White Hats Program
White Hats is
a program to honor and encourage volunteers and to publicize the many good things that are
going on across the country in our schools and local communities. Some schools are doing a
terrific job; not all kids use drugs and belong to gangs, and relatively few American
workers are lazy and unqualified. Everyone knows how hard family members and acquaintances
are working, but most believe "everyone else" is uncaring and incompetent. White
Hat student-members would discredit this widely held belief by providing local TV, radio,
and newspapers with White Hat examples. We depend on our student White Hats to locate
these examples. The Foundation provides suggestions and direction in a manual, as well as
pins and national exposure for local efforts.
Anyone who
has performed community service through an established national agency such as the Red
Cross, Salvation Army, Scouts, or through local efforts to help children, the elderly, the
homeless, aids victims, the environment, and so forth, may be eligible to wear a White
Hats lapel pin. Identification and recognition is the idea behind the lapel pin. The pin
is a symbol. Wearing the pin is both a duty and a privilege. The White Hats program also
reaches out to elected officials and government employees. Our student White Hats seek out
praise-worthy programs in the public sector in order to publicize them. We encourage
members of the public as well as students to nominate public sector white hats, and
counter the popular perception of incompetence. Too many citizens have gotten the message
that the bureaucracy is too large and too costly, but they haven't heard about all the
corrections and adjustments that are taking place within many government agencies.
Legislators and other government workers who have implemented innovative and
cost-effective procedures earn the right to wear what we hope to make into the prestigious
White Hats lapel pin. The pin signifies that these public sector workers are part of the
solution, not the problem.
We
noticed, in reading essays this year, that many students already see the need for our
national White Hats program. Those whose excerpts are printed below expressed our feelings
so accurately we wonder if they eavesdropped on a Singer Foundation board meeting!
"The
solutions to all of America's problems cannot be solved with acts of goodwill. Or can
they? Getting involved with goodwill projects is at the heart of saving America. This is
not hard to do. Have you noticed how good it feels to know another cares about you? Have
you noticed how nice it is when someone is helpful and courteous to you, instead of rude
and uncaring? Have you noticed how goodwill spreads? If I stop and help a woman pick up
her spilled groceries, hopefully she'll stop for the next person who needs a hand. It is a
kind of repayment. It happens all the time on America's roadways. Joe stops to help Sue
change a spare tire. So, when Sue's husband sees a person stuck in a parking lot with a
dead battery, he is the first to offer his jumper cables and truck for a jump. All the
program needs is a little bit of faith, and a lot of concern for the future of America. My
solution may not be very original or complicated, but it's the easiest, and only God knows
how far the network will reach."
"Let's
start a rewards program where people (regardless of age) are rewarded for helping other
people."
"Setting
up a club to get things done would be a step in the right direction. Working with the
community would help a lot so it is not just the school-aged kids who do things, but the
community as a whole. I think that these things would bring our community much closer
together. If everyone in the United States takes pride in their schools, communities, and
their country, then this will be the best country ever!!"
"If we
could get volunteers to start in another state and keep extending this program, we could
have a nation-wide organization of everyone working together. This cooperation and
building of trust, and talking about problems, could eliminate some of the
irresponsibility of our nation."
"If more
people were recognized for being responsible, then society might have more people acting
responsibly. All types of media should give examples of responsible behavior for others to
model, instead of always telling people about the irresponsible
behavior of
others."
"I
believe if the young people today would see positive things around them they may start to
have positive attitudes towards life."
"What
you find at most places is that there is a core group of about 20 people who do everything
for their schools and community. These select few get everything done---or try to. At our
school, now, more people are getting recognized for their efforts. [Seeing[ their names in
the bulletin, receiving thank-you cards, or even a warm thank you in front of the student
body, makes [students] feel special. Service projects have varied from cleaning yards,
grocery shopping, doing errands, to just spending time with or cleaning up the community.
[They] give [students] a chance to meet [and work with] alumni, neighbors, and senior
citizens. I think we should let people know better about what is going on. Sometimes their
excuse has been that they are not informed. I also believe that if students were given
credit for so many hours of cleaning the city or for
helping the
elderly, many more students would help out."
Stephanie
Tritt, Kiona-Benton High School, Benton City, Washington
"There
are many other American's doing a service for the nation, so we need to start focusing
more on them."
Shane Comer,
Freeman High School, Rockford, Washington
These
students might be pleased to know that we are asking the school chapters of White Hats to
seek out good deeds in their communities and feed it to their local media.
