Valley Springs High School
Valley Springs, Arkansas
Teacher: Lavina Grandon

 

Improving the Quality of Life in our Communities

by Elise Jenkins

Grade 12, Age 18

993 words

What can we, as individuals and combined citizens, do to help improve the quality of life in our communities today?  What standards should we follow?  In order for our communities to function properly, each individual must carry through with his responsibilities.  As responsible citizens, we need to consider our personal morality/integrity and our compassion for others.

           

First, personal morality is the personal moral principles or rules of conduct.  Integrity is having a firm adherence to a code of moral or artistic values.  These rules need to be taught at home.  We should be able to have good morals and be able to be good examples of personal morality and integrity.  If everyone that had been taught these things had practiced them, then our communities might not be perfect, but they certainly would be better.  Personal morality and integrity have a lot to do with our societies today.

           

There are many examples of personal morality today.  One bad example of personal morality is a “life in” couple.  As Pat Wingert states, “Getting married used to be a prerequisite for the most important decisions of life . . . Today it’s common for unmarried couples to move in together, pick out china, buy a dog - even conceive a child - without bothering with the legalities.”  One of the main rules of personal morality should at least be getting married before any sexual relations have occurred.  Another rule of morality is helping those in need, whether poor physically or mentally.  “ . . . Any effort to help the next generation – especially children at risk – must include mentoring . . . No one succeeds in America without some kind of mentor – parent, teacher, coach, older friend – to offer guidance along the way”, states Pat Wingert.  If more people took the responsibility to do their part in helping others, our society would be a lot better. There would not only be more people that feel loved and know more, but there would also be more people willing to give of themselves in order to help others. 

           

Our integrity that we have is another personal responsibility that we can use in improving the quality of life in our communities today. Integrity is a very worthy value to hold on to. If everyone in this world had as much integrity as he/she had when he/she was a little child, then this world would be in much better shape. Integrity also has to do with honesty.  Someone who is honest in everything he/she does have integrity.

           

S. Truett Cathy is a great example of someone who has integrity. Cathy’s business was very popular, but it was not open on Sundays. Cathy feels very strongly that Sunday is the day that the Lord gave man to rest and replenish himself and he likes to work with people who share his conviction.  Cathy stated, “People who take a day off to worship the Lord and to refresh themselves spiritually and physically are the kind of associates we seek.” He believed strongly in the fourth commandment, to keep the Sabbath day holy.  If more people kept the Sabbath day holy, as we are commanded to do, then that would help to improve the quality of life in our communities today.

           

Secondly, our compassion for others could help improve the quality of life that we have in our communities today. Compassion is defined as a sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.  Compassion comes naturally to all people, but pride, wealth, power, and prestige can influence it. If someone is very knowledgeable of many things and he/she had pride because of it, that could influence him/her to be less compassionate to those who have not had a chance to gain that same knowledge. If he/she were more compassionate, then he/she might offer to help the person who is less knowledgeable of those things. If the wealthy, powerful, and prestigious had much compassion, then they should be willing to give up at least a little bit of what they have to help someone else out. 

           

There are many examples of people who have shown compassion toward others in need.  One such example is of S. Truett Cathy, Founder and Chairman of Chick-fil-A fried chicken sandwich. He showed much compassion for everyone. Cathy instituted a scholarship program for Chick-fil-A employees who planned to attend college. In 1997, Chick-fil-A awarded scholarships totaling $809,000… Since 1974, they have given out more than $13 million worth of scholarships.  Cathy showed very much compassion toward those that needed and wanted an education that possibly could not afford it on their own.  He also showed a lot of compassion for children.  Cathy stated, “The best gift a mother and dad can give to their children is to love each other and live under the same roof …Children will do as their parents say until about the age of 14; from then on, they usually do as their parents do.”  This is the reason that the parents need to be better role models in their children’s lives.  Cathy had a deep desire to provide a long-term home for a small group of promising boys and girls from unfortunate family circumstances.  He did just that.  He built a 5,000-square-foot house on the campus and a married couple lived there to provide a familial environment, and to be role models for the children.  S. Truett Cathy did so much to try to improve at least part of the communities today by helping all of those adults and children.

           

We can all join together and improve the quality of life in our communities today by taking the responsibilities to consider our personal morality, our compassion for others, and our integrity. Many things can be done to each individual that can help themselves, the family, the community, and eventually the world.

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References

Barry, J.W. (1998).  Doing good by eating chicken.  Philanthropy, 3 (96), 5.

The fishing school.  (1998, September / October).  Philanthropy.

Groal, N.  (1998).  Mentoring makes a difference.  Newsweek, 133 (19), 20.

Wingert, P.  (1998).  I do, I do – maybe.  Newsweek, 58.

 

 

Answers To Questions For Required Reading

 

Q1 – How does society invest in marriage in the USA and in Manus?

A1 – In Manus, society invests dogs’ teeth and shell money that the recipients on the bride’s side may pay back in pigs and oil.  Sometimes other would-be investors go to the ceremony looking for partners.  If someone has been often divorced, they are reluctant to back that person.  In the USA, society invests time and money, but some don’t put enough effort into marriages.  If Americans put more effort and want into their marriages, then there would be a lot less divorce.  Also, if Americans thought of their spouses above themselves, then they would be a lot happier.

