First Round Excerpts From 1998-99 Essay Contest

The Role Of Personal Responsibility In Balancing
Individual Liberty And The Common Good

  Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

1st Jesse Viet        2nd Gary Hammen   3rd Kristen Gruntorad

"Long ago, our country designed a set of rules and laws based on the premise that there was a well defined line between right and wrong.  There was a certain code of ethics and integrity that was sought after, ultimately ensuring that people's own liberties were not infringed upon.  Today, the power to balance the rights of people should not be left in the hands of the police and courts.  After all, they can only act upon what has been done.  Rather, become aware that being so consumed with one's own rights most times is at the expense of the rights of others.  This is when the community welfare is jeopardized, when people put themselves and their own personal rights in front of the community as a whole.

   For example, a dentist who is HIV positive does not feel compelled to share this information with his unsuspecting patient.  To have to reveal this would be, he feels, a violation of his civil rights.  Unfortunately, he failed to consider the rights of his 19-year old patient before infecting her with the AIDS virus.  She died less than four years later.  This is an example of how the constitutional rights intended for the individual good have been perverted and twisted beyond belief.

   This is where one can go back to the statement made by John Marshall where he said the principles should be adapted to the various crises of human affairs.  This is such a case.  Our founding fathers didn't know there would be such a disease known as AIDS.  They didn't know that when they wrote that everyone has the right to privacy, this would include the right for people to not convey to others vital information about acquiring a life-ending disease."
Kristen Gruntorad, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"The Constitution and Bill of Rights balances the protection of the community with individual liberty.  It defines people's rights and gives them more than enough freedom.  When people are ignorant of how to handle their freedoms, their actions can cause negative effects to themselves and others, and they may incur negative repercussions.  Irresponsible behavior can affect the personal liberties of any person. In order to maintain personal rights, an individual must live responsibly, or his or her rights will be limited to protect the community.  In a democracy an individual must express his or her views to maintain freedom because each individual's opinion helps determine the laws and rules that we live by.  If a person wants to effect change in the system, a person must protest what is wrong and support what is right.  It is essential that each person be informed of her freedoms and rights as well, so that person can be responsible for and maintain his or her rights.  A person must ultimately be responsible for his or her actions and rights if that person desires to maintain personal liberties in the face of the community's well-being."
Danielle Solie, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"When people unite for a common goal, more gets achieved."
Mardie Jo Kragel, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"In the beginning the Constitution and Bill of Rights maintained the balance well.  Recently, people have changed and become more aware and more protective of their rights.  As people have changed, the Constitution may have changed too much.  People will take what is given and ask for more.  It is apparent that people now have too many rights.  The main problem is that it seems that the government is overly concerned with the rights of criminals.  If a burglar breaks into a citizens's house and is shot, the person defending his home could actually be the one who is prosecuted.  If the government is going to grant more freedoms to its people, the people must be held responsible."
Gary Hammen, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

  "The U.S. Constitution is one of the oldest working documents in the world today, and it has run this country for two hundred years.  It will continue to work as long as people take responsibility for their actions."
Jeremy Wells, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Are there too many individual rights or not enough?  This question has pondered my mind for some time now.  The more I think about it, the more I think that we should just rewrite the Constitution.  The Constitution needs a lot of changes to become more updated to the changed world.  The individual rights of the American people should be cut in half to balance out with the common good."
Rachel Wadle, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"The people ultimately have the right to change anything they see as unfit.  That is why our constitution is the oldest written constitution among the major nations of the world.  Moreover, it was, for the first time in history, a constitution that specifically limited the powers that the federal government would be able to exercise over its citizens."
Joel Tuttle, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Our founding fathers knew that a democracy flourishes only when its citizens cherish certain ideals and will not let them go:  Love of liberty and equality and faith in the Almighty.  Attention to the development of character, respect for truth and pride in good work; these are the kinds of principles that make America great.