Robert and
Jenny drew attention to the media's role in publicizing good deeds as seen in the
following excerpts from their papers:
"Many
people in the community are more than willing to help people that need it but simply don't
know how. I believe that the only way that we will be able to take care of the poor is to
let the comfortable people know how they can help. Some organizations already use
newspapers as well as TV and radio to promote their programs. If the opportunities to
serve are made readily available to the general public, I believe that the response would
be overwhelming. If we work together with obtainable goals in mind, nothing can stop
us."
"Every
week my local newspaper selects the persons of the week, usually one adult and one youth,
based on the things they have done to make a difference in the community. This is a very
motivating article. It gives everyone the message that they can make a difference and
gives them ideas of what they can do."
Chris
suggests offering a tax break as a reward for community service. Chances are if Chris
(below) lived in California instead of Texas, he might support Congressman Huffington's
proposal to give tax breaks to volunteers who donate time to good causes. Tax deductions
have been allowed for donations of money for years.
Chris's
idea:
"Implement a new government program where a tax break of five to ten
percent, depending on the type of activity, would be used to reward people involved in
major community service activities. We all know that money is an important driving force
in America and if such a program were instituted, we would undoubtedly see a tremendous
change in America's attitude towards responsibility."
Maggie, too,
wants our government to acknowledge that citizens have something important to contribute
besides money:
"We
should realize it is not our possessions that make an impact on our world, it is our
person; our talent. We live in a democratic society where we are supposed to be served by
our government, not conned. Sometimes we the people have to stand up and say: this is who
we are and we have something to give to our country not our money, but our
intellect." Maggie
( insert page 4) We hope...(p7)
Steve, in Deer River, Minnesota, made an interesting point in the following excerpt:
"Responsibility
is so much sweeter when it's free will that causes one to help people."
Steve Pietila, Deer River High School, Deer River, Minnesota
Referring to
National Service, or any form of mandatory service as voluntary service may be an
oxymoron. In advocating National Service, some claim it will appeal to the "sleeping
angels in one's nature." On the other hand, to pay those angels could lower the
heights to which they might otherwise soar.
There is no
need to resort to force. Americans are among the most generous people in the world and
most do not care whether a person is in distress because of his own weakness and lack of
effort, or because of circumstances which would have been beyond anyone's control. The
mere fact that a need exists is reason enough for many Americans to take action. Citizens
in America, in larger percentages than anywhere else in the world, help one another. But
as Steve says, the results are better, if the motivation is desire rather than obligation.
This
unprecedented generosity is part and parcel of our political system. The American ideal
flourishes when accompanied by a peculiar brand of freedom; a freedom that entails risk.
The American political system anticipated citizens living with uncertainty. Because
America's political structure was not a planned economy where security was offered in
exchange for regulation, ordinary Americans often found themselves living on the brink of
disaster. This bred sympathy for one's fellows; a sympathy unparalleled in the history of
mankind. But that was before the emergence of the now co-existent welfare state and its
"goodwill by mandate". The old American goodwill cannot be mandated. It is the
natural outpouring of sympathy by those who have themselves lived with insecurity and can
appreciate its peaks and valleys.
We cannot
agree more with Steve Pietila's statement above.
We were
distressed by the number of students who felt it was so much easier to find the evil in
society than the good. The sampling that follows shows how important it is to recruit
members of the media to our cause:
"It's so
hard to find good things happening in cities and towns. It seems that the cruel and wrong
doings are more glorified and publicized."
"On the
other side of life is the violence and evil that outweighs the good of life today."
Clint Goff, Knoxville High School, Knoxville,
Illinois
"Everybody
knows that fifteen years ago there were bad things happening in the same or even greater
quantities then they are today. Back then they weren't made out to be such big stories.
The average American citizen really didn't want to know all the gory and never-ending
details. The media needs to start reporting stories that are positive. I found that I
could find fifteen negative events to only one positive example."
"Looking
for bad things that the media has written about was really easy, but the worst thing was
trying to find all the good things that people had done."
"Although
there are many organizations and clubs that are run by responsible people, and help others
in need, I think one will always hear about the bad and irresponsible acts over the good
acts."
"People
lose sight of the important things in life, caught up in trying to make a profit and
moving up the business ladder, or simply trying to get the mountain of bills paid. Slowly
but surely our families are deteriorating and our society is crumbling. Evidence of this
corrosion is everywhere: in the news, on the radio, and in the newspapers. Headlines
scream of disaster, gossip, murder, and chaos. With a million and one things going on at
once, it's easy to lose sight of what's meaningful in life."
"The
media does not want to know what an average family had for dinner last night or how much
their electric or water bill was. That is what I think is wrong with society today. Many
times people are so bogged down with bad news that they do not even want to hear the good
news. The truth is, today's society would be much better off without all the printing of
bad news, and they could use more good news."