 

Q2 – Interview 10 married people.  (No names.)  State the length and number of each one’s marriages and a line of two of advice from each on how to maintain a long, happy relationship.

 

A2 – 1.   30 years, 1 marriage.  Have your eyes half-open going into it and half closed

               afterwards   

2.      20 years, 2 marriages.  It’s hard to do, but put the other person first.  You had fun before you were married, continue to have fun after marriage.

3.      3 years, 1 marriage.  Put your spouse first, before children and friends.  Also, you need to be Christlike and always pray together as a couple.  A couple who prays together, stays together.

4.      37.5 years, 1 marriage.  Have respect for your spouse, consider their feelings, and don’t be selfish.

5.      20 years, 1 marriage.  Put the other person first always.

6.      41 years, 1 marriage.  Always consider and be aware of your spouse’s feelings.

7.      30 years, 1 marriage.  Always listen to what your spouse says, be attentive, and be their best friend.  If you keep your spouse happy, you will be happy.

8.      4 years, 1 marriage.  Communicate, give a little, and give a lot more.

9.      41 years, 1 marriage.  Love is a living thing because it needs fed and nurtured, if it is not fed or nurtured, it will die.  Continue to go on dates, go to dinner and the movies, and remember to hold hands.

10.  30 years, 1 marriage.  Face every day with a positive outlook and forgive.  Think about and always listen to what they’re saying.

 

Q3 – According to Richard Eckersley, what should our collective goal be?

A3 – Our collective goal, according to Richard Eckersley, should be to progress toward the quality of our personal, social, and spiritual relationships.  These things give us a sense of meaning, purpose and belonging.  Our goal should not only be the progress of wealth.           

 

Q4 – Write a worthy goal for your local community.

A4 – I think that a worthy goal for our community would be to close everything down on Sundays so that everyone can observe the Sabbath day and spend more time with their families.

 

Q5 – Comment on the excerpts from “Tomorrow’s Child.”

A5 – The mothers aren’t home for their children anymore.  I believe that that is the main thing that has hurt our society.  Mothers aren’t there to teach their children the values that they need to be taught, so the children find other sources or role models to learn from and look up to.  I believe that if more mothers were at home with their children, at least while they’re young, then those children would be more stable and secure in the love that their mother has for them.  The children will do better knowing that they have their mothers love with them always.

 

Q6 – How does the fact that the USA is a democracy make lawyers particularly helpful, according to Kathleen Sullivan?  How does our diversity, wealth and size make lawyers particularly helpful?

A6 – According to Kathleen Sullivan, lawyers help in our democracy between individuals and they protect us from the danger of the tyranny of the majority.  They help to create public responsibility and accountability that is not normally in an untrammeled democracy.  Lawyers help in our diversity by helping to mediate across diversity of custom or faction.  They help to use the wealth in the USA by helping fight for clean air and water, health care, and the longevity of human life.  Lawyers help with the size of the USA by helping to achieve economies of scale.  They help you from having to do repeat transactions, and to set up processes, procedure and rules that enable the same kind of transaction. 

 

Q7 – Ms. Sullivan claims bad practices are changed either by regulations or punitive damages.  Which do you prefer and why?  Can you think of an alternative?

A7 – I would prefer regulations because if there are regulations for things that could be dangerous and life threatening, we wouldn’t have to worry about anyone getting seriously hurt or even killed in an accident.  That could save many lives.  An alternative could be to seriously consider everything, and if it is too dangerous, then don’t consider it at all.

 

Q8 – Briefly describe three ways society would benefit from the coming retirement of baby boomers, according to the required reading.

A8 – Society would benefit from the coming retirement of the baby boomers by three things.  First of all, many of the baby boomers will start up their own businesses and they may hire other retirees to help them.  Secondly, they will offer many services to the many Generations X’ers who will have families.  Finally, many will be retiring and may need on-site, non-medical “elder care” facilities.

                                                                                               

Q9 – Evaluate the likelihood of President Clinton’s anti-poverty program making a real impact.  Give at least three reasons to back up your conclusions.

A9 – I believe that Clinton’s anti-poverty program can make a big impact, if run it is run correctly.  First of all, the poor will need a good start.  If they are willing to work hard and do their best to make this program succeed, then I believe this program will make a great impact.  Secondly, once the poor are above the poverty level, they can work themselves up to the top of the totem pole.  After all, this is the American dream, isn’t it?  Finally, possibly having a good education and owning their own business that that loan gave them would help their self-esteem and they would have the faith in themselves to do well.  They would make it happen.

 

Q10 – Name three things Truett Cathy and Tom Lewis have in common.

A10 – Truett Cathy and Tom Lewis were both very generous with their money and wanted to help people.  They both had programs that would help those children that may be less fortunate to have the good environment or the money that other children may have.  Many of those people that Cathy and Lewis helped have become what their dreams led them to.  For some that might have been a college education, for others maybe they went on to be a lawyer or doctor because of their help and faith in those children.