1996-1997 Harry Singer Foundation National Essay Contest
Responsibility, Who Has It and Who Doesn't and What That Means For The Nation
Jefferson High School, Edgewater,
Colorado
1st Amber
Horan 
2nd Walt
O'Dell 3rd Steve Kostiuk Tristan Warner
"Blaming a victim or an innocent person for an action that
you should have taken responsibility for, is definitely not new, but [is] certainly
growing. The reason…easily defined in only a few words: carelessness, fear, and the
biggest one of them all, money."
Walt O'Dell, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"San Rafael, California was the location of 75 school
children and community groups joining with Meals of Marin in cooking for and delivering
food to sixty clients with AIDS. Along the way they cheered the clients up, and made their
days a little brighter."
Carisa Johnson, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"There once was a time when gentlemen thrived on helping others, not blaming them. When women would bend over backwards for their children, instead of sitting them down in front of the television with a cookie in hand and a 'blankie' for comfort. A time when youths did household chores willingly for survival, not to buy a $60 pair of shoes at contempo casuals. True, times have changed, but has the word 'responsibility' simply lost it's meaning or has it's purpose just changed a little?
Some might say our nation is that of irresponsibility, but it really just seems like a nation of cry-babies. Remember going home in first grade and crying, 'Mommy! Jimmy put gum in my hair but I was the one who got in trouble for calling him names. It's not fair!? Now it seems like we're saying,'…but Your Honor, it wasn't my fault I hit the tree, nobody stopped me from leaving the bar drunk. It's not fair!' More and more people are blaming others for their faults as fewer and fewer admit that nobody is perfect. However, responsibility is not a thing of the past…yet. Good things are happening across the nation and there are still those generous Americans-no, human beings-who have become local heroes and have proven that responsibility is still a part of everyday life.
In Stuart, Florida, a free clinic, that is usually only open Monday through Friday, was open on a Saturday to give breast-cancer screening to forty-three poor or uninsured women. The volunteers at the clinic happened to find a benign lump on a woman, Marta Rodriquez, and in a follow-up, a lump was found on the thyroid. This selfless act could very well have saved one woman's life. In Albany, New York, five thousand employees and inmates of the state prison system collected clothing, toys, food, and several other items which were given to victims of domestic violence. In Washington, D.C., 7200 members of Weight Watchers donated old clothing, too big to wear now, to two agencies specializing in outfitting women who have experienced hard times and are looking for jobs. Over 3300 items were collected. Another example of good-doing is from San Bernardino, California, where more than 3,582 tons of trash were taken to sixteen local landfills which charged no dumping fees n October 26, 1996, also known as 'Make A Difference Day'. Another good deed done on this day was by the John Wesley Fellowship of First United Methodist Church in Ozark, Alabama. Truckloads of waste were hauled away when members of the church, ages 60 to 80, restored order and beauty to the town library by tackling long overdue card cataloging and yard work. These are just five examples of average people taking responsibility not only for themselves, but for their community, too.
Unfortunately, the number of people blaming others for their mistakes is on the rise and suddenly everyone is a victim. Yet no one seems to understand that being a victim takes more effort than taking responsibility. For example…a man was stabbed to death outside a New York City McDonald's and the suspect is the restaurant's manager. The brother of the murdered man has in turn sued the fast-food chain for 116 million dollars. In Omaha, Nebraska, a black man has filed a 40 million dollar suit against the makers of a Compton's Encyclopedia CD-ROM. The man claims he and his children suffered emotional distress when, during a search, he accidentally typed in the word 'nigger' instead of Niger and the program called up several references.
Solutions to problems such as these really aren't very hard to find, it is simply a matter of opening our eyes and looking for them. If the black man had set an example for his children and just explained to them that the word 'nigger is a very disrespectful word but that it was not put in the program specifically to harm them, he may have taught them something about responsibility. Instead, he made a big fuss and showed them an easy way to become the 'victim' and gave them the impression that they are surrounded by prejudice people. A possible solution to the problem could have been a letter to the company asking for an apology and perhaps the removal of the derogatory term from the e program. He could even have asked for the payment of any medical bills resulting from the distress but a 40 million dollar lawsuit was completely unnecessary. Although this is only one example of this occurrence, similar instances occur daily and will continue to do so as long as there is someone else to blame for our problems.
