Medicine Lodge High School
Medicine Lodge, Kansas
Teachers: Devra Parker and Mike Hubka
Pursuing Life, Liberty, and Happiness
By Kelli Swayden
12th Grade
On July 4, 1776, our founding fathers completed a document that would forever change the United States. This incredible archive is commonly known as the Declaration of Independence. Among the most famous and ingenious aspects of the Declaration of Independence are the rights of man. Today, over 200 years after they were written, these sacred words still ring true: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Today, I have the personal responsibility of using these same unalienable rights to better my community.
The first and foremost aspect of the community to be improved upon is life. From fighting for our lives in times of war to finding cures for terminal diseases, Americans have ambiguously fought to uphold and preserve life. As an American citizen, it is my responsibility to help better the lives of those around me. To do this I must be able to recognize need and to reach out and give a helping hand. In my community there are many individuals who are in need of clothing and food, and who desperately desire a friend to listen to them and provide them with support. Giving of my time and resources could profoundly impact many troubled lives. I could donate clothing and supplies to local charities and involve myself in organizations such as food drives and Toys for Tots. As a citizen of the community, I value being looked upon as a positive influence on others. Each citizen should aspire to be the best he can be and to be someone that others can turn to in times of need. I spend much of my time attempting to help others with their problems and trying to be a good listener as well as an empathetic friend. Taking these small steps can substantially improve the lives of others in the community.
Secondly, I would strongly express the importance of liberty in a community. Americans have asserted their liberty and freedom in many ways throughout the years, from giving women the right to vote to breaking the bonds of segregation among blacks and whites. Though a community must hold together to be a success, people must stand strong and be liberated in their individual thoughts and ideas. Many problems occur when people refuse to be themselves and retreat into the popular ritual of following the crowd. It is mandatory that members of a community be independent and secure enough to stand up for what they believe is right. I would encourage people, especially adolescents, not to be susceptible to peer pressure but to strive to better the community by bettering themselves. When people are liberated and free from the overbearing pressures of constantly following a crowd, the community as a whole becomes stronger.
Next, I have the obligation of helping others to pursue happiness. Throughout the twentieth century, Americans have tried to incorporate happiness into nearly every aspect of their lives. From the swing-dancing, carefree, generation of the 1920s to advocating peace and free love in the ‘60s, our culture has thrived upon enjoying life. The concept of being happy still applies to our society today. For instance, the overbearing pressures of life can be somewhat lessened by a warm hug or a friendly smile. To help boost the morale in my community, I will strive to brighten the day of every citizen, no matter what race or creed. Everyone has the right to be happy and should be helped to find the joy in their lives. To bring light into the lives of others, I can be a friend to those who are friendless and provide company for those who are lonely or ailing. I can also help others to discover hidden talents that will enhance their confidence as well as their ability to succeed. If I aspired to bring a smile to ten faces every day and those individuals I reached out to in turn did the same, the results would be astounding. Barriers between social groups would be diminished and crime would rapidly decline. Keeping everyone in a community satisfied and up beat would be a time-consuming task but well worth the benefits it would reap.
Therefore, though it is not an easy goal to achieve, improving life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in a community is vital to its success. A great deal of understanding and selflessness is needed to ameliorate the lives of others. The unalienable rights of life, liberty, and happiness discussed by our forefathers centuries ago create the same potential for prosperity in a community today as they did for a nation two centuries before.
Answers To Questions
Q1. In the United States, we invest in marriages much as we do the stock market. When the stock is rising and things are running smoothly, we ride the market. However, when the stock starts to plummet and things are looking dim, we quickly withdraw our investments and run. People in Manus invest in their marriages just as we in America invest in companies. At the beginning of the marriage, investments are made that are later repaid if the union lasts. Much like our financiers hesitate to back a man who has gone bankrupt or is constantly shifting locations, the Manus are very leery about backing a man who has often been divorced. In Manus, tried and enduring marriages assume greater prestige, and their so-called stock rises.
