1995-96 Responsibility
Who Has It And Who Doesn't
And What That Means For The Nation
Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas
Teachers : Lavina Grandon / Bill Harness
"100,000 murders have been committed since the start of 1990. From 1985-93 adult
murder dropped 20%, but increased 65% by people 18-24, 168% among 14-17 years old. John J.
Dilulio, Jr. of the conservatives did some research to find out why they committed these
crimes. 'I didn't hear the conventional explanations, such as poverty or jobs,' he said.
'Instead, these hardened men cited the absence of family, adults, coaches, teachers,
preachers who would care enough about males to discipline them.'"
Peter T. Landers, Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas
"Parents should be expected to support their children; children should be expected
to prepare themselves for becoming self-reliant adults."
Jennifer Carter, Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas
"[Do you] suppose if one person helped another person, it would spread? The whole
country could break out in a mass case of friendliness, understanding, and hopefulness;
yes, hopeful that everything will turn out fine."
Tina Jo Fowler, Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas
"In ending, one is left with this quote by Erich Fromm, that in itself, says
everything. 'Today, responsibility is often meant to denote duty, something imposed upon
one another form the outside, but, responsibility, in its true sense, is an entirely
voluntary act.'"
Betsy White, Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas
"In order to stop welfare recipients from being addicts and abusers of drugs and
alcohol, we need to cut them off from welfare. They need to be cut off from welfare
payments until they seek treatment to stop their problems. We need to get the children of
irresponsible parents who are addicts and abusers away. If we don't they will grow up
learning that as a way of life, and the cycle will start all over again. . .I believe that
if we are going to solve [the welfare] problem, our government officials, requirements to
get on welfare, and laws concerning welfare must get tougher. We must quit feeling sorry
for those who already feel sorry for themselves. We must establish a plan like the
workfare program in all fifty states, but require them to work more than twenty hours a
week and get used to it, they will then see they could be making more money at a real job.
We must teach people that they must work for money, not just have it handed to them."
April Blackburn, Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas
"I was taught to accept the mistakes I make. No one can take the blame for what I
have done and trying to deny that fact will certainly not lessen the consequences of my
actions."
Tina Jo Fowler, Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas
"School age children often deny their actions in order to escape blame or parental
disapproval. Similar to this situation, adults also try to escape disappointment. The
solution for this is also the solution to many other child-parent relationship problems.
The solution is to teach children to take responsibility for what they have done no matter
how bad. Don't punish the child as harshly if they tell the truth."
Betsy White, Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas
"By emphasizing obligations, society can help influence and reinforce the values
and habits essential to escaping poverty."
Jennifer Carter, Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas
"Blaming others shows a lack of responsibility. Some people think that shifting
responsibility onto another person can be comforting. For example, some people need to
preserve their own dignity. 'Dinner is late because my mother called and I couldn't get
her off the phone'. The excuse I often hear at my own home is, 'The house is a mess
because no one but me ever puts their things away, and I finally got fed up with picking
up after the rest of you.' The preceding excuses illustrate people pushing their own
responsibilities off onto someone else. The part about the mess is probably accurate in
some cases. In this world we live in, there are adults who blame or nag at teens and
children for not taking responsibility for anything. All in all, it's some of the adults
who don't take responsibility for their actions."
Brandon Michael Biggs, Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas
"The struggle over crime and punishment in America will be fought in state
capitals, where policy makers will be forced to bust budgets or else back away from
get-tough promises. I don't know how much more our country can take at the rate it's
going, but if I were on the justice system, I would most definitely make some strong
suggestions and do my best to change a few things."
Tiffany Waring, Valley Spring High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas