FREE ESSAY ON WHAT IS THE GREATEST BENEFIT OF BEING A UNITED STATES CITIZEN?

WHAT IS THE GREATEST BENEFIT OF BEING A UNITED STATES CITIZEN?

The greatest benefit of being a United States citizen is the freedom that American
citizens have that the Constitution of the United States guarantees. Freedom means being
able to decide freely what paths you would like to pursue without government
interference. Personal decisions such as which church to attend and which religion to
practice can be made without fear of persecution. Similarly, electing who we want to be
responsible for running the country is a choice that Americans are privileged to. Freedom
is a quality that all U.S. citizens can enjoy, and should therefore I believe that is
should be acknowledged as the greatest benefit of being a citizen.
Freedom of religion, as defined by the Constitution says that Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof....
This confirms that one can openly practice anything from Voodoo to Catholicism to
absolutely no religion at all. In many European countries, such a freedom is
non-existent. Whatever the religion of the state happens to be is the religion that is
practiced and enforced throughout that country. Looking back in time, a major crisis
involving disputes concerning freedom of religion occurred between Hitler and Nazi
Germany. In the 19th century, the Nazi regime, headed by Adolf Hitler, was responsible
for the widespread termination of over three million Jews throughout Poland, Austria, and
Germany. These persecutions were triggered by Hitler's belief that Jews were an alien
race an that there should be no other religion besides the one he supported. In contrast,
because of the way that our government is set up, Americans no longer have to struggle
with such hardships as people in other countries have had to endure. 
Electing who we want lead our country as well as represent us is a freedom that we as
citizens maintain. Every four years United States citizens are responsible for who the
next person will be to lead the country. Also, the government which our leader heads is
separated into three other branches. This structure assures that no one person or branch
has too much power, and also provides maximum efficiency. This is a freedom that not all
people can say they are fortunate to possess. The system of democracy that the United
States thrives on is not the same system used in many middle eastern and European
countries. For them, the responsibility of running a country is placed solely in the
hands a dictator. Usually, this dictator's power was handed down from the previous
generations' dictator. So inevitably, power remains within one family. Such is the case
in Iraq where Saddam Hussein is responsible for all the countries affairs. Many ascertain
that if Iraq had a government like the United States, their economy and status of that
country would be much more favorable. 
Furthermore, the freedoms that our Founding Fathers' established in this country is one
factor that makes being a citizen of the United States such a great privilege. Having
personal freedoms like religion, speech, as well as the decisions that citizens are
responsible for making are some of the greatest benefits of being a United States
citizen. I feel very fortunate knowing that the government is established in such a way
that our privileges as citizens will always be preserved and protected through our
constitution. Therefore, the greatest benefit of being a United States citizen is not one
specific aspect, but rather the combination of all the rights and freedoms that we
appreciate.