In conclusion, more and more people seem to be saying 'It's not my
fault' but responsibility will not become a thing of the past, because good things are
happening due to people who really care. Maybe in another fifty years everyone will take
responsibility for themselves but until then we can only take responsibility for
ourselves. After all, being responsible isn't a chore, it's a choice."
Amber Horan, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"In Denver, Colorado, a program called 'Kids in the City
Initiative' has recently started. Children are pairing up with architecture students and
faculty from the University of Colorado in an effort to make neighborhoods safer and more
accessible to the children and other residents who live in the area."
Tristan Warner, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"The idea of teenagers taking the responsibility to make a
difference is incredible, but the whole idea starts a lot sooner. To prove this statement
a 10 year old girl and her 7 year old brother were inspired to buy every kid in the
hospital where their own brother was staying, a stuffed animal because no one ever came to
see them. The two kids did household chores and made 130 dollars. After the money was made
they went and bought every child in the hospital a stuffed animal."
Tonya Goodfellow, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"People who [have] lost someone…give out scholarships
to…those who need help. These scholarships are also usually named after the beloved
person they never saw go off to college."
Steve Kastiuk, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Teens also need help outside of school. There is a program
called Boys Hope/Girls Hope which is for children of age 10 through high school. It helps
kids escape a harmful and destructive environment or just offers help. The program came to
Colorado, has provided housing for boys and is in the process of providing housing for the
girls. In order to raise funding for this a bunch of local builders and developers all
joined together and built a house. All of the material and supplies that went into
building the house were all donated by various companies who expected nothing in return.
The contributors call the house 'House That Hope Built.' The home sold without any
marketing to a commercial Realtor, for a selling price n the mid-300's. Almost all of the
money made on the house will go directly to Boys Hope/Girls Hope. There a lot of different
good things happening in the world and they should not be overlooked because other bad
things are also happening."
Shyla Reither, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Lisa Goldman, a young woman in Columbia, Maryland, was
recently recognized for her success in creating a Teddy Bear Drive, which provided 850
teddy bears to needy children in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area. Bears were also given
to more children in hospitals and shelters throughout the nation."
Tristan Warner, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"In Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, a group of seventy and eighth
graders decided just collecting canned goods and clothes for the less fortunate wasn't
enough. They worried it was not getting to the people who really needed it. So after a
school-wide collection, they walked for half an hour into inner city Pittsburgh, to
transfer the goods directly to the hands of the people. Ken Trombetta, 14, learned a lot:
'My life is full of enjoyment; the homeless are merely trying to survive.' the group now
makes it a monthly trip."
Carisa Johnson, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"An elementary school in Salida, Colorado was set on fire by
an unknown arsonist. Fortunately only a little wing of the school had to be rebuilt.
However, due to lack of funds by the school, this wing could not be rebuilt for two years.
The students…went into the community and raised more then enough funds to pay for the
wing [and enough too] two more classrooms."
Steve Kastiuk, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"My Uncle also told me about a single mother who was killed
in a car accident. Her son went to live with his only relative, his aunt who was already
struggling to stay on her own two feet. But the friends of the struggling woman got
together an raised enough money to get a house and for her to get a decent job."
Walt O'Dell, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Twelve-year-old Alaina and about 200 other volunteers all
got up early on Saturday, April 19, 1997, to clean up trash. The volunteers both old and
young joined together in Castle Rock and made it a better place for everyone."
Shyla Reither, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"A group called Book Buddies in Charlottesville, Virginia,
tutors young children in the community in hopes of improvig the children's literacy
development. Although some people acknowledge their responsibilities to society, some try
to escape these responsibilities."
Tristan Warner, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Communities have to stick together. In lower downtown Denver
a children's program aims to have children who are living in the area submit ideas for
making the neighborhood safe and more accessible to them. This program show responsibility
not only for one person but for the whole community."
Kim Archuleta, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"In my home city, of Lakewood, Colorado, students of Vivian
Elementary School, their teachers, and families made the trip to fire and flood ravaged
Buffalo Creek, despite the unpredictable snow patterns of Colorado. They got four hundred
trees planted and spread three hundred pounds of seed to recover and reforest the badly
damaged area."
