1995-1996 Harry Singer Foundation National Essay Contest
Responsibility Who Has It And Who Doesn't And What That
Means For The Nation
Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School
Bondurant, Iowa
Teacher : Sally Norton.
1st Krista
Cordes 
2nd Brett
Vander Velden 3rd Lucas
Caltrider
"School districts in Los Angeles County alone spend almost 380 million dollars on
services for illegal alien children every year. These services include nutritional
programs in schools, as well as bilingual education. In many California classrooms,
English is spoken only twenty minutes out of every hour, placing native-born students at a
huge disadvantage. And not only are native speakers of English at a disadvantage, but
illegal immigrant students are as well. By conducting classes in their native language
rather than teaching them English, they are ill-prepared for a future in the American work
force. The quality of American schools is rapidly deteriorating, and the expenses and
changes that educating illegal aliens incur can only make conditions worse."
Ivy Sprague, Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"In Racine, Wisconsin an experiment was launched by Governor Tommy Thompson called
Children First. If someone can't pay child support, the person gets put to work doing
community service (without pay). If they are unwilling to do that, then they get put in
jail. Few men actually wind up picking up litter for the county without pay. The community
service is more along the lines of job training, job searching, or parental responsibility
classes. 'We have three goals', says Jean Rogers, program administrator, 'To get them to
pay, to pay more, and to pay more frequently'. The experiment is now in its sixth
year."
Deanne E. Brugioni, Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"A third example of a driver's being irresponsible deals with drunk drivers. When
my Aunt Sharon was fifteen years old, she, and one of her friends were out driving around
one night. A drunk driver was out also. He was driving a pick-up and was traveling in the
opposite direction my aunt and her friend were. He swerved across the road into the lane
of oncoming traffic. My aunt and her fried were hit head-on. Sharon flew out of the
windshield onto the hood of the car. Her friend, who was driving, also hit the windshield,
but was stopped by the steering wheel. My aunt broke both of her knee caps and bruised her
brain, causing major brain damage. Today she is still confined to a wheel chair and cannot
do many things. 'I cannot believe someone could be so careless. Sharon will never be the
same', Sharon's mother claimed. Her friend that was driving was not as seriously injured.
The drunk driver was fine."
Renee DeMarce, Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"The first example of an irresponsible father is John Gonsalves Sr. of Dartmouth,
MA. Gonsalves left his wife and three children forty-eight years ago. Not once during that
time did he pay child support or alimony to his family. He claimed that he never knew his
wife was on welfare and that she had never asked him for money to support them. For
forty-eight years he never paid a dime and yet, he expected her to raise three children by
herself, by cleaning houses. Why should she even need to ask for money in the first
place?"
Deanne E. Brugioni, Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"I am always the designated driver. If I go to a party, I take all the keys that I
can find. I won't let anyone drive if he has been drinking. I've chosen to wait until
later in my life to drink, so for now I am the responsible one, the sober one."
Krista L. Cordes, Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"My father used to smoke cigarettes until he saw how his father-in-law died of
lung cancer due to smoking. Plus, my father was on a basketball team and he couldn't even
run up and down the floor without having chest pains and coughing. 'I needed to stop
smoking; otherwise, I would have ended up dead or be paying for my irresponsibility later
in life.' Even though it was hard for my father, he is alive and healthy and is taking
responsibility for his actions."
Teresa Weuve, Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"One time one of my good friends called me at 3:00 am. I could tell she was drunk
by how she was talking. I told her to stay where she was and I would come and get her. I
was mad that she had gotten drunk and called so late but I won't turn my back on anyone
who is trying to do the right thing by calling me to be the designated driver."
Krista L. Cordes, Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"I believe that the insanity defense is an excuse that criminals use so they will
not have to take responsibility for their behavior."
Jill Hawkins, Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"There are many incidents in life that we have to take responsibility for. In one
incident a guy backed into a parked car and dented the car's front bumper. So he got out
and left a note with his phone number and address on it. 'I know I hit the car, and I know
I would be mad if someone hit me. Also I would feel guilty if I didn't leave a note, then
this would make me irresponsible for my actions. I have enough common sense and courtesy
to leave a note.' "
Teresa Weuve, Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"I believe if anyone drives while under the influence of alcohol he should see
jail time and a fine. If anyone drives drunk, his license should be taken away for a year.
He also should have to view an autopsy of a person killed by a drunk driver."
Lucas Caltrider, Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"If we wish to stop illegal immigration, we should investigate the possibility of
helping improve economic conditions in Mexico, to encourage Mexican citizens to remain in
their own country. America has a long history of welcoming immigrants to its shores. But
if the irresponsible acts of illegal immigration don't end soon, the immigrant's welcome
may soon be worn out."
Ivy Sprague, Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"Another group that has gained legions of members in recent years is called Remove
Intoxicated Drivers-USA, RID for short. It has fifty-five chapters in twenty-nine states
and continues to grow. The main difference from MADD is that RID emphasizes deterrence
more than punishment."
Brett Vander Velden, Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"Illegal immigrants are involved in one-third of the rapes and murders and
one-fourth of the burglaries in San Diego County. Illegals are responsible for
approximately 90 percent of the narcotics traffic in the city of Santa Ana. Illegal
immigrants also place a large burden on our nation's prison system. Four hundred illegal
immigrants per month are added to the California prison system, at a cost of at least 136
million dollars per year."
Ivy Sprague, Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School, Bondurant, Iowa
"I believe that their should be more pictures of accidents shown. Not just how a
car may look after an accident but also how the person looks. Recently, there have been
several commercials in which small children and families who looked happy and very
innocent have been shown with one of the last lines saying that these people were killed
by a drunk driver. These are the kinds of things that work with people. These are the
things people remember and when they feel the sadness for the happy people in the
commercials, they realize that kids get hurt by drunk driving, the most innocent people
around. Small children and even teens are touched more by seeing one photo of a beat up
bloody car than an hour-long lecture on what is right and wrong when it comes to
alcohol."
Krista L. Cordes, Bondurant-Farrar Junior/Senior High School, Bondurant, Iowa