   What makes up a successful, prosperous community?  Isn't it the working together and respect for one another that makes the whole work?  More than likely, the founding fathers would be in a state of shock if they were to witness some of the atrocities people impose on one another.  While they cry out loudly demanding their rights be protected, they intrude on those very same rights toward their neighbor.  Civilization is not more complex; it is more immoral.  It is not more interdependent; it is more self-centered.  The Bill of Rights was intended to protect citizens from an unfair form of government, not to protect them from themselves."
Kristen Gruntorad, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

  "The founders of the United States of America entered a free world fresh from a country where they had very few personal rights.  That is why the left in the first place--to make their own free establishment.  Therefore, they may have overdone their job of giving people rights to compensate for years of limitation.  This nation's main living document written by the founding fathers is fairly vague concerning some situations, which leaves a lot to be decided by the justice system.  This is where rights may be gained or lost within context."
Melissa Melohn, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"A student in my class once said that the fathers were so oppressed by monarchy that they went to the extremes to be free, and that if they could see what it's done today they would change it.  That is a very good theory, but it's wrong.  The founding fathers of this country wanted the United States of America to be the freeest and the best country in the world.  And look at it today; not only is it a leader of the world, but everyone in the world wants to come to America.  The founding fathers knew what they were doing.  Of course, it is impossible to predict the future.  They knew that then, and people today know it.  The founding fathers knew that without individuals there is no community."
Jeremy Erie, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Our founding fathers put a greater emphasis on the protection of the community over individual liberty.  They were looking out for the good of the future, not just the good of themselves.  They built our nation solidly, and it is time to go back to that.  We have become too money hungry and do things to benefit our social status more so than just the overall status of the country.  It is time to get back to thinking of the other guy."
Jason Sarchet, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Could it be that our forefathers were overwhelmed with the idea of creating a New World where all individuals had rights that it backfired and has now created a society of irresponsibility and freedom taken advantage of?  The role of personal responsibility has died while a monster with too much individual freedom has emerged in society.  Had our forefathers been able to foresee the future, the rights of the American citizen might be fewer.  Some rights are taken for granted by people and therefore those who abuse them do not deserve them."
Abby Hildreth, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"There must be restrictions on people's actions because people are not responsible enough to think about what is appropriate or not.  There needs to be a balance between the individual and the community.  That is why the police and courts are there to be the judge of who is right and who is wrong."
Brad Wells, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"If everyone looked out for others, the rights of all would be accomplished, but when humans become self-centered, liberty collapses."
Joel Tuttle, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Universal gun regulations in schools would allow for easier enforcement of the gun policy through possible federal spending.  Another bonus would be guaranteed safety of children in schools everywhere.  But, the government shouldn't have to step in to protect children from children.  If parents were responsible enough to bring a child into this world, they need to take further responsibility by educating their children about and keeping them away from guns.  If people were made to be more personally responsible, there wouldn't be a need for government regulations concerning a multitude of social issues."
Rob Arends, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"The bad thing about the Supreme Court's ruling is that now, since they voted against a Gun-Free School Zone Act, it will be up to the schools to make those rules and that might not seem as powerful to students.  The Supreme Court's ruling is another reason for people to argue about the gun laws in schools because it is indirectly saying that it is not wrong to have guns around school.  It might be all right for the school to make laws, but if they are going to do it, they may as well get gun detectors in the school."
Amy J. Nieland, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"State and local governments and school districts have to put their efforts into creating separate mandates.  Each area of the nation has a different rate of gun-related school crime, and this law may not have been tough enough, or in some cases too tough, to use as a national code.  There does need to be an anti-gun law for all schools, but it should be an individual privilege of each school to decide what fits their current situation."
Melissa Melohn, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Congress should not have made the Act.  The Act should have been left up to each individual state.  Owing to that the states have the power to educate.  So in that case, the Supreme Court was following the Constitution."
Jeremy Erie, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"As in other cases, the founding fathers expected morality and responsibility to be present when guns were available.  This is why the right to bear arms is listed so specifically in the Bill of Rights.  The Supreme Court case regarding the Gun-Free School Zones Act was an instance in which the Constitution was protected, and rightly so.  The majority of the justices stated that commerce is insufficiently related to the regulation of guns on school grounds in order to claim constitutionality.  If the Constitution is to be a national standard and a supporter of personal liberty and the common good, the nation must abide by it in all aspects.  The act could have set a precedent for a number of similar, unconstitutional regulations if it had been upheld.   The problem with nullifying the Gun-Free School Zones Act is that it would prevent some violence in schools.  Furthermore, it would provide a foundation to give heavy disciplinary measures to violators of the law.  If the ideal of looking out for the good of others before self was applied in this case, however, there would not even be the question of guns in school.  The danger of such weapons to others would be appropriately realized, and guns would not be present."
Erica Bartsch, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Guns are one of the biggest problems in our schools, and the government should do everything they can to try and solve this major problem.  In today's world there are so many people that would harm children."
Franny Miller, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Would this legislation really stop the violence that seems to be plaguing the nation's schools?  If a kid wanted to get a gun into a school, they could do so very easily.  All in all, the law would hinder the kids very little."
Evan Johnson, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"By allowing the state to decipher whether schools should be gun free or not, allows people to dictate what is right for their community.  It also gives more responsibility to the community."
Abby Hildreth, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Students will become scared and won't be able to focus on the education that was being taught.  The students will constantly be worried whether or not today is the day they will be killed."
Jill Tauber, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Many people whether they are mob bosses or even the everyday student have a tendency to feel they are above the law.  In the small town of Newell we are dealing with the same problem.  A local police officer was arrested for selling alcohol to a minor and giving out drug bust information.  Now this person's career as a police officer is probably over.  What is right:  a person such as the president to get off because he is the head of our country or a police officer to lose his job:  To make all laws pertain to all people will let society know that these actions are intolerable and the common good of all people does apply."
Katie Doonan, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"It's time for parents to start parenting and leading by example.  If a parent isn't responsible enough to handle a child, nurture the child and teach the child, parenting needs to wait until the person is mature enough to do so for the good of the community and the welfare of the child."
Justin Lyman, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Many people were brought up to not really care about anyone or anything.  The people who do actually care and respect people are few and far between.  Parents should start teaching their children the right way."
Tammy Morwittur, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Webster's New World Dictionary defines Liberty as 'the limits within which a certain amount of freedom may be exercised', and 'the sum of rights possessed in common by the people of a community, state, etc.'.  Liberty is a word which has always given and continues to give inspiration.  But it is not always clearly understood that liberty is a discipline as well as a privilege.  This discipline requires taking personal responsibility for one's actions so that those actions are not harmful or detrimental to others.

