list that detailed what your adult responsibilities are, there isn’t a list.

There is a list!

…

There can be no acceptance of those who will take liberties and offer nothing in return. Everywhere you go in this country, every street, every town, and every state, the day to day events that happen to our neighbors (regardless of how far away they live from us), is OUR business. Because it is OUR country. We own it. We’re responsible for it. And if we’ve forgotten that, or if we are incapable of actually living up to that requirement, then the American experiment has failed, and we’re just a bunch of louts and scoundrels in it for whatever we can steal for our selfish selves.

And if some folks think that turning in those who break the law, making a citizens’ arrest, or responding to a call for help, makes you something like a sucker or a tattle tale, then you’ve learned nothing about what freedom and responsibility means, and what ownership of a country is all about.

The whole thing is really a must-read.