"In our
nation there is so much bad that we as teenagers rarely get to see any good on the
streets, or even in our schools."
"In this
paper, there are many more good examples than bad ones. Too bad that's not how it is in
real life."
"I found
throughout the course of my writing that it was very easy to depict examples of
irresponsibility, yet it was very hard to find examples of someone making a difference in
this society."
Ryan L.
Moore, Carbondale High School, Carbondale, Illinois
"We need
to stop splashing out news of the unfairness and cruelty of our world, and put more stress
on the events that are beneficial to us. We can't ignore our problems but we have to stop
focusing on them alone."
"We
cannot see a news headline without noticing an irresponsible or immoral act."
"I feel
that the media only shows the bad in the world, when there is a lot of good in the world.
When I did this half of the assignment, I realized that there are a lot of good things
that happen every day in this world along with the bad."
"It is
wonderful to see so many great stories of people helping each other out, but why are these
stories in the minority, overshadowed by murders, lawsuits, and tragedies?"
"I think
that there are a lot more cases where people do not take responsibility, than where they
do take responsibility."
"Don't
get me wrong. There are plenty of people in this country who are very responsible and who
do very responsible things, but it seems to be harder and harder these days to come up
with acts of responsibility."
"Examples
of irresponsibility can easily be found in government, the media, business, medicine, and
everyday life. If you dig a little deeper, however, you can also find many good examples
of responsibility in all of these areas."
"Even as
there are many idiotic irresponsible actions and people, there are almost as many good
consciously responsible people. These are harder and fewer to find because they, for the
most part, do not make the front page."
"While
few and far between, there are some examples of responsible behavior that are achieving
some good in this county."
"It was
much harder to find examples of good thing happening than it was of bad things happening.
That is a little bit sad. It shows how dysfunctional our system of government is, when
there are so many examples of situations where people get away with things that common
sense tells us are definitely not right."
"There
are many other people in the world that are doing good things, but it seems that the bad
things in life seem to be more publicized and emphasized."
Jeremy J.
McCord, David Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
"The
United States in decline is a frightening concept to face for a person of my
stature." Brian Preston, Concordia High School,
Concordia, Kansas
This is a sad
commentary. Just look at the last excerpt for a minute. Brian's fear should make all of us
adults feel ashamed!
This nation
is in severe decline. I can't tell if it is for the good or the bad."
Ty Lewis, Aubrey High School, Aubrey, Texas
There
is no doubt the current state of affairs has Ty (above) thoroughly confused. At the same
time the older generations have made a negative impression on Robert in South Dakota:
"Society
today is self-centered. All that people in today's society care about is themselves. This
is shown to be the main objective in life care for yourself first."
Although
Robert seems to give society little credit, Cory in Oklahoma is even skeptical of
charitable impulses:
"Since
most people do not want the public to remember them as a Scrooge, they donate money to
local charities here and there."
Tim and
Christopher point out some consequences of irresponsibility:
"The
person who tends not to obey the law may create problems ranging from a handicapped person
not having a place to park, to causing the death of a person by disregarding the law and
passing on a hill or on a double yellow line."
"If the
people of a democracy do not see reason in having responsibilities, then how can one rule
itself with full capacity and also compete in a global economy?"
We found many
students groping for solutions:
"Oh, so
many problems, and not enough solutions."
"Society
as a whole must suffer when the deeds of a few are looked upon as normal occurrences. In a
Nazi death camp, a sign containing the words of Adolf Hitler explains what America may
someday become: 'I want to raise a generation devoid of
conscience.'
"
The students
above are obviously demoralized. Scott in Montana may have an answer:
"I'm
trying to suggest to the public that if we want the government to be responsible, then we
as individuals also have to take a stand against irresponsibility."
Scott is
making sense. Mike Wieman, while pledging to be a model hog raiser, pretty much echo's
Scott's sentiments:
"Since I
raise and sell market hogs, I will not sell any diseased, recently vaccinated, or treated
hogs. I will learn new feeding techniques so that antibiotics and growth hormones will not
be needed to increase my profit margin.
I will
isolate ill hogs and treat them as instructed, and if I have to use antibiotics, I will
not sell them until the vaccines have been eliminated from their system.
I will cut
down the use of pesticides and insecticides on my hog farm. In addition, I will be
responsible for proper handling and cooking of all the meat I will eat. I will thoroughly
wash all vegetables and fruits that I eat.
I will read
packages and follow storage directions and "use by" dates. I will not defrost
any foods at room temperature, and I will wash hands, utensils, and work areas after
handling uncooked foods.
I will avoid
eating raw eggs, uncooked meat, and any other food that will cause harm to my health. I
will also continue to read and keep informed of new guidelines and suggestions to preserve
my health, since my health is the most important thing to me.