   The citizens of this country do not know what liberty is really about, and how much it has cost this country.  When the pilgrims first came to America, many died before reaching land.  When they fought for their liberty in the Revolution, many people died.  America has been in many other wars since this.  When considering limiting personal freedoms, it is important to remember that liberty has a high price tag and must be protected.

   Liberty is defined by the expectations of the citizens of this country.  How personal freedoms are perceived has changed and continues to change.  As nations grow in size and social complexity, governments claim greater powers to restrain individuals and groups.  Those who criticize this development, believe that it has gone so far as to threaten the existence of individual liberty.  Others believe that only if government is granted such powers, can complex problems be solved.

   Simply making and enforcing laws cannot solve all of society's problems.  Everyone will fall victim to illness, accident and misfortune at some point in their lives.  At times, these incidents may be their own fault, and at other times another is to blame.  However, government cannot be expected to be there to save them when something goes wrong.  Everyone must accept responsibility for their own lives and learn to solve their own problems instead of expecting the government to solve problems for them.  People find ways around laws.

   Our country currently has a 'victim mentality'.  Any given person is discriminated against because they are male or female, fat or thin, old or young, gay or lesbian, and on and on.  They are all a so-called 'victim' of something or other.  However, many would say that the government should make laws which offer protection for them.  Others are of the opinion that each person should take responsibility for situations that they can control and not expect the government to make everything right for them.  Criminals also claim to be victims of 'the system', of poor upbringing, etc.  This is a perfect example of a lack of personal responsibility.  When people place the blame for their actions on someone else, or on society in general, this allows them to escape their responsibilities.  The government assists in this by enacting too many laws that protect the criminals.  Convicts are allows to bring frivolous lawsuits which tie up our legal system.  Attorneys are provided free of charge.  Those who receive the death penalty are entitled to file appeal after appeal and pile up expenses sometimes into the millions of dollars which must be paid by taxpayers.  The only person without benefit of the law in these cases is the victim of the crime.