Carisa Johnson, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Antonio Nardini and his fellow officers helped fill the
shelves of 9 local food banks. They gathered several community members to help collect
food after they had seen all of the people lined up outside the bank and knowing that the
shelves were empty. In the end the people of the community collected 22 truckloads of
food."
Tonya Goodfellow, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Bonnie Treon and ten year old daughter, Melissa, of
Kannapolis, North Carolina, gathered friends in the making of sixty quilts which they have
donated to three hospitals for premature babies. These quilts will be treasured for years
and years to come, along with the generous spirits of Treon and friends."
Carisa Johnson, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Did you know that an organization called Project Angel
Heart's largest fund raiser depended on people dining out? The event occurred on March
13th of 1997.…The projected goal was to raise $40,000. This project is to help insure
the delivery of nutritious meals to people living with HIV and AIDS."
Rachella Ortiz, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Though there are many individuals who tend to avoid
responsibility for their actions, there are many more who care about others, the
environment, and themselves. There are sixteen Jefferson County Open Parks located in
Colorado, all of which are available for the public to enjoy. Every year hundreds of
people volunteer their time in order to keep the parks safe, clean, and fun for all
hikers, bikers, and strollers who visit."
Jessika Hall, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"There are groups like the Salvation Army who are committed
to taking contributions and giving to the needy. In Chicago, organizers work continuously
to put together a special Olympics program for disadvantaged children in the area. An
organization in Denver putting together an auction of Children's artwork to raise money
for under privileged kids. Even big corporations are getting into the act. Ticket master,
one of the nations biggest concert producers, sponsors events in cities around the country
where concert tickets are given away for those who bring toys for children. The Denver
Nuggets and other professional sports franchises have similar programs, where people
receive tickets for turning in their guns, in an effort to cut down on crime."
Reif Faulkner, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"In Wheat Ridge, Colorado a high school baseball player had
to fight to get on the team, not because this person wasn't good or had bad grades, it was
because of the simple fact that this person was a girl. Seventeen year old Die Within
tried to get on the baseball team in her freshman year but did not succeed. She fought and
practiced every day, and finally made the team. Now she is averaging a .335 batting
average and has four RBI's. This is a prime example of one person taking the
responsibility for herself, to make herself happy and not only did she help herself, she
helped all other girls interested in baseball."
Kim Archuleta, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Many companies who produce hazardous or toxic waste do so in
order to produce chemicals that are useful or beneficial to the operating of our levels of
technology. These manufacturers are often left without a safe, cost-efficient method to
dispose of these by products. Many are simply left to build large cement vats and pout it
all in."
Forrest Guest, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"It is possible for one to start off with responsibility and
end up with none in the end, but it is even harder to teach yourself from scratch how to
have responsibility and use it in a good way, especially if you have never used it before.
A close friend had a lot of responsibilities laid on her and turned to her addict
boyfriend who beat her in return. She later became pregnant at sixteen years of age and
then got heavily into drugs. All this was form the influence of her boyfriend who she
thought that she loved so much. This girl could easily [overcome] the situation with the
help of few…friends. If the friends would help encourage her to do the right thing
and stick by her side through all her trials, this young girl could triumph in the
end."
Leslie Pruyne, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"People either do not want to take responsibility for their
actions, blame others for silly things, or only take responsibility when something goes
right."
Shyla Reither, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Finally in the store that I work at a little girl and her
sister were playing tag in our furniture department. The game got out of hand and the girl
fell down and hurt her ankle. When I walked over to help her up she told me it was my
fault for her falling and that she was going to sue the store. I knew her story wouldn't
make it past her parents, but I realize that this is our future generation of
irresponsible finger-pointers."
Walt O'Dell, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Between 1965 and 1969, a company in Pennsylvania extracted
copper from industrial wastes, storing the resulting liquids in 11 cement lagoons. Three
lagoons developed open leaks and seams, contaminating an adjacent creek, which feeds into
the Delaware River system, turning it into a lifeless sewer. The company abandoned the
site, rather than pay the expense of correcting the leaks. Ultimately, the state paid for
the cost of neutralizing and disposing of the 3.5 million gallons of industrial
wastes."