I will
participate in the food safety for my health. So even though I feel the government has
responsibility for food safety for it's citizens, I also have an individual responsibility
for my own health, and cannot expect the government to do everything for me."
But, judging
by the excerpts that follow, Mahasin and Heath need to hear the idea expressed again:
"In our
day and age societal problems are at an all time high. We are surrounded by a world full
of crime, brought on by [the] need to achieve the American Dream. This has resulted in
crime stemming from greed, lust, anger, revenge, and a sickness that there aren't words to
describe."
"If
something isn't done now about this country's moral, ethical, and legal decay, we, as a
nation, will fall."
Heather in
Arkansas repeats Scott's idea and adds an admonishment of her own:
"High
responsibility as a citizen carries with it the obligation to understand the ideas and
ideals of constitutional government."
Kimberly
quickly picks up the theme:
"Pericles
once said that in order to hold society together it is the responsibility of the citizen
to respect authority and the laws set down. Aristotle once wrote that respect for
authority is also to be taught in the home. Machiavelli later wrote that a society must
keep old traditions, otherwise you lose stability in the society. Democritus once wrote
that the ultimate welfare of everyone depends upon the state, but that it is also
reasonable to hold that the welfare of the state is man's first concern. So, as you can
see, philosophy from all times and places supports the notion that both the individual and
the government have major responsibilities to ensure the preservation of society."
Brenner
reminds us that:
"In
earlier times it was easier to distinguish the role of the individual and the
government."
Rebecca has a
suggestion:
Heath, in the
excerpt below, tells us about someone who took action:
"Doreen
Coleman painted her graffitied apartment house white. She was sick of seeing the ugly gang
names so she painted over them, but she didn't get permission. So Chester Housing
Authorities fined her $300.00 and are initiating her eviction notice. When Doreen painted
her apartment the neighbors made nice comments on it, and it even made people take pride
in their lawn and neighborhood. The case hasn't yet been resolved, but it looks like
Doreen is going to lose."
I have a
special interest in what happens to Doreen. My diary entry of 1/28/93 may explain why:
As I walked
on Bay street in San Francisco this morning, the demoralizing effect of all the nasty
graffiti on the walls of low-income housing hit me especially hard, and I got the idea for
another project for HSF. The White Hat Brigade could erase this nastiness and install
uplifting mottoes on walls (on metal plaques which can be cleaned), pick up bottles and
papers, and plant flowers, etc., all on a weekly basis. It could be modeled on the
"Adopt A Highway" programs that are springing up all over the country. The White
Hats could adopt low income neighborhoods, tutor young students, provide entertainment and
visits to nursing home patients and to elderly living alone or in groups. There is no end
to the possibilities. I'll try and find the
old Gary Cooper John Doe movie of the forties. It might be interesting to see how the idea
of caring about your neighbors spread in this fictionalized version of the White Hats. I
think we could spread the idea today via radio and cable TV spots and among high schools
and colleges as an adjunct to other HSF projects.
Government
cannot keep paying for everything! The tab for the proposed national service program will
be picked up ultimately by taxpayers. Who else is going to pay for the education promised
to NS volunteer workers? I'm certain people will provide volunteer services without
presenting a tab to the taxpayers. Instead of money, they would get the feeling that they
are doing something worthwhile and making a difference!
The name
White Hats came from a conversation with David (my 4th son and then an attorney) at
Thanksgiving, 1993, where he traced his desire to be a policeman to the need to be a guy
in a White Hat, rescuing and helping people. (David told me in a later conversation that
he had referred to White Knights, but by then I had latched onto the concept of a White
Hat.) By the way, David is now a teacher, and I'm sure you'll agree, a good teacher is
entitled to wear a White Hat proudly.
I remember so
well how I felt that morning when I saw the following scrawled on an entry wall on Bay
Street, not far from San Francisco's acclaimed Fisherman's Wharf: "GATEWAY TO HELL,
BITCH!" If reading this offends any of you, it should. It should offend all of us. It
did me. I couldn't help thinking about the teenage girls who lived in that housing
project. I could surmise what they must feel, perhaps subconsciously, as they made their
way past such a degrading message day after day.
By painting
over the graffiti, Doreen Coleman was doing just what I advocated in my diary when I first
got the idea for the White Hats. You may find it hard to believe that, as Heath says,
"Doreen is going to lose" in court. But remember Doreen Coleman lives in public
housing and you've got to understand that government does not think the way you and I do.
Davis-Bacon legislation has always worked to the detriment of the poor and disadvantaged.
The unions had their own self-interest foremost when they persuaded Congress to enact
Davis-Bacon. (The law is named for the two politicians who sponsored the legislation.)