   Our legal system has also contributed to the loss of personal responsibility.  People now believe there should be a legal remedy when anything bad happens in their lives, whether an accident or injury, or a dispute with a neighbor.  In the past, when a person tripped and fell down on the sidewalk, they would have felt embarrassed and would have taken responsibility for their own misfortune.  Today, this person is likely to hire an attorney who will recover their medical expenses and give them something for pain and suffering at the expense of the property owner.

   The welfare system has totally failed.  Giving more money to people is not going to help.  Getting them jobs, and helping them stay on them will help them.  The welfare system has caused generations of people to become dependent on the government for the necessities of life.  This, in turn, creates a burden for the rest of society to bear.  When our country was young, families took care of each other.  When a neighbor was in need, the other neighbors helped them get back on their feet.  When the government stepped in, they eliminated this example of personal responsibility and created a dependency in its place.

   These examples prove the point that liberty is a discipline as well as a privilege.  Unless we take personal responsibility for our actions, we diminish the liberties and freedoms of everyone."
Jessie Veit, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"I was arguing with a friend who supports abortion. I argued the only cause for an abortion was if both mother and child would die, but if the child could be saved at the mother's expense, it should be.  Of course, she argued that if the child would cause the mother's death, it should be aborted.  She also said that maybe the child should be aborted if it was retarded or the mother was a rape victim.  We came to the conclusion that there are not only two sides to this issue.  It involves total individuality.  Every person is unique and has at least a slightly different view on every aspect of an argument.  How can the government legislate that?  The only way is to create laws that only bother a minimal amount of people to give them optimum freedom, but how can that be done?  Each person must decide whether they want to give over responsibility to the government or take responsibility for their actions.

   If personal liberties end as soon as they infringe on any other person's rights, there will be an immense problem monitoring everyone.  People want to be free to do anything, and in this country they can.  Freedom to chose also means responsibility.  Unfortunately, few people can handle the freedoms that they want.  Congress attempts to legislate to protect the people, but many people see penalties for their failures as the government trying to run their lives."
Gary Hammen, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"People today must come to grips with the shortcomings of the past generations and work to create a better society for the future.  Even though the founding fathers didn't get everything, right when they wrote the constitution, they did create a good basis for the overall structure of the United States.  The government has created regulations concerning many things in an attempt to create personal responsibility.  Seatbelt laws work to protect the individual, but especially children.  If everyone had a strong sense of personal responsibility they would know to buckle themselves up, as well as their children or other occupants riding in their car."
Rob Arends, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

  "Every person has the responsibility to stand up for what is right.  If the system allows, people should demonstrate wrongs peacefully.  In our system it is easy to demonstrate against wrongs.  If people take it too far and use violence, then the police protect people by stopping it.  Some people think that is oppression.  True oppression would not allow people to demonstrate in the first place.  Individuals cannot allow others to determine what is right or wrong.  The police and courts cannot be allowed to have free reign in determining right or wrong.  They do not always have a grasp of the individual aspects of every case, and sometimes they may be racist or prejudiced.  In the end it is the people who must speak up and voice their desires in government.  Because our government is founded on democracy, the individual has the ability to make her desires known.  That is the best way to effect change and voice opinions about what is right or wrong."
Danielle Solie, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"As a person can already tell, the world is changing, and changing for the worst.  The world will be saved by the people who take the time to realize that they are not the only ones who are living in it.  These people will set the standards for the others.  They will become leaders of this country not by their powers, but by their willingness to change."
Chris Carlton, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"People have to have the role of personal responsibility in balancing individual liberty and the common good.  The ability to be fair and hones has to come from within.  They can't really make laws about making people more responsible and honest.  If there gets to be too many regulations that are supposed to be for the common good, then it might infringe on the individuals' liberties."
Tammy Morwitur, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"A Korean man was down on the track of a subway.  The man could not make it to a restroom, so he thought he could just urinate right there on the track.  Unfortunately, the man urinated on the electric rail, and he was electrocuted.  A freak accident, right?  Wrong.  The man's wife sued the subway company because there were no signs in the subway discouraging urinating on the electric rail in Korean.  Should cities post signs all around discouraging every harmful behavior?  The government should be able to assume that everyone knows that is not safe to urinate on an electric rail.  The government can't sacrifice individual liberties by telling everybody what to do in everyday life.  Society loses more and more rights when others don't take personal responsibility."
Jeremy Wells, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

