First Round Excerpts From 1998-99 Essay Contest
The Role Of Personal Responsibility In Balancing
Individual Liberty And The Common Good
1st Charis Kirkwood 
2nd Sharon Erickson 
3rd Jennifer Herrmann
"The founding fathers wanted complete individual liberty. When the founding
fathers founded this country, there were 13 scarcely populated colonies. Today, there are
50 highly populated states and the people can easily travel from state to state. There
needs to be more emphasis on the protection of the community because of our vast
population. The avialability of weapons, drugs and faster modern cars helps me [decide]
that restrictions need to be placed over individual rights in our communities. The
founding fathers headed in the right direction but there has to be a stopping point as to
how much liberty an individual should have."
Mike Murphy, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"But where does the line need to be drawn? When individual liberty clashes with
community sfety, community safety should win. The well-being of the nation is more
important than the well-being of one person. We are a team and there is no"I" in
team."
Michael Scott Janzen, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"It can be very easy for kids to get their hands on a gun. Though the government
has taken many of the guns from the streets, there are still many out there. The
government is also regulating the sale of firearms. There is a record search to see if the
person buying the gun is a criminal. Unless we have a clean record, we may not be able to
purchase a firearm. With the problem of guns in school we need to be aware of behavioral
patterns that could lead to gun violence. Behavioral patterns include conversation about
having a gun in school, having an irritation with someone, or having continuous violent
fights between a couple of people. If we know of behavior like this, then we should notify
a higher authority or seek psychological help for the person who might have a gun. By
creating a safer place to live, the government is justified in regulating gun control for
the common good of the people."
Aaron Medina, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"Legal scholars argue no matter what the government does, cyberspace will
ultimately be governed by the architecture of the internet. Thus the time now exists for
the community at large to teach middle school students a constructive way of handling
pornography....Whereas prnography stresses physical lust and sexual sensation, the
academic world stresses treating people, especially those of the opposite sex, with
respect, compassion and integrity. The public expects the teacher to model these traits in
all classroom endeavors. Parents for the most part try to model these three traits as they
raise the students from infancy to young adults."
Davina Hirsh, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"The overall purpose of the gun control plan is to make local teenagers understand
the use and the possible dangers of firearms. To help stress the point to them, we need to
have the local teens practice safety at schools and through their homes, to make them feel
responsible for their actions. It is better for students to shoot at a gun range than it
is in the streets. Another benefit is trust. Because students have the training, the
parents will more likely trust the students to use the firearm on their own without
supervision. As a teenager I might see why gun control would be a boring subject for
study, but with the right leadership and the co-operation from the gun club, we can make
this a worthwhile experience. In short, through teaching in the school and in the
community, we can help teenagers lean the safety and the responsiblity of a firearm."
Corey McAvoy, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"I agree with the Supreme Court in ruling the gun-free school zones act
unconstitutional. The Supreme Court had its reasons for the declaration. In the 5 to 4
decision, the majority held that regulating possession of guns in a school was not
sufficiently related to commerce. It also said states could regulate school gun possession
and that for Congress to do so could lead to a national police state, although I do not
see many reasons why guns need to be near schools. Some positive aspects to the act may
include stopping many potentially dangerous people from taking firearms to school. It
could also prevent unintentional accidents from occurring. One [drawback] to this
ruling...is that if anyone desperately wants to harm a student with a gun, the Gun Free
School Zone Act probably would not deter him/her. Also, this rule could cause problems we
may not think of beforehand. What happens when a hunter drives past a school with guns in
his/her vehicle? Where would the restrictions be?"
Charis Kirkwood, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"When the Constitution was written, people were raised to show respect. Respect
helped individuals to keep their rights and to promote the welfare of the community. The
community was like one large family. Everyone took care of one another and that was
important for everyone involved. Each person had his/her individual rights, but the people
were more united then, than they are now. The people living when the Constitution was
written were more concerned about others than about themselves, but the times have
changed. In today's society, people are more concerned about themselves than others. The
priorities of the people have changed and so have their views on various subjects. Instead
of solving problems, as people used to , we create more. People used to be united as one,
but now every person fights on his/her own. We should consider what our founding fathers
wanted and maybe we, the people, could become united once again, as a community."
Sharon Erickson, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"The founding fathers did not 'put greater emphasis on the protection of the
community over individual liberty.' There was no way that the founding fathers could have
known how complex and interdependent our civilization would become; therefore, the
founding fathers had to rely on the individual person. Personal responsiblity is the key
to any thriving community. The founding fathers wanted a strong community and left it up
to the individuals to make it happen. By putting emphasis on individual liberties in the
Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers were indirectly putting the
responsiblities on the individuals to protect the communities. When people take
responsibility in their own lives, it indiredtly makes the communities safer and protects
the common good. The emphasis on individual responsibility makes us aware of the problems
and challenges us to find a solution that will benefit the whole society. We are given
individual liberties as a privilege. Now we must use our privileges to better our lives as
well as the lives of others."
Jennifer Herrmann, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"[Editing genes in the womb] will strip an individual of a unique personality and
the individualism everyone should be allowed to possess. We are each on this earth for a
special reason and we all possess certain characteristics that make us who we are. If we
are to edit the genes of an unborn child, it would almost be like taking away
opportunities in their life. Why make them into something they are not when the person
they already are could be the next president, or the doctor who finds a cure for the
rarest of diseases, or the individual who could give a liver transplant to a dying
relative? Genes are something God-given and were not put into us to be tampered with.