Davis-Bacon mandates that prevailing wages be paid on all government jobs. This translates
to union wages, and means government doesn't have any hiring latitude. Union labor has to
be hired to perform repairs, even in public-housing projects. Texas Congressman Dick Armey
has argued that public-housing tenants like Doreen should be permitted to fix up their own
apartments "to put sweat equity into their own homes, just as you and I do." He
has pointed out that private home owners quickly learn how to become part-time
handy-persons and there's nothing but discouraging laws
preventing
public-housing tenants from doing the same thing.
Bruce
Morrison of Connecticut was responsible for putting into law the provision that union
workers must perform all work in public-housing across the country. A delegation of black
public-housing residents asked the Black Caucus to vote against Morrison's law, but their
pleas fell on deaf ears. If Doreen had asked permission before erasing the graffiti, it is
likely she would have been told union painters had to be hired and funds were not
available. In other words, "Live with it!"
The following
is another example of self-help which got people into trouble. It was offered as an
example of irresponsibility:
"Wayne
Carden was on a plane, where, as we all know, [there is not a whole lot of leg-room].
Carden was trying to lean his seat back, but there was a taller gentleman sitting behind
him. Carden and the man exchanged some words, then Carden summoned the head flight
attendant. She resolved nothing. The confrontation lasted four minutes before the taller
man exchanged seats with a shorter person so Carden could lean his seat back. The two men
thought things were resolved, but later Carden received a summons from the FAA. He now
faces [fines and possibly incarceration]. FAA regulations say that passengers cannot
disturb flights or cause disturbances. The FAA sees these kinds of disturbances as
terrorists acts."
Far too often
students found government interfering with private lives. Even though the intention was to
help, the "help" frequently caused more harm, as seen in Alice's excerpt below:
"Myron
Guyton of the New York Giants left his Chevrolet Blazer in a parking lot, locked, and it
was stolen. Nine months later he was notified by police that his car had been found and
was parked in a storage yard. When he went to retrieve it, he was charged $11,969̉the
cost of towing the car, plus 288 days of storage at an average of $38.43 a day. Guyton
later stated, "When I asked why it took so long to notify me, I was told that
somebody didn't do the necessary paperwork."
Several
students advocated less dependence on government:
"In my
personal contribution to society, I make it a commitment to never in any way have to rely
upon the government, or any other person, to maintain the well being of myself." Saul James Horner, Valley Springs High School, Valley
Springs, Arkansas
"Many
times we also ask the government for too much; we want them to do it so we do not have
to."
"The
government has made this country a dependent society. The more the government does, the
more society lets it do."
Nicci's statement is especially relevant in the light of the following suggestion by Carey:
"I think
it is mostly the parents responsibility to get their children in for their shots. However,
it is also part of the government's and media's responsibility to make sure they remind
people to bring their children in. A solution to one of the problems might be, that for
the children that aren't being vaccinated, there is an incentive for doing so, such as a
tax break or so on. The other thing that could be done is that the media could inform more
people that they need to get this done. If there is not a law, then maybe one should be
introduced."
I'm almost
certain Saul, John and Nicci, above, would try and convince Carey that it is not the
government's, nor the media's, responsibility to remind parents to get their children
vaccinated. Many people, however, would agree with Carey. What do you think?
We were
surprised by the seemingly hard line taken by both the Bens quoted below:
"Not
everyone can succeed; not everyone deserves to succeed."
"It is a
shame that without money it is tough to live. But it is a fact of life that everyone has
to face."
These
students are talking about "justice" those who "deserve" and those who
don't. This is a theme throughout the essays many
students seem to be searching for a reason to work hard.
Naturally, in any society, some persons are not responsible for their own misfortunes, but we often excuse irresponsibility because of tpoor environmnet, drug addiction and a myriad or other reasons. We then force those who have managed to overcome the same temptations to involuntarily support the weakness of others. We have seen this over and over; the healthy and prudent paying for the weak or imprudent---the ant paying for the grasshopper--the little red hen being forced to be a cool chick and share her bread. It wasn't always that way in this country. Government policies are generally well-intended, but many students pointed out the unintended consequences"
"By
giving people "too much" through welfare and other organizations, many people
have quit trying to compete in life. They have quit trying for employment and for
self-made success. Instead, they wait for unemployment or welfare checks. In trying to
help people who really need help, our government has destroyed
initiation[initiative]."
Matt in
Oklahoma appears to agree with the analysis given by Willis above:
"My
grandfather, who grew up in the Great Depression, once said, 'If we had welfare back, then
we would still be on it, because we wouldn't have had the motivation to do anything else.'
