Newell-Fonda High School
Newell, Iowa
Teacher: Connie Doonan
Individual Liberty or the Community Welfare
By Sarah Baughman
12th Grade
When balancing individual liberty and the community welfare, selfishness must not be present. If one thinks only of [one’s] self, true liberty will never be the product. In reality, [people] will want to do whatever will suit [them] or her best or give them what they want. But in a true democracy, community welfare is the key. What the people vote is what will happen. Even if only a small percentage is the difference, the majority will rule. With the things that have been going on in the United States in the past few years, our country really needs to find a way to give us individual liberty but still do things for the community welfare. Even if people are upset, our government must not back down. It must push on and make sure that, not only we as the people of this nation are safe, but the nation as a whole is strong and will continue to be united in freedom. With the world as it is today, we have to find the balance between individual liberty and the community welfare.
The Bill of Rights clearly states the freedoms and rights that are given to every person living in the United States of America. The first amendment gives us the right to freedom of speech, religion, press, to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government. With these rights also comes responsibility. If the founding fathers thought we would use these rights selfishly, they would not have given them to us at all. With this responsibility, people must remember to not only think of themselves but to think of the good of man. To think of how they can improve upon the good of the nation. If they have to give up their own comfort for it, they will. For example, as the war in Iraq rages onward, more men and women are enlisting in the armed forces. Everyday in the newspaper we see names of people who gave their lives to protect the country we live in. Most do not do this for themselves, but they fight for our country, for the common good of everyone here and to keep the freedoms and liberties that we take advantage of every day.
An excellent example of community welfare verses individual welfare is very close to my own home. In a town near my own there was a large flower garden and fountain for the community to sit at and use. Many wedding pictures and senior pictures were taken there, as it was very beautiful. This park was donated and was in memory of a deceased town person. This past year it was decided by the town, that they were going to tear it down and replace it with a large project that would include a water park and other recreational equipment. This project, that would replace the garden, would be very helpful to the town’s economy and many people are in agreement with it. That is, except the family of the deceased benefactor of the garden. They did not agree with demolishing the garden and fought to keep it where it was. In the end the city won, and the garden is no more. This family, [was] looking at its individual welfare and not the community’s.
When this country was begun it was written in the preamble of the constitution that the main purpose of the constitution was to insure domestic tranquility, provide for common defense, and to promote the general welfare. The general welfare means what is good for the majority of people. This means that some people will not get what they want, but these people have the right to be heard and petition the government if they so choose. For example, if I was against some law that was passed, say making abortions legal, I can make myself heard, and I have rights to do so. I could petition the government. This doesn’t mean that I will change anything or that I even could, but I still can get my voice heard.
How do you find the balance? Look at the good of everyone. Do not be selfish and understand what the founding fathers wanted this country to be. Know that even if you do not get your way, you still can have your opinion known in the world. Remember the people giving their lives to keep your freedom intact and know that they fight for the common good of everyone. As I mentioned at the beginning, it starts with the government, pushing to do what will benefit the country and keep it safe as a whole. Then the communities step in and do what they feel is best for their cities and towns. The balance between community welfare and individual rights is monumental because of our rapidly changing world.
Answers To Questions Prompted By The Required Reading
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 for things we desire, never mind thinking about paying for them or long-ranged budgeting.”?
Machan uses the word steal to explain how people want to receive the benefits of Government funded programs and they push for more, but yet they do not realize the taxes they complain of are what is paying for them. They do no want to pay taxes but still want the programs. Hence the word: steal.
Q2- Machan said : “For that which is common to the greatest number of people has the least care bestowed upon it.” Give two examples of this from your personal experience.
In my family each my mom, dad and I have a vehicle we drive every day. We also have a SUV that we drive when the family goes somewhere together, which is not very often. Each of us takes good care of our personal vehicle, making sure it has a full tank of gas and is free from any dirt. The SUV, however, seems to be neglected. It is usually close to empty and a bid dirty. Another example is restrooms. The restroom at my house is always clean and tidy. It stays that way because my family doesn’t make a mess because we have pride in our house. Much unlike our restroom, public restrooms are always dirty and disgusting. People do not care because in the end they don’t have to clean it 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 answer.
Yes, I do agree with Machan. If you think that someone else will take care of it then you are less likely to do it yourself. Many people just wait it out until someone else gets fed up and does it themselves. An example is three people living in a house together do not do the dishes. Each waits until the other ones wash the dishes.
Q4- Sate 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, people tend not to know when and where to stop. It wouldn’t be fair to some if they had money taken from them and others didn’t.
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 both Rome and the USA is transportation. In the USA it was the railroads and in Rome it was the complicated system of roads.
Q6- Is cheapened money the cause or the outcome of inflation? Explain.
It is the cause. After money was cheapened then prices shot sky high. Savings wasted away, and all the people were very upset.
Q7- How did the Edict of 301 affect Rome’s economy?
It was the law that had the system of price and wage control. Anyone against it had the penalty of death. In the end it ruined it. People were killed in small matters and no one wanted to bring their things to market because of unreasonable prices.
Q8- Lee claims that the individuals could be “entirely independent of others except for what? Explain.
Except for scarcity, meaning that we could be completely independent from everyone except for the fact that we depend on what other have to help us live. Because we have to interact with people to survive we have to follow the rules of social conduct.
Q9- Describe the dilemma concerning rules as discussed by Lee.
Being free of rules is not a solution or possibility. Without rules there would be no freedom. On could say they are free but since there are no rules, another could come in and do something to infringe on the others rights. Therefore no one would really ever be free without rules.
Q10- Why is the concept of private property crucial to freedom?
It is crucial to freedom because if one has property, they feel that they are someone. That they have something to do or have in life and its worth living for. It helps them be an individual.
Q11- Argue both pro and con that in his testimony Lawerence Reed was advocating compassion and aid for the poor.
He said that if the government could give things it could take away some things. This says to me that he wanted to let the poor people be on their own because if they were given everything someone would have to lose it in the first place. But then he said that if the poor were actually trying to make something of themselves and their situations, that they should be given help. He didn’t believe in letting down people who were actually trying and doing all they could. Still, he didn’t really like the idea that the government takes from someone to give to another.
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.
He was saying that if you take two people and they have two different jobs, one is a doctor and one is a waitress and you pay them the same they are not free. The doctor works harder, has more debt to pay from schooling and saves peoples lives daily. Even though the waitress works hard, but yet she does not deserve the same pay as a doctor. If you pay them the same the waitress can do a bad job and still get paid the same. The economy would crash because people would take no pride in what they do because they will get paid the same in the end even if it is a bad product.