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A Republic Worth Defending: A Citizenship Litmus Test for Liberty and Justice for All [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-06-15
In an age where division is sold like a product and loyalty to party often outranks loyalty to principle, it's time we remember what actually binds us together as Americans — in fact all liberal democracies. Even European countries have unwittingly created the impetus of right wing movements by not specifically defining what political morals allows for the existence of a pluralistic society while still perserving national identity. A couple have resorted to prohibiting the hajib or head scarves other customs as signs of the acceptance of person’s extremist values.
I say a country that wants to perserve its cultural identity while still honoring immigrant potential needs to find compromise between unconditional acceptance of immigrants and total xenophobia.
My guess is that the traditional language and allegiance to democratic-republican principles should be the test of a person’s qualification of citizenship.
Not blood.
Not skin color.
Not political stickers.
And certainly not who shouts the loudest on cable news.
What matters is this:
"I pledge the protection of liberty and justice for all people in these United States of America, and will seek to check and balance all organized selfish powers and their agents that would threaten or diminish those rights."
If you can say that and mean it—then welcome. You belong here.
I don’t care if you’re covered in glitter, wear socks with sandals, worship a space cactus, speak five languages badly, or show up to your naturalization ceremony dressed like a pirate on rollerblades.
If you believe in liberty and justice for all—and will defend those ideals for others—you’re American in spirit.
But belief alone isn’t enough.
Character is tested in action.
So let’s put it to the test.
Now, immigrants that come here to simply work need to be vetted for actual sponsorship and of course, any criminal background. But the path to citizenship should require an actual compatible values system with inclusive compromise governance.
The Citizenship Litmus Test
This test is not about memorizing dates or naming all the Cabinet members. It is about moral clarity.
Each of the following 10 scenarios presents a moment when someone's liberty, dignity, or access to justice is being diminished.
You’ll choose the most principled response.
This test has multiple versions available—in English, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Ukrainian, Swahili, Haitian Creole, and more.
Justice doesn’t speak only one language.
Instructions:
Choose one answer per question.
After the 10 questions, check your answers in the key at the bottom.
Feel free to discuss and debate—civic thinking is not a solo act.
Scenario 1: Religious Imposition
A local religious group is demanding that public schools teach its specific moral code as law—even though that code would deny equal rights to certain students based on gender identity and family structure.
What should a liberty-minded citizen do?
A) Support the group—religion should guide public morality.
B) Stay neutral—it’s too controversial.
C) Oppose the imposition—freedom of religion does not include controlling others' rights.
D) Let the school board decide without public input.
Scenario 2: Environmental Injustice
A company is dumping toxic waste in a poor neighborhood, leading to high rates of illness among children.
What should a patriotic citizen do?
A) Help the company avoid bad PR.
B) Demand cleanup and accountability, no matter the cost.
C) Blame residents for living there.
D) Say “not my problem.”
Scenario 3: Free Speech Suppression
A protester is arrested for peacefully criticizing government policy.
How should you respond?
A) Say “they probably broke some rule.”
B) Tell others to stop protesting too.
C) Speak out in defense of free speech.
D) Let the government decide what’s allowed.
Scenario 4: Economic Exploitation
A new law cuts public services for immigrant communities while giving tax breaks to large corporations.
What should a liberty-loving citizen do?
A) Accept it as legal.
B) Celebrate the lower taxes.
C) Oppose the injustice and advocate for equity.
D) Blame immigrants for economic strain.
Scenario 5: Racial Profiling
Police begin stopping people based on race in an attempt to “reduce crime.”
What’s the right response?
A) Call it smart policing.
B) Demand equal protection for all.
C) Ignore it—it doesn’t affect you.
D) Tell people to stop resisting.
Scenario 6: Press Freedom Under Attack
A journalist is sued by powerful officials after exposing corruption.
What should a citizen do?
A) Support the lawsuit to preserve order.
B) Demand the journalist be punished.
C) Defend the freedom of the press—even for your opponents.
D) Stay quiet to avoid trouble.
Scenario 7: Rigged Legislation
A lobbying group rewrites tax laws to favor billionaires while cutting education budgets.
What does a responsible citizen do?
A) Enjoy the personal tax cuts.
B) Vote based only on self-interest.
C) Oppose the concentration of power and advocate for public good.
D) Say “that’s just politics.”
Scenario 8: Thought Control in Schools
A teacher is fired for allowing students to debate controversial political ideas.
What’s the proper response?
A) Defend intellectual freedom in classrooms.
B) Stay silent—it’s not your kid.
C) Ban political topics from school entirely.
D) Encourage teachers to stick to “safe” subjects.
Scenario 9: Discrimination in Housing
A disabled veteran is denied a lease by a private developer who thinks accommodations are “too much trouble.”
What do you do?
A) Help the developer with legal loopholes.
B) Ignore the situation.
C) Fight for the veteran’s equal treatment.
D) Suggest the veteran find a different area.
Scenario 10: Voting Rights Suppressed
A city passes a law that only property owners may vote in local elections.
What’s the constitutional response?
A) Support it as a way to limit “irresponsible” voters.
B) Stay quiet—it doesn’t affect you.
C) Oppose it as a direct attack on equal citizenship.
D) Say it’s “tradition” and should be respected.
Answer Key:
C B C C B C C A C C
What This Test Really Measures
This isn’t a test of knowledge. It’s a test of moral citizenship.
Do you instinctively protect liberty and justice for all—even people unlike you?
Do you recognize when power is abused?
Will you speak up when it’s easier to stay silent?
If so—welcome.
You may not have been born here, but you are everything this republic needs.
Versions of this test will be made available in multiple languages and formats, with community-based learning circles encouraged. Liberty is strengthened when it is understood—and defended—by all.
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