1. Vote.  When you turn 18, you will be allowed to register to vote.  From that point onward you will have a direct say in who you put in office.  At 18, you also have to register for the Selective Service System in case there is a draft at your local post office or online.

2. Stay informed. You should know enough about your city, your state, and your country to cast your vote wisely.

3. Jury duty. At some point in your life you may be called to sit on a jury, which is a group of citizens who are called to a courtroom to hear and decide a legal case and determine whether someone is innocent or guilty of a crime.

4. Pay taxes. You have already been paying taxes, but perhaps you didn't realize it.  Every time you buy anything in Tennessee, you pay sales tax, which supports your state and local governments. 

5. Respond to a call of duty.  There have been many times in the history of Tennessee and the United States when the government asked people to go fight against a foreign enemy, or to serve their country in some other way.  We owe all of our freedom to the people who have defended the United States in such times.  By the way, the reason Tennessee is known as the "Volunteer State" is because of how quickly Tennesseans have responded to the government's call to raise an army.

6. Tolerate. Tennessee and the United States are based on the idea of tolerance. Not everyone here looks the same, talks the same, thinks the same or believes the same.  That's okay.

7. Help others. There are times when people in our country, our state and our town need help.  You should help your community if you are able.  It makes it a better place for all of us when you do.

8. Obey the laws. As you grow older, you will decide whether to be a law-abiding citizen or a person who chooses not to obey the laws.  This is a decision no one can make for you.