Kinsley High School
Kinsley, Kansas
Teacher: Dr. Galen Boehme

Private Property Deserves Dignity
By Travis Wetzel
12th Grade
 

To treat private property with dignity we must learn about the importance of private property, accept the responsibilities, and address some of the long-term consequences.

“Dignity” means worthy of respect.  “Private property” concerns the assets owned by an individual rather than a group.  “Responsibilities” are the duties or obligations associated with owning private property.  “Consequences” can be either the positive or negative results of owning private property.  These words are crucial when we analyze Lee’s reasoning as to why private property is crucial to freedom.

The respect for private property should begin when we are children.  Adults frequently do not tell their children that their toys are also private property.  When we give a child a toy, we need to teach that child to not destroy the toy.  To do this we need to lead by example.  Some adults buy cars whenever they feel like it.  These adults do this because they go out and treat that car without respect.  The adults may do this because they know that they can extend their debt load to buy a new one when they want one.  This approach rubs off onto their children.  When a child sees what his parents do to receive a new car, the child thinks that he should do this to receive a new toy.  A child who thinks that treating a toy by throwing and slamming it into the ground will not likely treat any property with respect.  On the other hand, a child needs to learn that the way to receive a new toy is by being good.  This will likely lead to respecting personal property.  The way we teach our children about private property will affect the long-term consequences.  We can take a look at the way they treat toys the child owns.  If the child throws his toys just to receive a new one, this may mean that he does not respect property.  A child who owns nice, undamaged toys likely respects his toys.  He does not want to destroy toys because he does not believe destroying one will bring a new toy. As parents and teachers we must teach the children the responsibilities associated with private property.

Learning the importance of owning private property is the best way to stress more personal responsibility.  To learn
the importance we can consider owning private property is more a privilege and less a right.  We must earn the 
respect to have property.  When a child receives a puppy he must take care of the puppy.  The child either takes 
the responsibility in taking care of the puppy or the puppy is taken away.  Private property deals with being a part of
a community.  The community can be our individual family.  If one has the responsibility of gathering the eggs he 
should make sure he does this.  If he does not gather the eggs the family will not have eggs in the morning.  If a 
person is supposed to collect the eggs and sell them, but collects them too late, this could cause unmarketable 

eggs.  If a person accepts the responsibility given to him in his family he will then more likely accept his responsib-
ility in the community.  Private property can also develop a sense of self-pride.  The liberty that personal property 
gives a person carries responsibilities.  The responsibilities that liberty hands the person should be taken care of.  
Liberty is connected to being a part of the family because we have responsibilities.

The teaching can be implemented through resources outside the home that help teach responsibility.  A person can join groups throughout the community and in school.  Joining these groups can teach responsibility.  We can join 4-H if we are involved with farm activities or a person likes farm activities.  A person has to take care of a calf.  The calf is then judged at competition.  If the person does not take care of the calf they will not receive a good score.  This is just like the puppy ordeal I talked about a little earlier.  Joining a church group is a good way to become involved with the community.  I have helped them paint main street before.  We painted the store trim and main wood parts.  When a friend of mine died, the church group she was involved in made posters for her.  A church group allows a person to become a part of the community.  A student in school can be in extracurricular activities.  This can be a sport, KAYS, or National Honors Society.  Each one of these activities requires a certain amount of responsibility.  A student must be prompt for practice and meetings.  These activities teach the students time management.  During a season when a student is out for a sport he must manage practice and homework.  Each one of these activities involves a certain type of responsibility needed in life.

The child should be accepting his personal responsibility in advancing the common good.  The child will more likely sense the need for the balance between individual liberty and the common good.  The child will feel that a balance is needed and will evaluate his actions to have the balance work.  While he balances his actions the people around him might not understand.  The way to overcome being misunderstood is to continue to move on.

Knowing the importance, accepting the responsibilities, and addressing the long-term consequences give us a better understanding of the role between freedom and liberty.

Answers To Questions Triggered by the Required Reading

“Welfare State 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 deliberately chooses “steal” to show the difference between need and desire.  The word “steal” provokes new thoughts about certain services that we are have.  These thoughts are about the consequences that are headed our way.  The American people are taking advantage of the services the government provides and expects the government to keep the services running.  The people do not consider how the services are being paid for.  The money used for these services could very well be used for services we need.  We do not know what is going to happen to the American public if we do not start looking for solutions.  We need to find a way to use the money for the services that Americans need, not what each and everyone of us desires.  By looking at the consequences that the word “steal” provokes, the American people will start to decide what they need.  The Americans will figure out that shelter, food, and water are more important than entertainment.

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.

From my personal experience I have noticed that this can sometimes hold true.  My class has activities that we must attend to receive points for attending prom and our senior trip.  Concession stands is one of the main activities and we must provide the food for them.  Not many of the students of my class like to provide the food for the concession stands.  Another example is that of recycling.  Recycling would help America by providing a cleaner society.  It would cut down the amount of trash in America.  Cleaning up America will allow our children to live as we have.  America will last longer with everyone cleaning up.

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.

I do not agree with Machan.  I am on the basketball team and we expect everyone to fulfill his duties.  The basketball team is just like a family.  The five starters even expect the guys that come off the bench to know what they are doing.  All members on the team either know what they are doing or they do not play.  We have twelve boys on the varsity team and only seven of us play a whole lot.  We are grateful to have the twelve boys to practice against to improve us.  Sometimes these boys just take up space and frustrate the rest of us, but we figure out that it is their pleasure helping us.  The boys that do not play understand their role and love being a part of the team.