So by limiting the time a family can receive welfare, we will be giving them the
motivation to become independent, and keep them from falling into the trap that is
currently set."
Dawn sees the
same forces at work in Missouri:
"I work
in a drug store and everyday I see [taxpayers'] money being grossly abused in the Medicaid
system. People take advantage of Uncle Sam every single day. Most of the people we see
with Medicaid cards have no real handicap that keeps them from supporting their own
families, except the knowledge that they don't have to. Their welfare checks will support
them. Sadly enough, the people we see who actually need federal help usually make just a
little bit too much money to qualify for it, and not enough money to pay their hospital or
medical bills."
From South
Dakota Tonya raised a question that is on the minds of a lot of people and is an
especially hot topic currently in California:
"From my
experiences at work, I've learned that even if a person, on their break, gets hurt,
workman's compensation still pays for it. If somebody cuts [his/her-self] with a knife
while they're peeling an orange, why should everyone have to take a cut in pay to cover
the cost of workman's compensation?"
Workman's
compensation costs come to almost $10 billion in California. We have watched claims and
lawsuits accelerate over the past ten years. In 1985 California had over 4,000
mental-stress claims. Awards were given due to stress caused by job expansion or job lay
off, for distress at being reprimanded, and even for depression caused by working with
members of another race.
The
subjective tests used turned almost any act of an employer into a potential claim for
compensation. Unfortunately employers, especially the small ones, are finding the safest
way to avoid claims is to abstain from hiring employees whenever possible.
"My dad
is a 47-year-old male who was fired from his job because the business changed ownership.
He found a new job at a seed company. There he did hard labor and was not used to it. He
lifted forty pound bags of soy beans and corn constantly. Sometimes he even threw them
above his head to stack them. His elbow, back, and groin began to bother him in his first
week of work.
What is the
lesson here? Workers play by the rules. Because they count on government to be around in
tough times, they willingly have money withheld from their paychecks. But like insurance
companies, government sometimes finds it easier to collect than to pay. Unfortunately Mr.
Cooey was a case in point.
The search
for justice continues:
"Who is
responsible for the crops getting ruined every year, the farmers or the government? If the
government and the farmer both know that the land is apt to flood, then they shouldn't
plant there. They should have it for set aside acres. But if the government and the
farmers don't know that the land could flood, then the government should have to pay the
farmer for whatever he put into the land.
"My
first example of irresponsible behavior is a true story of what happened to my father when
he went into the hospital for a simple test on his back. A milligram is a routine
procedure where dye is injected into the spine and pictures are taken, much like a cat
scan. Somehow the directions were mixed up and two different orders were combined.
The incident
happened six years ago and we never received a dime. The medicine that he is on costs him
from one dollar to five dollars a pill. Three times a day he takes a handful of pills;
that's a lot of money. No one took responsibility for the accident and yet the patient,
not the doctors, is the one to suffer.
Unfortunately
for Kim's family, an offer to settle is not an admission of guilt.
"Not
everyone can afford to have insurance, because of its high cost. Everyone else then pays
for the ones who do not have it. Some government programs such as Welfare give
hospitalization at very low cost, and free medication. Everyone else that isn't on this
program is left holding the bill. Hospitals and insurance companies take advantage of this
situation and charge an "arm and a leg" for everything."
"In the Argus
Leader, our area paper, a story was told [about] a woman [who] gave up her son's
organs and then received a $41,000 bill for the removal of organs."
The excerpts
below are representative of the many students who were able to recognize the consequence
of irresponsible choices without fixing blame. It goes without saying that they would like
to see better choices being made, but voluntarily.
"My
father is an alcoholic. About eight years ago, he quit a good-paying job to invest in his
own business. The business was unsuccessful, and he felt he was too; thus, he started
drinking to drown his failures. The alcohol affected his own lifestyle, and he couldn't
hold a job. We tried numerous rehabilitation centers, all ending in failure. Everyone
tried to help him until the decision came that he must start helping himself, so my
parents divorced. Since then, he still hasn't taken responsibility for himself and looks
toward booze for the answer. He is homeless as far as I know. The irresponsibility of
alcohol use has put him there."
"Many
people's actions are not meant to be irresponsible, but turn out to be in the long run. An
example of this is people living in the flood plain. Is it their right to decide to live
where there is flooding, and is it right for the government to grant federal funding to
the disaster victims? These people live there because they want to. The people made the
choice to live there and are responsible for what happens to their land. Though we feel
for the victims with their losses, it was their choice to live in a flood plain."
"The
recent earthquake in California had my dad talking. He thinks it's unfair that we have to
keep paying with our taxes for all of the people's homes that were destroyed. The rich
people keep going to California to build big houses on fault lines when they know the
possibilities of an earthquake are great. That doesn't bother them because their insurance
will cover all the damages. Actually it is our money that is paying for it. Who is
actually being irresponsible here?"