Forrest Guest, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"The saying 'bad things happen to good people' is certainly
true in the case of Cherry Creek Dental Group. This particular business offers free and
low cost dentistry to poverty stricken families and the disabled who reside in Denver
Colorado. Thousands of dollars and a lot of effort has been put into this program,
although some do not respect or understand the significance of the remarkable arrangement.
On March 20, 1997 a family of four came into the dental office and presented an insurance
form in hopes of becoming patients. The family received cleanings and the two adolescents
endured fillings. When the issue of insurance is dealt with at the Cherry Creek Dental
Group the customers are accepted into the dental chair with the trust that the coverage
presented is in fact valid. [In this case] the policy was fake [and the] business was
scammed. One might ask what the motive was in this case; poverty may very well be the
reason this family choose to take advantage of this business. Another important question
[arises] , what would be seen through the eyes of these two young children? This is
unfortunately the saddest part of all, being that children are the innocent accomplices of
outrageous crimes and are being raise to view this kind of thing as 'just getting by in
life'. Today's adolescents are the future and this is precisely why responsibility for
ones self and actions needs to be enforced every day of children's lives."
Jessika Hall, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Imagine a trusted teacher, duct-taping the hands, feet, and
mouth of a seventh grader, and then putting him in another room because he was
misbehaving. These disciplinary actions were inappropriate but the School Board decided
not to fire him and let him off with a warning. This situation is an example of not only
one person not taking responsibility for his actions but two, (the School Board)."
Kim Archuleta, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"A refrigerator company was sued for not putting a warning
label on the refrigerator stating that carrying on one's back could be harmful. How stupid
is that? This person will one day have to answer to himself, and what will he have to say?
'Gee, I guess that was kind of stupid, but I got a lot of money!' It's a shame when a
company has to put a label on something when a little common sense would take care of
it."
Walt O'Dell, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"The town I live in has community meeting every month just so
they can help out the community somehow. Last month, the city placed very large trash
dumpsters in the middle of the community. These dumpsters were to be used for unused items
such as clothes, beds, blankets, or any other necessities for the needy. This project was
a complete success."
Steve Kastiuk, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"In Independence, Missouri, a group of people form H & R
Block, Lipton Tea, the American Samoan community, Truman High, St. Paul's Lutheran Church,
and the American Corps pulled together to improve the homes of six people in need by doing
yard work, painting, etc., when they could have been worrying about themselves instead of
making others' lives tolerable."
Carisa Johnson, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"A [neighbor] is trying to sue a sporting goods company,
because they sold him a hammock that wouldn't fit in the space between his…trees.
This hammock cost a great deal of money, so any normal person would take it back…or
at least try to make it fit. But I think that he is driven for the money, and that is too
bad because, because I know this person is better than that. Maybe this irresponsibility
thing is a plague or some contagious disease. It is, then I am moving to Canada, because
it is already spreading into my neighborhood."
Walt O'Dell, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"In Greeley County, Colorado, Herbert Walsh was riding his bicycle in the middle of Interstate 25 at night while intoxicated. Mr. Walsh was hit by a car but only suffered minor bumps and bruises. Mr. Walsh then sued the driver of the car for emotional distress and he also sued the company that made his bicycle for the lack of warning received upon purchasing his bike. The warning he was looking for was 'Don't ride while intoxicated'. One year later, Mr. Walsh was awarded over $200,000 for his emotional problems along with a little more than $100,000 for his attorney money. The company that made the bicycle settled for $50,000 for not giving proper warning.
In Moffat County, Colorado a 31 year old man was skiing illegally
when he fell down and slammed into a tree. The land belonged to the State of Colorado, but
the skiers excuse was he didn't know. He sued the State of Colorado for not giving him
proper warning about whose land that was. The man, whose name will [remain] confidential,
was only written a ticket for trespassing. The court awarded this man $125,000 for the
damages done to him."
Steve Kastiuk, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"For example, a man and his wife had been fighting and he
pulled a butcher knife from the kitchen drawer. After he had threatened his wife a few
times he decided that he had enough and he stabbed her. The man then turned around and
sued the company that made the knife because the blade was too sharp. The man won his case
and was rewarded 1.5 million dollars. It's cases like this one that give people the idea
that irresponsibility can offer great rewards."