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

“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 Kershner’s First Law.  When the people decide that it is right for the government to take from one to give to another, the process will not stop.  Once the government decides that it is its responsibility to take money from people for its use, the bone picking will be impossible to stop.  The government will become greedy and will not know when to stop.  The government will soon become so greedy that there will be no money to take from anyone.  The government will have taken money from every person in the country.  There will be no one in the country with any money left.  Then where will the government go for money?  The stealing of the money from the people is done for good.  When the government is doing good projects it can reap bad consequences like having no money left.  Sometimes when a person is trying to do good, it just has a bad outcome.

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

The first industry to be taken over in Rome and the United States was transportation.  In Rome the government mainly took over the shipping industry.  The government had to take over this because it was the most sure fire place to make money.  The government would be able to tax the imports.  The United States took over the railroad.  The government took this over because the government needs money just like the Romans did.  Transportation is probably the best possible place to start when there is a shortage of money.  The government can tax for the use of the railroad and other areas.  Transportation is also easy to control.  With the government controlling transportation, the government is able to ship its products.

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

Cheapened money is the cause of inflation.  The government was spending so much money that the money was not worth much anymore.  The money was not worth much because the government was making so much of it.  Having too much money will cause it to become cheaper.  The government kept making so much money because the people were demanding the government to spend it so often.  The prices began to skyrocket because of the cheapening of the money.  The people were wasting their time by saving money.  The people become angry and frustrated.  The people were so angry they were blaming the businessmen.  In reality it was the people’s demand on the government to spend so much money.

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

The Edict of 301 caused chaos throughout the Roman Empire.  The Edict of 301 enforced wage and price controls with a penalty of death.  The people had no need to bring provisions to the market because the provisions were worth nothing.  There was no chance of anyone receiving a reasonable price for personal belongings.  This Edict caused many people to die.  It took the government time to see that this law would not work.  Many Roman people were killed because of the law.  The Edict was finally put to waste because it was destroying the economy as well as the people.

“Liberty and Individual Responsibility” (Dwight R. Lee)
Q8-Lee claims that individuals could be “entirely independent of others” except for what? Explain.

We could be entirely independent of others if we were without scarcity.  Scarcity forces everyone to interact with one another.  We have to buy the items we need from each other in order to survive.  We do not have the unlimited sources of everything we need in life.  Certain items are limited in number, allowing us to meet new people.  The items that are limited also make us compete with each other to receive what items we need.  Not every item needed in life is guaranteed for us.  If every person has the guarantee of having every aspect of his life paid, we would live in a boring society.  The interaction that scarcity brings also helps meet the needs we have in all aspects of our lives.

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

Lee’s thought is that too many rules will affect society the way no rules do.  A society without rules will not develop.  This type of society will have little or no prosperity.  The only way for a society like this to survive is if no one infringes on anyone else’s rights, but not everyone has enough self-restraint.  With no rules there will be some that will plunder as much as they can.  A society with too many rules can cause anger.  The people will become so upset with their government that they will revolt.  They will try and form a government without so many rules.  The revolt will cause no prosperity.

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

Private property is crucial for our freedom because of the responsibility we have.  Private property involves the individual taking care of the property he owns.  The individual has to paint it and maintain the property.  The individual responsibility gives us the sense of individual liberty.  Freedom is a very big part of our lives.  We all need to take responsibility for our actions.  The private property makes people have responsibility.  With responsibility we feel as if we control our freedom.  All the responsibility makes us realize the importance of freedom.

“Lawrence Reed’s testimony before the U.S. Budget Committee”
Q11-Argue both pro and con that in his testimony Lawrence Reed was advocating compassion and aid for the poor.

First, we need to define the key words.  “Compassion” is sorrow, pity, or mercy.  There are two parties: one is a giver that has abundance and the other is a receiver that is destitute.  “Aid” is an object that is passed between giver and receiver in the form of money, services, or intangibles.  “Poor” is a relevant term where one person is in a better state than another.

Reed shows compassion when the ethical matter surpasses the economical matter.  It is needed to help someone that has less in the economical area (Principle #1).  Compassion can also mean caring for.  We show compassion when we are using our own possessions.  We have more compassion for ourselves than anyone else at certain times (Principle #2).  Also, compassion is more of a learning process.  It takes time for the compassion to come into play, but we need to know when enough is enough (Principle #5).  Reed has points when he does not stress compassion.  If we show too much compassion for the poor, they will never learn to do anything on their own (Principle #2).  The government should not support mediocrity of values.  The government should support being the best we can be (Principle #4).  Compassion can also be a weakness.  This can cause us to become less of a leader when we learn to be too dependent upon others for care (Principle #6).

Tough compassion is needed at certain times, which a mentor is involved to makes us more aware of what is happening.

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.”

There will be no equal incomes because some people will not take the initiative to work for their money.  Some people will be lazy and expect someone to give them what they need.  People that decide to work will earn more money than those who choose not to work.  If everyone has an equal income we are not going to be free.  Everyone will be forced to work the same amount of time for the same amount of pay.  Being free is being able to have the choice of what we want to do.  If we are free we have control over our life beginning with the choices we make.  If a person does not want to work, then that is that person’s choice.  If we all have the same income, then we are being put to work, meaning that we are not free to make our own choices.

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