  "When people can't be personally responsible, it affects everyone."
Joel Tuttle, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Rights become meaningless when they are not tempered with a high regard for others.  Indifference to the needs and rights of others simply leads to selfishness and a lack of respect for the common good.  Is the concept of looking out for the common good by using morals too idealistic?  Perhaps it is.  But unless high goals are aimed for, high goals will never be achieved."
Erica Bartsch, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"This country is stronger in believing that individuals have liberty and justice before the community's rights."
Brad Wells, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"If people are content to allow the police officers and courts to protect them and decide what is right and wrong, they have that choice.  This is detrimental to the health of the community because people become unhappy when they are forced to act in accordance to another's will.  The alternative is that our system also allows people to play a part in how the government affects their lives.  People have the ability to make their desires known.  The current system works by allowing those who take the time to voice their opinions loudly to affect change.  If all decisions are left to the courts and police, we will lose the power of individual opinion.  When the individual ceases to matter, then democracy has failed."
Gary Hammen, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Society today is based on the belief that if someone wrongs another person, the conflict will end in a lawsuit.  People believe that arguing their point in a courtroom is going to make everything all better.  What they don't realize is that by doing so they are enabling the courts to decide how things should be run."
Mardie Jo Kragel, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"The government is there to guide the public and set standards for the people to follow to protect the common good as well as individuals.  The nation should not feel burdened by the government, but rather protected by it.  The fact is that we need a government so that there is a balance; they provide more for the total welfare of the country, whereas the public makes sure they keep their unalienable rights.  There could be some changes to the system, but for the most part, it works.  The government is the people--individuals that the population chooses to represent them and work for both sides of the rights spectrum."
Melissa Melohn, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"No matter what the government does, it is a losing situation."
Franny Miller, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Today the government is connected to everything and that's why people's liberties are suffering for the common good."
Evan Johnson, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Each person should be personally responsible for his or her own actions.  They should make sure that their actions don't encroach on the next person's rights.  Unfortunately, this idealistic view on life isn't possible.  Humans will be humans and that includes all the negative qualities that come along with that.  People are more concerned about making sure that they are taken care of, and don't give a lot of thought to the other people of this country.  This is becoming increasingly evident throughout the United States as morals decline and confusion of what is right and what is wrong prevails.  The government has to step in and make laws to avoid confusion and stop anarchy."
Joel Tuttle, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Some of the problems that people are experiencing with governmental control could be avoided if everyone relearned the Golden Rule."
Mardie Jo Kragel, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"Grownups have to set good examples for children in order to teach personal responsibility.  Not many parents want their child to do drugs, but if they don't set a good example themselves and have discipline in the home, the child is more than likely to do drugs.  The country needs to have good leaders and role models.  The way kids learn is from leaders with good morals and beliefs.  If one good solid leader set good examples and morals and followed the laws, it would rub off onto the younger generations.  This country is a nice place to live in now, but if everyone takes personal responsibility for their actions, things can be much better."
Amy J. Nieland, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa

"An Iowa law that was just struck down allowed Iowa law enforcement officers to search a car without probable cause.  A person's car could be searched even for a minor traffic violation.  Some people don't think that a person should mind getting their car searched because they shouldn't have anything to hide.  On the other hand, most people don't want a stranger poking through their belongings either.  It is a personal right, and it should not be taken away by a police officer.  A cop's job is to protect individual liberties, not take them away."
Jeremy Wells, Newell-Fonda High School, Newell, Iowa                         back