Q2. According to the ten married couples interviewed, the keys to a long, happy relationship are as follows:
1. A long- lasting relationship takes trust, a great sense of humor, a forgiving nature, and the willingness to put someone else’s need before your own.
Married: 19 years. Marriage: Second for both.
2. Above all a marriage depends upon a great deal of communication on both ends.
Married: 19 years. Marriage: Second for wife, first for husband.
3. To have a successful marriage, you must be able to truly enjoy being around your spouse and be willing to accept them for who they are.
Married: 54years. Marriage: First for both.
4. “To maintain a successful relationship, you must be able to fall in love with everything about the other person and to overlook minor faults and flaws.
Married: 2 years. Marriage: First for wife, second for husband.
5. A long-lasting relationship thrives upon commitment, honesty, and loyalty. You must be able to trust each other no matter what.
Married: 25 years. Marriage: First for both.
6. It takes a lot of love and understanding, and communication.
Married: 23 years. Marriage: First for both.
7. Spending time together, having fun together, and communication.
Married: 25 years. Marriage: First for both.
8. Spending quality time with the one you love, an only marry someone you love.
Married: 17 years. Marriage: First for both.
9. Good communication, do not fall in love with someone for their beauty because one day they will be old and wrinkled and you will be out of luck.
Married: 20 years. Marriage: First for both.
10. Tolerance, understanding, acceptance, love, and all that business
Married: 23 years. Marriage: First for both.
Q3. In Richard Eckersley’s essay he states that, “We need to look much more closely at what is growing, what other effects this growing is having, and what alternatives might exist. We need to focus not just on wealth creation, but also on its distribution and conservation.” The idea of cultural growth does not need to be abandoned; however, it does need to be reconsidered and looked beyond. Individuals need not be ‘anti’ the economy, business, or technological advancement, but should view them from new perspectives.
Q4. If every person would stop and think before they throw out a piece of trash, our community would be a cleaner and less polluted environment.
Q5. I find it extremely sad and a little frightening to think that in today’s society a doll is assuming the mother’s role as refuge and comforter. In my opinion, a doll could never serve as an adequate replacement for a mother’s indescribable love and compassion, and a doll could certainly never inflict values and morals upon a child. I ponder what direction our society is heading in when our children are being raised by toys. If parents would spend more time with their children at an early age, our crime rate in America would certainly decrease.
As the years progress, the gap between the haves and the have-nots will become increasingly wider. Our culture will continually diversify, and the number of have-nots will rapidly outgrow that of the haves. If races do not merge together for the common good of one another in the next century, then the have-nots will merely fall into the ever-widening cultural gap.
Q6. They create a form of public responsibility and accountability that would not happen in an untrammeled democracy. Lawyers take on so many functions that in another society would be taken on my government or civil service. Layers help to achieve what the economists call economics of scales. Through their rules and processes lawyers help to regularize an organization’s activities, and save money on human interactions.
Q7. In my opinion, the results achieved from obtaining punitive damages far surpass those of regulations. Punitive damages affect the people directly involved and cater to their own particular problem. Regulations affect a much wider array of people and do not suit individual needs. Many more people become upset when regulations are established.
Q8. The coming retirement of baby boomers will highly benefit the U.S.A. The baby boomers are the healthiest and most intelligent generation in history. They will serve to provide hobs for those older then them, younger than them, as well as the same age. They will provide work for their elders, set up entrepreneurships for teenagers, and offset the high cost of elder care facilities.
Q9. No, because they do not have well-paying jobs anyway and they should earn the money they need or as much as possible by themselves. If the government really wants to help, they should help them get a better education. I do not believe they can get all the funding to make it work. Many impoverished families are diseased and suffer from malnutrition. The design of the government’s program is still not as good as it might be. The unemployment rate is too high to make any major changes now.
Q10. Truett Cathy and Tom Lewis have some things in common. They both help children with bad circumstances. They also believe in God and attend church. They were both entrepreneurs as they each started their own schools.