Kinsley High School

Kinsley, Kansas

Teacher: Dr. Galen Boehme

Sharing Can Change a Life

by Mary ‘Beth’ Strong

Grade 12

Before giving aid to others we must examine the situation thoroughly, understand why aid is needed and give the correct aid based upon what would be considered the common good to keep the balance between liberty and personal responsibility.

Before we begin to examine the situation, we must first know a few key terms.  First, “we” is all people whether we are rich or poor.  All people have the ability to give.  It does not matter whether the support is monetary or giving time.  Second, aid involves support whether monetary or material.  Last, common good refers to what benefits the most people in a certain situation.  The common good varies from situation to situation but it is always what is best for the most people.

Very often we give the wrong type of support.  We see a homeless man, woman or child on the street.  We will toss him money and hope that he will go away and we will not see him again.  This is helpful to some but for others this gesture makes the situation worse.  By receiving monetary support these people are then given the opportunity to spend it how they choose.  Many will take the money and buy such necessities as food and clothing.  But, those that choose a darker path will take the support that we have given them and buy alcohol or drugs and hurt their situation even more.

Some of us do not care about others.  We neglect our duties because we believe that someone else will do the job. In many cases the government steps in. We as the government give what is considered to be too much and allow Kershner’s First Law to come into effect.  It states: “When a self-governing people confer upon their government the power to take from some and give to others, the process will not stop until the last bone of the last taxpayer is picked bare”.  The government takes from the rich and gives to the poor.  Eventually the rich will run out of money.

Before giving these “donations” we should evaluate the way the person is dressed, the way the person appears and the look of the area that he is in. If one person is dressed in worn clothes, he may not be homeless.  Today many teens are wearing the worn style.  The person that we see may only be a teen who has gotten into a fight with his parents and is sitting outside to cool off.  In this case, more problems could arise since the teenager may get “hot” with us and put us in a bad situation. 

If the people are truly homeless, looking at the way they groom themselves will tell us how they take support.  If the person is well groomed when given monetary support necessities will usually be bought.  A few people exist who will not do what we expect them to do.  After all, we are all human and it is in our nature.

To keep our liberties in a safe balance we need to help others and give them a reason not to infringe on our rights.  The best way to help is to take time to help.  If asked for money, a friend of mine, that lived in New York City, would not give the person money after he saw a man that he had given money go and buy alcohol.  Now, he takes time out of his busy schedule to take that person out to a meal so that he knows that his money is going to help the person’s position and not helping to make it worse.  If more of us were like he, we would realize that we are not always living up to the common good.  We are all too much in our own little worlds.  We only worry about what we want to happen or what directly affects us.

Government aid is also a major situation in the United States.  It seems as if we are trying to split up families by offering more money if the father leaves.  Instead of giving out money, the government should be encouraging work.  People should be earning their own money, if possible, and earning their rights and liberties by helping the economy. 

Many people who are using government aid such as the welfare system are abusing the system.  In the movie, Million Dollar Baby, the daughter goes and buys her mother a new house.  The mother refuses to sign the papers on the house even after her daughter says that she will support her.  The mother’s excuse is that if she signs the papers, then her welfare will be taken away.  It is up to each of us to personally decide if the mother is doing what is right.   This also poses the question: How many others are abusing the system the same way as the mother?

We must always remember the words of the American poet Robert Frost:

          In the wood two roads diverged, I

          I took the one less traveled

and it has made all the difference.

If we take the road “less traveled,” then we have the opportunity to make a difference in a person’s life.  Many will not accept this help but those individuals exist that all we have to do for them is take a little time and show a little compassion.  We will not only be helping those individuals but also helping our country.  In the words of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy:

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. 
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

We must all accept our individual responsibilities in finding the balance between individual liberty and the common good if we want to make our county and world great.

Answers To Questions Triggered by the Required Reading

“Welfare on the Street Where You Live” (Tibor Machan)

Q1- Why does Machan use "steal" in his statement: "Private property solves this problem, but was abandoned a long time ago when taxes reached the point where we can steal our way to being provided with all sorts of things we desire, never mind thinking about paying for them or long-range budgeting."?

Machan is trying to explain that when the taxes get to a certain place, people believe that they should receive certain perks without any charge.  Machan is trying to bring out some ethical thinking.  He is asking the question: Is it right to steal?  Do the people that are receiving benefits really deserve them?  For example, in the movie “Million Dollar Baby,” the mother will not sign the papers to take over the house her daughter has bought her.  The mother says that it will take her welfare away.  Is it right for this mother to be “stealing” from the government by using the welfare system when her daughter is offering the mother money to help the mother live and also giving the mother a house?  Some would say that the mother is not stealing because the mother does need the support.  Yet, the mother can live without the welfare.  Her daughter has offered to take care of everything if her mother’s welfare is taken away.  I believe that the mother is “stealing” from the government.

Q2- Machan said: "For that which is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it." Give two examples of this from your personal experience.

Those benefits that are best for all are usually the ones that are put on the back burners or they are quickly passed through an organization.  In the local 4-H club there are many matters that come about because of the county 4-H council.  These matters that usually affect the entire county pass extremely quickly.  On the other hand those that are not on as large of a scale take much time to discuss because the members want what will benefit them the most.  The members usually do not care about the larger scale matters.  Another example of the common good allowed the least amount of attention is senior class matters.  Class meetings are held every Thursday morning to discuss matters that are pertinent to the senior class.  At these meeting very few people show to make the decisions.  This also extends to the community.  Those that say that they care about what is going on the community will frequently never go to a meeting when a matter affecting them is on the agenda.

Q3- Do you agree with Machan that "...everybody is more inclined to neglect the duty which he expects another to fulfill; as in families many attendants are often less useful than a few. " Give an objective example of this.

When large groups of people are working together, laziness and a lack of communication come about.  Communication involves a leader who is in charge and workers who will listen.  Many groups lack one of both of these factors.  One man may think that the next one will do the task while the next thought that the first was the one who was going to do.  Workers are especially important in communicating.  If we have a good worker that does not listen, then what is the use of having that person work?  Communication is usually lacking in most groups because they are lacking a good leader.  A good leader makes sure that everyone knows his or her job and that everyone is on task.  This is one reason that groups are usually split into committees.  A committee makes communication easier and the committee knows what it has to do to fulfill its part of the whole scheme. 

“Are We Going the Way of Rome?” (Lawrence Reed)
Q4- State Kershner’s First Law.  Do you agree or disagree and why?

Kershner’s First Law says: “When a self-governing people confer upon their government the power to take from some and give to others, the process will not stop until the last bone of the last taxpayer is picked bare.”  I agree with this statement.  People are greedy.  If given the chance many will destroy others.  Like the hyena, humans will attack with all types of force to get what they want.  A hyena will steal from others just to feed itself.  I believe that overall many people are like this.  They have gotten so spoiled with always getting what they want that they cannot accept receiving nothing and many are willing to fight for material luxuries.  The American people in general illustrate this attitude.   

Q5-  What industry was the first to be taken over by government in both ancient Rome and the USA?

Reed states that the first industry to be taken over is transportation.  In ancient Rome, the shipping industry was taken over.  In America it was the railroad system.  Since then the American government has set strict laws for all modes of transportation.  I would beg to differ.  I define industry as anything that is a service to others that works on a profit or loss basis.  Therefore, the first industry to be affected by change was the “welfare” system.  The system works by taking taxpayers’ money and giving it to those who are needy.  This system works only if enough taxes come in.  With too much going out of the system and not enough going into the system taxes are raised to make up for the loss.  The rulers of ancient Rome first started by giving the masses wheat and telling them to make their own bread.  Soon it changed to: Here is your own government baked bread; enjoy.  When people were allowed to have their food provided for them without having to work, many quit trying and became solely dependent on the government.  This is when the government started to tax the other Roman citizens out of existence.  In America the case is much the same.  Food stamps, government aid and many other factors have led many to be solely dependent on the government.  If the government is paying for all of this, how long will the government last?  The American government is the only government that can run on a deficit and each day that deficit is on the rise.  The question is: When will the deficit bottom out and the land of the free go into debt?

Q6- Is cheapened money the cause or the outcome of inflation?  Explain.

Before we are able to decide whether cheapened money is the cause of inflation or whether inflation is the cause of cheapened money we must fist answer the question: Which came first the chicken or the egg?  This little joke has been the center of much controversy for many years.  Even on the playground in 2^nd grade there have been fights that broke out over whether the chicken or the egg came first.  Inflation and cheapened money are the same way.  Without inflation money is not cheapened.  On the other hand, cheapened money only comes during times of inflation.  They go hand in hand to form a never-ending circle. 

Q7- How did the Edict of 301 affect Rome’s economy?

