Calvert Hall College
Towson, Maryland
Teacher: Mr. Kropp
Need For a Balance
By Paul Marchsteiner
11th grade
Since the very dawn of civilization
the question on how the common citizen should be governed has been raised.
Some believe that man should be free to choose what they do with their
lives, while others think that man should be moderated by their governments.
The result in choosing each type of government comes with the need to compete or to cooperate in order to advance as a civilization. Although competition advances society very quickly, as demonstrated in the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, but it often results in a few people oppressing the rest of society. Cooperation vies to have people progress by using their combined synergy, yet this system fails when people realize they do not have to work, putting great pressure on a few as illustrated in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, where the pigs put pressure on the lesser animals. With these revelations it becomes clear that there needs to be a balance between cooperation and competition.
However, the next question that arises is how do we create such a balance. I propose that government intervention be minimal, only creating a defense system, public education, and other such measures allowing freedom to the citizens of that society. However, this freedom demands that the citizens assist one another, allowing everyone equal opportunity to succeed. The United States is on this path of equal opportunity to all as shown in our universal suffrage and public education system, but there are many flaws in our country preventing a few from having equal circumstances. Cases of this responsibility needed in the United States to continue our success as a nation includes issues involving abortion and the poverty stricken.
Abortion is not really prevented or accepted in our society, and when laws are proposed one way or another, to ban or legalize abortion, they are always opposed. This is certainly a call for the good citizens of America take responsibility for their own actions and for their neighbor’s. It is necessary to prevent any harm to a child at any stage of life in order to assure they have a chance to live out a free life. Many cases of abortions would be solved if people realized that after their pleasure seeking there is a chance that they might have a child. If people were more educated about the facts of abortion they might reconcile there reckless lifestyle and look at the consequences of their actions that might kill a human that might grow up one day to find a cure for cancer. There is also a need for the others to assist with programs such as adoption that might save the lives of these babies. The government is not able to resolve the problem of abortion forcing the responsibility on the people to maintain the balance and equal opportunity for all.
The poor do not have equal chances for success as compared to a child of good home. The poor are often surrounded by drugs and crime and when they have children they, and the environments in which they live in, set a bad example for their children, causing them to believe that drugs and criminal acts are acceptable. This prevents a child from a bad parentage from supporting society and helping it grow. The poor children’s actions undermine everything everyone else works for as a community, by corrupting civilization. The government can attempt to help all of these disadvantaged people achieve, but the sheer number of children who grow up in a bad environment make it impossible for the government help all the unfortunate. The duty falls upon all citizens to assist in helping these individuals. Donations to organizations that help the unfortunate can help relieve some of the problems and help a few reach their full potential. Adoption can also help by saving one unfortunate child at a time from a bad parentage and environment. By helping the poor, we as a society will be able to have more contributing members because we took responsibility in helping others. This furthers our true goal as a nation, to have ample opportunity to succeed by competing against one another.
Having absolute freedom would cause too great amount of competition among the citizens in a society, causing people to hurt each other to advance themselves. For example, people ignoring the homeless because they do not want to weaken themselves and potentially create a future competitor. Having absolute government control every aspect of society would hinder progress if people’s ideas did not fit with the government’s plans. The best of both worlds is where people were free to do what they wished with the assistance of the government. Although the United States is attempting to do this we are obstructed by problems that do not allow equality for all individuals. Thus, with our freedom it is necessary that help each other have equal opportunities in order to succeed as a culture. Stan Lee expressed through the character Uncle Ben in the comic book Spiderman that great power comes with great responsibility. This holds true with our freedom and our call to help one another.
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- Justin Reiter meant by the line, “…if the people are not accustomed to the freedom they will be angered by the inequality,” that because people that are not knowledgeable about freedom assume there is equality, but in truth our freedom comes in our ability to not be equal to everyone else. I agree with his statement because people should be given the opportunity to do whatever they want with their lives, not be restricted to the limitations of others.
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- Chris Carney attributed these feelings to James Madison in the statement, “He felt that the common good could be served by each individual pursuing self-interest,” due to Madison’s belief that each person should strive to work hard and become successful for themselves and for the common good.
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- Faith Doyal claimed that in Diocletian’s Edict of 301 the government took over the entire society of Rome causing everyone’s lives to be harder, illustrating the need for freedom in society.
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- Kelly Lanier described the abuse of the welfare system as a way the lazy are abusing the working class. Another example of oppression similar to this is the illegal immigrants who have made their homes in America and being over worked by their employers under threat of being returned to their homes.
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- Joshua Spencer meant by his statement that individual liberty is hard to protect because it is easy to lose from people who take advantage of us, but is an asset because it unites us as a people. Dictators prevent individual liberty by their free handouts which do not force us to cooperate or compete. I agree with him about this because with cooperation or competition our culture stagnates, causing our fall as a nation.
Q6-Luck Hall asked “Will we maintain our freedom or destroy it to be safe?” How would you answer that question?
A6- In answer to Luke Hall’s question whether to destroy freedom, I say there needs to be a balance between freedom and safety because without safety and a little loss of freedom we could lose our entire freedom to an outside source, but it worthless to destroy our freedom by trying to keep it safe.
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- I disagree with Molly McGlone because if Madison and the other writers of the Constitution had foreseen all of the conflict in our world they would have the insight to let us protect our freedom by giving up a piece of it.
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 disagree with the quote because all the authors of The Constitution had incredible foresight, they were unable to see all of the problems in our time period which is why we have to amend the Constitution and make laws of our own. I personally agree with the two listed bans because although it is their own decision that they smoke it should not infringe on the rights of others who do not want to, or can not be in area because of smokers. With the gun restrictions I also agree even though I do not support gun control laws because it is jut to high of a possibility of a disaster occurring near a school when people are carrying around guns.
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- Annie St. Romain describes the book The Giver by Lois Lowry which I have read multiple times.
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- On Jessie Veit’s argument I support that everyone should have freedom that was moderated by the government, instead of government complete control
Q11- Give three examples where personal responsibility would replace the need for laws. Do not duplicate those found in Patrick Karcher’s essay.
A11- Personal responsibility could take the place of laws more effectively in the cases of abortion, euthanasia, and welfare abuse because of people took more responsibility for their actions than these problems would not need government intervention to be solved.
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- People in modern society would not act for the betterment of the community as demonstrated in cases such as welfare abuse.