I attended the No Kings rally in my small town yesterday. Just like the previous two, the people there were happy, enjoying each other’s company, sharing in an event that was taking a stand for things I — we — believe in.

There was a smattering of young people, but most of the crowd was made up of aging adults. This isn’t surprising, as my small town has quite a few of us older folks in it. What was different about yesterday, compared to the earlier rallies, was the sheer number of people — old and young alike — showing up for a single purpose: declaring a shared commitment to restoring democracy.

Minimum Requirements

When I reflect on what is actually being asked of me in terms of time and effort, the demands of citizenship really aren’t all that daunting. Having been born here in the United States, I didn’t have to apply for citizenship — it came with my first breath. Once I reached voting age, all that was formally required was that I register and then show up on Election Day.

Of course, there is more to it than that. But coming up with a tidy list of requirements is challenging, because there is no single agreed-upon definition of what citizenship demands. Historically, that question has been answered differently in every generation.

What the Patriots Said

Some of the most clarifying voices on the subject are the ones we tend to relegate to history class and then forget. George Washington, Samuel Adams, and Theodore Roosevelt each left behind writings that speak directly to the responsibilities of citizenship — and their words feel startlingly relevant right now.

Washington, in his 1796 Farewell Address, cut straight to the heart of it. He argued that national identity — the simple act of choosing to be American first, above all factional and regional loyalties — is the foundational civic obligation:

“Citizens by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of AMERICAN, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.”

— George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796

Samuel Adams, writing in the Boston Gazette in 1771 under the pen name “Candidus,” offered something even more demanding. For Adams, citizenship was an inheritance — one purchased by the toil and sacrifice of those who came before — and every generation bore the obligation to guard it:

“The liberties of our country, the freedoms of our civil Constitution are worth defending at all hazards; it is our duty to defend them against all attacks… It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle; or be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men.”

— Samuel Adams, writing as “Candidus,” The Boston Gazette, October 14, 1771

And then there is Theodore Roosevelt, who had very little patience for people who disengaged from civic life and then complained about the results. In his 1883 speech “The Duties of American Citizenship,” he was blunt:

“The first duty of an American citizen, then, is that he shall work in politics; his second duty is that he shall do that work in a practical manner; and his third is that it shall be done in accord with the highest principles of honor and justice.”

— Theodore Roosevelt, “The Duties of American Citizenship,” 1883

Roosevelt also reserved particular scorn for those who called themselves too busy for civic involvement: “People who say they do not have time to attend to politics,” he wrote, “are simply saying that they are unfit to live in a free community.” That line might just make some libertarians nervous.

That Was Then; This Is Now

I never served in the military, but many of my relatives have. I have always had an abiding respect for those who did — especially those who were drafted. Serving the nation has historically been seen as a patriotic obligation, even if it was never explicitly required to hold citizenship. Now that we have an all-volunteer service, I find myself conflicted. I understand those who come from strong traditions of military service. I am also aware that many enlistees join because they have few other options, and still others are drawn to a culture of unwavering institutional loyalty that makes me a little uneasy.

I wonder what Washington, Adams, and Roosevelt would make of the citizenship debates we’re having today. Should there be a requirement that all students pass a civics exam before graduating? Should there be mandatory service — military or civilian? Should there be a consequence for not voting? These aren’t idle questions.

Active Participation Required

What I keep coming back to is something none of those three patriots would dispute: representative democracy requires active participation. Not passive beneficiary status. Not the kind of civic engagement that amounts to clicking a vote on a TV game show every four years. Real participation — the kind that involves showing up, staying informed, and being willing to be inconvenienced—are actions that recently have seen a resurgence, and are reaching a tipping point.

I take my obligation seriously. I volunteer my time with several organizations involved in vetting candidates, drafting local legislation, and by attending local governing board meetings. I realize not everyone has the background, bandwidth, or skills to do those particular things. But everyone has something to contribute.

What I Know for Certain

What I know for certain, after standing in my historic town plaza yesterday among my neighbors, is this: citizenship is not a birthright that runs on autopilot. It is, as Samuel Adams understood it, an inheritance that has to be actively defended in every generation. The people who showed up yesterday — gray-haired and young, tired and energized — were doing exactly that. And that felt more patriotic than anything I’ve done in a voting booth.

Aaron Sorkin’s “The West Wing” remains one of the most honest portrayals of what it looks like when people actually try to govern well and vote with their conscience. I think it should be required watching by every American.