Tonya Goodfellow, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"A boy decided to take on the responsibility of bringing his
friends home safely as their designated driver. He and four of his friends where all in
his car when suddenly one of them opened the door and fell out of the car while it was
going at least 50 mph. The mother of that person later sued [the driver] for not locking
the doors of his car. The poor guy was simply trying to be a responsible friend but ended
up paying for it. A similar case happened in San Jose, California when a store clerk who
was mopping up a spill, put down his mop to help an old man with poor eye sight read the
expiration date on a milk carton. After getting his milk, the old man walked away thanking
the clerk but later slipped on a wet spot, which was designated by bright yellow caution
sign, … the old man sued the grocery store because he claimed that the sign was not
visible to him. Apparently not all good deeds [have] rewards, and these unfortunate people
found this out the hard way."
MacClain Figueroa, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Another incident is when a man was walking through a park on
a snowy night. This park is old and has no street lights or hand rails to help guide
someone through. So when he slipped on an ice patch and sprained his wrist, instead of
suing or blaming someone else, he organized a crew of people that use that park a lot.
They constructed a hand rail along the tricky parts of the path, and also created a gutter
system that would detour ice patches from forming in the path. This man helped to prevent
a future 'its not my fault."
Walt O'Dell, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"I have personally seen a lawsuit that is unjust. My cousin,
a first grader in Idaho, is being charged with sexual harassment. Being a kindergartner,
he has no understanding of what sexual harassment is, so it is absurd for someone to put a
lawsuit against him. He supposedly participated with a little girl in a wonderful
childhood game called doctor. Now the parents of the little girl are suing his parents.
The parents of that little girl are trying to get something from someone else who has
hardly anything to give. If a jury goes against my cousin and his family, most of their
earnings would be taken in the lawsuit."
Reif Faulkner, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Parents [in the past] taught their children values, and to
listen to elders. This … has to be taught to [children] or you [will] get rebellious
teens and people [like these] running our society today. Setting [a] course to recovery
will not be easy, and may be near impossible. We have parents [who] were raised without
values and responsibility, and you can't expect them to raise kids [with attributes] they
themselves do not have. It reminds one of a copy machine, copying a copy, and then copying
that copy. It only gets worse. But then there is the other side. Not all of us have gone
to hell in a hand basket. As with the irresponsible getting worse, we can raise our
children in the future, and the values will strengthen as time goes on …"
David Salazar, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Eleven years ago a sixteen year old girl had a child and
made her way down to the welfare office in order to receive help. Once there, she talked
to an employee from the offices that downgraded her because she needed help and money to
support her and her child. That day she vowed that she could do better than the lady that
she talked to and she was going to prove to herself and the rest of the world that she was
right. She put herself through college by working two jobs and just recently bought a
house for her and her child. Now she is venturing on to receive her masters degree. She
accomplished all this because she was willing to take on responsibility for her and her
child and she wasn't going to depend on the rest of society to take care of her on her
mistakes. These are the kinds of examples of hard working people that others need to look
up to."
Leslie Pruyne, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Give your children positive role models, (Madonna simply
will not do. Nor Charles Barkley.) Give them a sense of pride, and let them know what's
wrong and right. A spanking worked wonders on me. Show them you care. Too many parents
don't incorporate their children into their lives. Spend time with your children, give
them suport and help. If they have a question or problem, they should turn to you, not
someone else. Teach them to give you respect, [something] lacking in today's world."
David Salazar, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Nowadays, it is more popular to make money the easy way than
to work hard and earn it. Today, Americans are motivated by laziness and greed."
Reif Faulkner, Jerrerson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"My uncle told me that skate boarding is very popular in
northern California. But when its popularity started to take over the streets of a small
town, the store owners and city officials agreed that something had to be done. So they
all came up with a brilliant idea, they put money together and constructed a one acre
facility. It was packed with half-pipes and the whole nine yards, 'a skaters paradise.'
They even threw in a great big wall for all of the spray paint artists to let there
imagination flow. They [topped] this whole facility off by putting some bleachers up so
the once victims of the street can watch these talented daredevils do their thing. And if
for some reason someone is caught skating in the streets then their board is taken away
from them and the parents are fined for a lot of money."