The Edict of 301 established a system of comprehensive wage and price controls.  The penalty of not following these controls was death.  This caused chaos in Roman society.  Historian Lactantius said, “After many oppressions which he put into practice had brought a general dearth upon the empire, he then set himself to regulate the prices of all vendible things.  There was such blood shed upon very slight and trifling accounts, and the people brought provisions no more to market, since they could not get a reasonable price for them.”  Diocletian set up this law that gave the government control of the economy.  The basis of this law was to help to make businesses more effective and to control the famine that was hurting the Roman Empire.  This law almost destroyed the economy of Rome not to mention the Romans.  People did not dare to sell anything because they could be killed and no one wanted to buy anything if the person they were buying from would be killed.  This devastated the economy eventually forcing the law to be revoked.

“Liberty and Individual Responsibility” (Dwight R. Lee)

Q8- Lee claims that individuals could be “entirely independent of others” except for what? Explain.

Where scarcity is involved is the only time when individuals cannot be entirely independent of others.  Scarcity can involve a lack of resources such as water or coal or any other mineral that is needed or it can involve a lack of workers. In either case, we must work together to gain an understanding of what is happening around us.  When one person decides that it is his right to have all of one rare mineral then he is causing a problem with scarcity.  By “hogging” all of that resource he is keeping it from others who need it.  This is where competition and cooperation come together.  Competition to see who can get the most comes in accomplishing ends.  Without cooperation only a few would be making money from the resources.  But on the other hand, we may have many workers and none of them can get along so we suffer the consequences of no cooperation, fights and no progress.  Scarcity can be overcome, but we must all work together to make it possible.

Q9-Describe the dilemma concerning rules as discussed by Lee.

Rules are a main focus in most social and economic groups.  The problem is that some believe the more rules there are, the smoother events or meetings will run.  This is not always true.  Some of these groups have too many rules.  These rules turn the people against each other just as if no rules existed.  We are only able to force humans to do steps to a certain point.  After we pass that point, riots and rebellions will occur.  Humans want freedom and rules many times infringe upon these freedoms.

Q10- Why is the concept of private property crucial to freedom?

Private property gives one a sense of competition, friendly competition.  This competition leads to people taking care of their property.  Private property also leads to an advanced knowledge.  When we own our own property we have to be aware of our surroundings.  We have to know that storms may hit so we have to have insurance, a good roof and a good gutter system.  Without these we know that our property may not be worth as much when the storm is over.  Private property also instills a sense of individual responsibility that forms a barrier between the individual and the government.  This is one way that the liberties of all people are protected from the government.

“Lawrence Reed’s testimony before the U.S. Senate Budget Committee.”

Q11- Argue both pro and con that in his testimony Lawrence Reed was advocating compassion and aid for the poor.

To contrast the pros and cons of Reed’s statement we must first define key terms.  Those words are “compassion,” one person giving to another who is less fortunate; “aid,” which is any type of help or compensation; and “poor” which is a relative term that usually means a person who has less of something than another has.  The pros of compassion include allowing the ethical to surpass the economical which means caring for the person more than what he can provide (principle 1), showing a love for someone who is less fortunate (principle 5), and it involves most people (principle 3).  The cons of compassion include the fact that people once they are given the chance to use a resource without any work begin to not care and depend solely on the person handing out the resource (principle 2).  This is where the welfare problem comes into play.  People can abuse the welfare system because they know that they will be able to live off the government and never have to work again.  In this situation actually the government is supporting mediocrity (principle 4).  Compassion is usually focused only on the here and now which leaves out many long-range repercussions (principle 3 & 7).  Overall, compassion is a type of tough love.  One must learn when to show compassion and let the party learn to live on his own.

Q12-  “If people are free they will not earn equal incomes; conversely, show me a people who have equal incomes and I will show you a people who are not free.”  Explain in your own words Mr. Reed’s meaning.

Everyone has a choice as how to manage his or her time.  One person may choose to take a low paying job to reap the benefits of helping others less fortunate than he.  Another person may choose to work at a high paying job so that he can have more money to spend on himself or his family.  That is one of the benefits of freedom.  We can choose what we want and when we want it.  If we were to find a group of people with equal incomes, there would be no freedom. Equal incomes usually result from the government taking money from the people so that they have money to spend for their objectives, leading to a very restrictive environment.  The government is the one controlling everything in their lives from telling them to where to work and live to how many children they are allowed to have.  We cannot consider this type of environment “free.”

 Back