Burlington High School
Burlington, Kansas
Teacher: Mrs. Devra Parker
Choices Are Everything
Word Count: 792
By Jessica Vander Linden
12th Grade
Common good: what does that mean? Does it mean to do what is good for oneself or what is good for others? In my opinion, it is a mixture of both, but we should put what would be best for others in front of what would be best for ourselves. However, this may put in jeopardy some of the individual liberties that all of us were granted under the Constitution. We should all make choices that balance out these two to make our country a better place.
Choices take responsibility, and responsibility takes maturity. [Our generation] has got to learn to be more responsible and mature in our actions…. We are soon going to be taking control of society. We will be teachers, government officials, business owners, and parents. To become successful, we have to make the proper choices. For example, [some of us] have the liberty to hang out with our friends and decide when a proper time to arrive home would be. [But other] parents [might give them a different] choice and for the…good of their children [keep them at] home rather than [give them the liberty to] go out [whenever they want].…
[As adults], we were to miss a deadline for a job, [we should] not blame it on the fact that our child was home sick or we just couldn’t focus because our mom called crying because her plants died; take the fact that we missed the deadline and try to make sure it doesn’t happen again. The second example that comes straight to my head would be when we get pulled over; [we shouldn’t] try to talk our way out of a speeding ticket. Deal with the consequences; if we are going to speed just so we can get home on time to watch a rerun of Little House on the Prairie, do not say that we are getting home to get to our sick mother. We were caught speeding, and we should live up to the fact that we were wrong.
Also, we need to make our communities safer places to live. [We should] do all that is possible to make where we live safe for our children. Who wants to grow up knowing that at any moment, our posterity could be shot while playing an innocent game of baseball in the front yard? … What are [the criminals] thinking? Why would [they] make decisions that cause families to live in a depressed, frightened world? … If [they] had kids, would [they] want them to be petrified to play in their front yard?…
Why [have an abortion]? If…it was choice to [have sex], now [there] is a duty to keep the child. Even if [they] don’t want [to raise the child], think…of those who cannot have children. Putting the child up for adoption would…be a good idea…
[Those] under the age of 21 are not [allowed] to drink. It is against the law, and obviously [the law] has been set…for a reason. Do not rebel; getting drunk is not worth it. Do not overstep your liberty for what you think is the common good.
Everyone out there is wonderful in [their] own special way. Do not ever consider taking your life [because] a time in your life may seem hard. My dad always tells me, “Tough times go away; tough people don’t.” This is the best advice I can ever give anyone. Think of all of the people that you will hurt, including yourself. Nothing in this world [should make you] give up your liberty and life. Even though it might feel like it is for the…good, never give up. Things always have a way of turning themselves around.
[Finaly], do not risk what might be good for you for the sake of what is good for the rest of the world. Be responsible. Be mature. Make the right decisions. Do not forget, balance liberty and the common good to make the world a better place.
Answers to Questions Regarding the Required Reading
Q1-What do you
think Justin Reiter meant by including the following in his essay?
“…if the people are not accustomed to the freedom, they will be angered by
the inequality.” Were you angered by some of the things Justin said in his
essay? Did you agree or disagree?
A1- I think that Justin meant that if people do not understand how freedom works, then the fact that everyone is “equal” will not mean the same thing to them as it did to the framers of our Constitution. Equal meant that everyone has the same rights; not that everyone has the same money and house. I was not angered by the words that Justin had put in his story. In fact, my opinions agree with what he said. I am more angered by his sentence fluency and his repetitive use of words. In the first paragraph alone, he uses “Americans” five times, and “equal” seven times. His comma usage needs some help to as I read through the paper and changed five errors. Besides for that, Justin proved a great point and, I support what he said.
Q2- Explain: “He felt that the common good could be served by each individual pursuing self-interest.” To whom did Chris Carney attribute these feelings?
A2- I think that this phrase means that it is better for each and every person to gain the attributes that they desire by themselves so it is them and their decision on what they get and how they get it. Chris Carney attributed the feelings of the “common good” being served by “each individual pursuing self-interest” to James Madison, the Founder of the Constitution.
Q3- In the next to the last paragraph in her essay, Faith Doyle discuses Emperor Diocletian and his Edict of 301. Relate that to the essay topic.
A3- When Faith mentioned the story of the Romans, it was to be used as a Prime example as to why people should rely on themselves for equality, not anyone else. If the government was to take control of us, then in return, we wouldn’t be free. Instead of having what they want and being free while getting it, they were thrown into slavery and were not happy in the end. It is up to us to gain our liberty, not our government.
Q4- Kelly Lanier says in her essay: “Even though everyone is born with the same rights here in America; sometimes a person can step on or take away the rights of another person.” Relate the example she gives and give us another one of your own.
A4- When walking through the mall or sitting at a restaurant with my family and two little brothers, I deserve the right to have a peaceful meal without hearing anything derogatory that would offend my family. When I hear a curse word yelled at another person behind me at dinner, that takes away from the rights that I have to not allow my younger siblings to hear certain words. Even though they would argue that I would be taking away their First Amendment right of free speech, they are still taking away my rights.
Q5- Explain what Joshua Spencer means when he says that “individual liberty is a fragile, yet powerful, asset.” How does he relate individual liberty to dictators? Do you agree with his assessment? Why or why not? Be specific.
A5- By this phrase, Joshua Spencer meant that even though individual liberty it fragile and can be taken/given away easily, it is still powerful in the fact that as long as everyone sticks together, anything is possible and no one will take away your rights. If a dictator sees that people are sticking together and become free, then he will do whatever it takes to make them depend on him so their liberties are lowered. When this man comes into power, no one does has he/she wants; everyone does exactly what the dictator wants. I agree greatly with Joshua because once we give away our personal leadership and rely on someone else, we are also losing our freedoms. If we all stay as one, our liberties will be ever-so powerful and we can conquer anything that comes our way.
Q6-Luck Hall asked “Will we maintain our freedom or destroy it to be safe?” How would you answer that question?
A6- When the framers of our Constitution set up this wonderful country, they did not want us to be anything like the way England was during that time. I will not give up my freedoms for anything. If I am asked to change my religion, there would be no way. If I am asked to please not say “God”, or “Have a great day”, I will withhold my ground and I will not step down. There is no reason why anyone should have to give up the freedoms that our forefathers worked so hard to get us.
Q7- Some people, according to which student essayist in 1999, suggested that “the Constitution's framers might have 'put greater emphasis on the protection of the community over individual liberty', had they seen the world today.”? She doesn’t agree. Do You?
A7- This specific essay was written by Molly McGlone from Rockbridge High School. I, along with Molly, do not agree with this statement. The fact is, our framers came for the sole purpose to gain independence and have rights. I do agree that they might have put a great emphasis on the protection of our community, but individual rights are just as important.
Q8- “Just because a
law may achieve desirable results, it should not take precedence over the
Constitution.” Do you agree or disagree? Aaron
Traffas,
discusses the Ban on Smoking in Public Places and the Gun Free School Zones
Act. How do you personally feel about these two issues?
A8- I agree that all laws should be in sequence with the Constitution. However, if it will seriously make a big difference on our country, then I agree that, even though it does not agree with our founding document, it should be put into place. I feel as though the smoking ban and the gun-free zone are very good laws. I, along with many other people that I know, have asthma and smoking can stir up the effect that I may have by being around the smoke. When it is banned in public places, it makes me feel as though I can go anywhere and not have to worry about my health. The gun law is a need be and has helped to further save the children in schools.
Q9- Annie St. Romain referred to a book in her essay where “the government regulated every possible aspect of human life from profession to family to emotions.” What was the name of that book? Have you read it?
A9- The name of the book is The Giver by Louis Lowery. Unfortunately, I have never had the chance to read it, but I have heard wonderful things about the story.
Q10- “As nations grow in size and social complexity, governments claim greater powers to restrain individuals and groups. Those who criticize this development believe that it has gone so far as to threaten the existence of individual liberty. Others believe that only if government is granted such powers, can complex problems be solved.” This quote can be found in Jessie Veit’s essay. Which side of the issue do you support and why?
A10- I believe that Government should not make different powers among people of different groups. This in itself is racist and our country is supposed to be free. As soon as we pass stricter powers on certain groups, the more problems that will be produced by those who are being affected by this rule.
Q11- Give three examples where personal responsibility would replace the need for laws. Do not duplicate those found in Patrick Karcher’s essay.
A11-
1. If people were responsible in driving, there wouldn’t have to be a speed limit of police officers patrolling all over the place.
2. If people in the Middle East did not have suicide bombers, the army would not have to pat down all the citizens and anger the men.
3. If many people did not overuse the alcohol substance, there would not be an age to who can drink and that might take away all of the abuse.
Q12- It is obvious that Benji Lehman is idealistic. In his essay he claims when the founding fathers “wrote the constitution they put a great emphasis on each person having personal rights as well as individual liberties. The true strength of each and every community falls on the individual. Believing each man, woman, and child will, and can recognize the importance of good responsibility. … These were laws that gave each and everyone of us the opportunity and self-respect to do the right thing.” Benji believed that people would make choices that would serve and benefit their communities. Do you believe that? Please explain.
A12-I believe that a large portion of the society would, in this sense, make the right decision to do what is best to benefit its community. However, there would still be a few people who feel as though they do not need to help out. I think it would be great if that could happen, but looking at reality, I don’t see a way that it would have been as successful as many people would think.