Walt O'Dell, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"The definition of responsibility has change drastically from
the beginning of the century, or even the 1950's up until now. Responsibility used to be
knowing that everyone is in charge of more than just themselves at any one time, and that
everyone had the responsibility to be aware, of common sense and of circumstances. Now a
days, people sense they may have a responsibility towards themselves, but take every
opportunity to push fault and/or responsibility off on someone else."
Carisa Johnson, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"What is responsibility and who has it? Many people see
responsibility as taking care of your personal tasks, but it involves a lot more than
that. Responsibility is also accepting the consequences for the actions that we make and
not trying to blame it on someone else. That leads to the answer to the second part of the
question which is who has responsibility? People who take on not only their own personal
tasks but also tasks that will help others and can accept the consequences for the actions
they commit are classified as being responsible."
Tonya Goodfellow, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"…wonderful people that help the community…[are]
overlooked. Nobody actually takes the time to…thank…them. This in itself is a
major responsibility in that if nobody thanks the people that do things for us willingly,
then eventually it will come to a halt. It is our responsibility as the ones who
appreciate the favor to thank those that offer the favor for no reason."
Leslie Pruyne, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Responsibility is not only taking care of yourself but
others as well, and doing as much as you can to help to make your life, your family and
your community happy and well adjusted. It is easier to come together with your community
than to try and make changes by yourself."
Kim Archuleta, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"But with all of these bad things happening, I also know that
there are some good people out there. Like the man that found by wallet which just
happened to have over three-hundred dollars in it. He personally drove over to my house to
give it to me. Now that's who the rest of us American citizens should be taking notes
from."
Walt O'Dell, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"There are thousands of worthy causes around the United
States that do great things, even if they go unnoticed. Unfortunately, however, they may
not be enough. In today's society we do not want to help, or see others have something
that we do not. It is now fashionable to try and take away from those that have more than
us. Nobody is willing to work for anything themselves. America was built on the concept
that everybody should have the right to earn a living and make a life for themselves. But
it is now believed that everyone deserves a free ride and should not have to work to
achieve success."
Reif Faulkner, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"As if medical students don't have enough on their plates,
Klamath, Oregon dental-hygiene students, sixty five in number, donated four thousand
dollars worth of free care to migrant families who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford
the care. There were also one hundred and fourteen sets of X-rays given."
Carisa Johnson, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Adult's usually don't want to take time to help out, but
kids see first hand how hard it is growing up in today's world so they want to help all
they can. Some teenagers in Detroit, Michigan helped a domestic violence shelter.…The
teens brought two van loads of clothing to the shelter, played and made crafts with the
shelter kids and bought and made lunch for everyone in the shelter."
Tonya Goodfellow, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"A nineteen year old boy was wearing rollerblades when he
stumbled, flipped over curb, and collided headfirst into an oncoming truck. He was not
wearing any protective gear and was left permanently brain damaged and paralyzed. He sued
Rollerblade Incorporated for not putting on warning labels about wearing safety gear. A
sixteen year old boy in New Jersey sued Killington Ski Resort after a skiing accident
where he was left quadriplegic. He claimed that the slopes were not properly maintained,
but the defense in the case stated that the boy was performing reckless stunts at the time
of the accident. The boy was trying to receive money for something that was his
fault."
Tristan Warner, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Then there is the case of Leilani Akiyama, a nine year old
Judo competitor who is finding fault in the Judo system who took her out of competition
because she refuses to bow before or after a match. Keep in mind she is the one not
following the rules. Bowing is part of the art of Judo."
Carisa Johnson, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"People claim it's not my fault. I'm a victim of society.
They sue. They blame. They win? In a society that understands everything from rocket
science to psychology, this should not be happening.…I'm a victim, your a victim,
were all victims. If [this] continues…soon there may be no responsible people [to]
carry the burden of an irresponsible America."
David Salazar, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado
"Finally my mom told me about a small elementary school near
where she grew up. The students were putting together a small parade for their end of the
school year celebration. Because the school was so small they didn't have room to store
any of the props, so they were left outside. One night thieves came and took or destroyed
their whole set-up. So a department store and parents got in and gave the students what
they needed, to have this parade. It was a success and the next week later the thieves
were caught."
Walt O'Dell, Jefferson High School, Edgewater, Colorado