"If one
generation suffers from a lack of money, hopefully the next generation should realize the
importance of an education, responsibility, and getting a job."
Other
students are not so patient and would resort to force:
"Mandatory
standards and procedures need to be set up in the workplace regarding employee and
employer conduct."
"Legislation
should be passed prohibiting the over-coverage of news. Those who disobey this law should
be fined, and/or their literature should be suspended from society for a period of
time."
"McDonalds
bowed to the publics growing distaste for cigarettes, and banned smoking in its 1,400
company-owned U.S. Restaurants. This shows that with the proper pressure on the businesses
around us, we can make them do anything."
How is
"proper pressure" defined, and by whom?
"The
government can assign some families in America a homeless person to stay with them for a
certain amount of time."
Although no
one likes to be subjected to force, in the following excerpts a couple of students show
why some people feel it is necessary:
"Many
people will argue that drinking is not something the government should be involved in
regulating. Maybe they are right, maybe it is the individual's responsibility. But, as I
see it, since we as a society have refused to take the responsibility to drink
responsibly, then someone must enforce this responsibility, unless we want this tragic
problem to continue. We have forced the government to take action through our refusal to
do so."
"Corporations
should be forced to abide by broad base responsibility to workers, the communities, to the
environment, and the well-being of the national economy, if they are entitled to any
privileges, including the right to exist. If our society is clamoring for more personal
responsibility, then reasserting societies' power to create and control corporations is
the responsible move to make."
Diane and
Victoria have a good point that many would find reasonable. What do you think? This is
what Chris thinks:
"If
everybody accepted responsibility for their actions, government would not have to regulate
and make laws."
And from his
vantage point in Idaho, Aaron makes an interesting comment:
"Law
making is another form of passing the buck. The government [is] taking the responsibility
[from] the people by forcing them to obey a rule."
Do you find
it as difficult as we do to acquiesce to Tracy's excerpt below?
"The
country is our 'employer', and we must be productive in our environment, and we must show
loyalty to our country."
Some years ago college students, on a test, identified the following quotation as part of the U.S. Constitution: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need." Those same people might be happy with Danny's statement below, but I suspect many more Americans would find it even harder to swallow than Tracy's comment:
"
Responsibility is being legally or ethically accountable for the care or welfare of
another."
Perhaps a
word change would make the statement more palatable: Responsibility is being legally or
ethically accountable for the care or welfare of one's self.
"The
company that my dad works for had a factory that was using carcinogenic substances in one
of its manufacturing processes. One of the employees found a better way to do the process,
not only with a safer chemical but also more cheaply. The change to the new chemical was
done immediately."
Mike's example, as well as Kari's below, show that government force is not always necessary:
"My
parents own a resort, which includes six cabins. They have taken on the responsibility of
having everyone who vacations here recycle. Recycling helps cut down on waste and on the
use of natural resources. Each cabin contains a box for aluminum cans, tin cans, glass,
plastic jugs, and newspapers. About three times a week my dad separates the items into
five different bags. Then he hauls them off to the dump and puts them into the proper
bins. Everyone who comes here cooperates with the system and it works out really
well."
Denise in
Oklahoma expresses an idea that is comfortable for most Americans:
"Responsibility
is shared among the government, society, and individuals."
Many would
also go along with Brian:
"Schools,
families, churches, and organizations, such as Boy Scouts, should teach discipline,
respect, honesty, civility, and responsibility to strengthen character. Some of the social
regressions of the past can be blamed on the failure of these civic institutions to
properly teach these morals. Although the government should play a larger role in the
solutions of society's problems, it should emphasize that the responsibility lies in the
hands of the people."
As Kelly
says:
"While
the right to pursue happiness is granted, it is not handed over on a silver platter. One
must work and sacrifice for happiness."
The following excerpt exemplifies the frustration we sometimes feel when reading student essays:
"We also need to avoid inventing things that will only make us more lazy. Things such as robots that clean the house, and things that are not necessary."
Aimee Hunter, Aubrey High School, Aubrey, Texas
There is much to say relevant to Aimee's statement, but in the interest of continuity we have put these comments in the back of this boo and continue with a comment from Stephen:
"Huxley
pointed out throughout the novel Brave New World that many people would consider an ideal
world one where everyone is destined at birth to have a certain life, and sexual
responsibility is a mere joke. Huxley's satirical look at society is frighteningly
accurate. In order to stop the trend towards this society, we must begin at the root of
the problem: apathy. In order to solve the problem, we must take action. To fix the
environment, people should recycle and educate themselves, instead of yelling at the
government when it doesn't do the task for them. Instead of complaining that children see
too much violence on television, people must lobby the stations to do something, and
producers should change the content of television programs. Instead of complaining
incessantly about the number of guns in schools, people should educate children and crack
down on the sources of hand guns. Action is the root of responsibility."
Stephen's excerpt above is not altogether consistent. First he says don't depend on government, "take action", but instead of advising us to regulate our own children and television sets, he wants us to tell TV stations and producers what to do. Educating children about guns he sees as a private role, whereas controlling the source of hand guns is government's role.
Defininig the role of government is essential before tackling the other issues presented in the 1994 essay contest. This is extremely difficult for students, and not surprising since there is no consensus in the country today, even among our elected officials in Washington, DC. A drying up of resources is the only thing that is likely to slow the expansion of government. This has not happened yet because of citizen apathy towards debt. However, many teens are disturbed by the national debt. The following excerpts show their awareness and concern:
"People
would only pay for themselves if everyone would be responsible, instead of having to pay
for themselves as well as those who do not care. If people had enough responsibility not
to steal and vandalize, prices may not be quite as high."
"[The
government has] spent billions on programs to advertise condoms and safe-sex to teenagers,
but those ads have promoted sex more than anything. It has been proven that those
campaigns have resulted in more teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and
abortions. Yet, the government is going to invest $7 billion more to send out the same
unsuccessful message. Plus, Clinton is planning on starting over 300 new school-based
clinics."
"I do
not think it is the taxpayer's responsibility to finance unplanned pregnancies."
Allecia Finley, Eureka High School, Eureka, Illinois
"Along
the California/Mexico border, pregnant Mexican women cross the border, have a child (who
is then a legal American citizen with a birth certificate), and then re-cross the border
to live in Mexico, or move to America. The child is now eligible to receive all the
benefits of being an American citizen."
"I am to
understand that an illegal alien may receive a public education at the expense of the tax
payers. Even if he or she is known to be here illegally, the school cannot report this
person. I think this is incredibly wrong."
"The
government has to set a limit on foreign aid and use some of that money to advance our
economy at home."
Up in the
Northwest, Kenny Curtis has discovered a way for citizens to help the government lower its
debt and reward the enterprising citizen at the same time:
"There
was a law passed during the Civil War, under Lincoln's administration, that could
prosecute gun powder manufacturers for mixing sawdust and gun powder. In so doing, they
were defrauding the U.S. government. A private citizen could sue and whatever monies were
retrieved by the government, the private citizen would collect a certain percentage. This
law has been rediscovered today and several private citizens have collected 20 to 25
percent of legal settlements in favor of the government against government contractors
found defrauding the U.S. government."
Maybe the
national debt doesn't seem important because so many ordinary citizens don't have their
own budgets under control; they are in debt because they fail to match their personal
income and outgo. That's what it's about making spending and revenue come out even. The
federal budget entails balancing defense and non-defense, protecting low-income programs,
and putting tax dollars into programs members of Congress think are worthwhile. The
problem is, all programs are considered equally worthwhile, and so far these same members
of Congress have been unwilling to collect enough revenue to pay for them.
The budget process has changed many times over the years. Recently revenue has been collected based on need. The problem here is that the definition of need depends on the legitimate function of government, which has never been settled. We're bound to run into problems when we allow taxes to be based on infinite need. Even if we could limit and define need, revenue could not be accurately determined in advance because so much depends on guess-estimates of future unemployment, economic growth, interest rates, inflation and so forth.
I used to
think of the following paragraph as a road map. Unfortunately there is a major flaw.
In a
collectivist economy, public needs enjoy the same sort of built-in priority that private
consumption enjoys in a capitalist economy. In the collectivist economy all resources are
available to the public sector, and private consumption is restricted. Witness the empty
shelves and long lines in many collectivist countries. In a capitalist economy public
services are restricted to claims against the private sector.
In recent
years many of our representatives are not sure whether the United States of America is a
collectivist or a capitalist economy. That's the flaw. Worst of all so many well-meaning
programs have unintended consequences:
"In
Pennsylvania, the Section Eight Housing laws will provide an apartment, food stamps, and
medical care, free of charge to any woman who is pregnant or who has young children. This
program not only discourages young women from supporting themselves financially, it also
encourages them to look to pregnancy, often out of wedlock, as a way to gain housing and
independence."
"Our
system rewards people for dodging responsibility rather than taking it."
"It was once said that federal aid increases poverty by reasoning that "if you start paying people to be poor, you're going to have a lot of poor people." Welfare is perceived to destroy "self-reliance, dignity, and self respect, the very substance of moral fiber." Welfare recipients have the