Genes, like the human soul, are something beautiful and rare. We should be happy with who
we are and grateful that we have the chance to leave an individual mark in the world
today."
Angela Schaller, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"To ensure that individual liberty was guaranteed, many states would not accept
the Constitution until guaranteed that it would have a Bill of Rights added. Even more
than individual liberty, the founding fathers wanted a strong national government. They
believed that although personal liberty is important, making sure the majority is
protected is more important. To protect the majority, the founding fathers created a
strong national government that can make laws that apply to all of the citizens of the
United States."
Jason Wolff, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"The government is not justified in regulating tobacco products. The taxes that
the government has set on tobacco products is outstanding and ridiculous. The Constitution
of the United States is clear when defining a free country of press religion, and all
other aspects of freedom of expression. The government is trying to influence the
decisions of adults not to smoke. Americans though, are competent enough to make this
decision for themselves. Regulating where smokers can smoke is legal, but the heavy tax
should not be a constitutional right of the government. Let us give this right to the
people to think for themselves. After all, this is a free country.
Ann Potts, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"The first ten amendments to the Constitution give certain rights to individuals
so that the government cannot take them away. The Constitutioin promotes the common good
by not allowing the naitonal government to overpower individuals."
Eric Laufenberg, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"The government is justified in creating restrictions on advertising. The
government has already put restrictions on the content of commercials. One of the
restrictions is that cigarette commercials have been banned from television. In alcohol
commercials the characters cannot be seen drinking the alcohol. Commercials must be
supported by facts to ensure the viewer is watching truthful situations. Many commercials
have a great influence oon young kids. As long as the regulations are benefiting society,
everyone should support those regulations.
Any Jarvis, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"It may be legal to not control the presence of firearms at a school because of
the Gun-Free School Zones Acts, but administrators, parents and teachers have an ethical
[duty] to provide safety for all students and personnel in an educational setting. This
same principle applies to teenage parents considering an abortion for an unplanned
pregnancy. It may be legal for the woman to undergo an abortion, but for her, having an
abortion could be an unethical procedure. Only she, her spouse and her family can decide
the ethical matter."
Angelica Stone, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"Morals and values are instilled in all of us. Ourt nation did not have police and
courts in the beginning. The people handled their own problems without the interference of
government. Everybody has a sense of when their personal freedom must be sacrificed,
whether they admit it or not. If one person can jeopardize the good of the community, then
we are not as strong a nation as we are perceived to be. Courts and police should be used
simply to uphold the rules and laws of society. If this means handling the disputes of
individual rights, then they should be handled by the courts and police. Government
interference ususally makes the problem bigger than it actually is. If we can handle the
situation between friends and neighbors, our nation will be better off."
Michael Scott Janzen, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"Last year in Jonesboro, Arkansas two boys ages 11 and 13 opened fire on their
student body, killing four students and one teacher. These children were taught at an
early age to handle guns. Five months later in Pearl, Mississippi, two students were shot
and killed while they were walking to class. Is school a safe place for children? ...is
anywhere safe? The estimated number of funs in private homes ranges from 140 million to
200 million. So why doesn't the government ban guns altogether?"
Justin Schmidt, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"The government is right in regulating this because the helmets [and seat belts]
save lives. If one person's life is saved b a helmet, then the restrictions are worth
it."
Michael Scott Janzen, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"If one person has car insurance and another person does not, and these two
individuals have an accident, the one who has no insurance will not be able to pay for the
damages sustained to the other vehicle. This causes many problems as well as conflicts.
Therefore this is a regulation that the government is justified in having."
April Hinojos, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"In order to stress more personal responsibility through legalizing marijuana, the
government, police and doctors should be involved. To prevent addiction and harmful use,
the government should pass strict and effective laws....If marijuana is legalized, the
police would be able to spend their time and focus their attention on other drug-related
problems and other serious crimes."
Traci Haskell, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"It is said that the generation which raised today's group of kids was so
disconnected, so embroiled in its own narcissism, who can blame the kids for the way they
behave? Over the years, juvenile crimes have shifted from cheating on exams, smoking
cigarettes and shoplifting to murder, rape, robbery and vadalism. Although curfew
ordinances may be a good idea, many people do not like the way they are enforced. One case
involved 15 year old Siri Kvalvik. Siri was arrested for being out past curfew even though
she had permission from her parent to be out. She was not allowed to call or to talk to
her parents. Her parents are very upset with the whole situation and plan to fight to
clear Siri's record. Critics argue that the laws confer too much power on police, that
little hard evidence shows the laws reduce juvenile crime, and that they portend a future
where it will be increasingly easy, while playing on fears, to pass even greater
restricitons. The most vocal opponent is the American Civil Liberties Union. Legal
challenges are often based on the first, fourth, fifth, ninth and fourteenth ammendments
to the U.S. Constitution."
Amanda Kraft, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
"Regulating gangs is justified for the safety of many people. The government is
trying to control gangs for the safety of the public. Gangs are located in many areas and
may be hurting innocent people. There may be some pain and anger that bring kids or adults
to enter into a gang. There could also be some people in the gang that may be affected by
peer pressure and have the feeling of being a rebel. Many people everyday must be cautious
when they go outside to take a walk or even enter into their vehicles. Many deaths and
injuries take place everyday from gangs. Gangs may be destructive to property...Therefore,
the government is justified in regulating gangs."
Kiley Haskell, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas