Big
Spring High School
Newville,
Pennsylvania
Teacher: Mrs. D. Whitmoyer
Reaching Perfection
By Julie Fulton
Reaching
perfection, while being virtually impossible, is by far a worthy goal to strive for. Perfection as an individual is a difficult task,
and when others are added into the equation, the complication level is raised yet another
notch. Unfortunately, a perfect society has
not recently been located. One such community
is most likely non-existent, and as violence and drug abuse continue growth, the perfect
community drifts farther away from those hands desperately grasping for a solution to the
problems facing society. However, there is a
solution to the disintegration of societies. Personal
responsibility plays a major role in the quality of life in communities today.
Taking
responsibility for your actions could be viewed as the first step towards the betterment
of communities. Committing acts of violence,
acting against another human being, or taking part in the use of drugs requires a thought
followed by an action. These actions need to
be controlled. Too often, the actions of one
are overlooked or not recognized. Too often,
the violator gets away with the violation. Taking
responsibility for these actions would mean surrendering to the consequences. Crime does not pay, and therefore, why take the
risk and make the mistake? Taking the
responsibility would undoubtedly make a second thought come to mind before acting upon the
desire. Realistically, who wants to get
caught and be in trouble for something they have done?
Taking
responsibility for your actions would require a better assessment of character. Morals and values have an important role in this
particular assessment. Higher standards are
harder to live up to, but in the end are worth it when feelings of pride and
self-confidence flow freely. Knowing you can
stand up for yourself in times when no one else will, makes you that much stronger. Having and using morals are two different things. Saying you will wait for marriage to have sex is
great. But actually saving yourself for
marriage is better. Sex only after marriage
would prevent many unwanted pregnancies, therefore eliminating the need for abortion
clinics. This reduction would reduce the
conflicts of opinion and cause less arguments resulting in less protesting violence. Living for you (not in the sense of living solely
for one’s pleasure) would perhaps decrease the high levels of drug/alcohol use and
abuse. Living for one’s self is meant in
the sense of standing up for what you believe in and not backing off due to peer pressure. Knowing that your sense of self well-being and
self-worth will still be there because you refused a drink or a joint, and knowing that
you can stand up for yourself creates a new self-confidence. You are able to shake free of the monotonous
rhythm followers have “set”, and create a new beat of your own. He who marches to the sound of a different drummer
hears beautiful music.
One
of the biggest improvements can be made through a life in God. Although causing a lot of controversy, putting
God, prayer, and the Bible back in school would be the largest investment we could make
into a better and brighter future. Through
the Bible we learn right from wrong, how to live a prosperous and decent life, and how to
live by the “Golden Rule”. Learning
and following God’s word would instill morals and values into the lives of students,
and teach all to love their neighbor as their self. Loving
one another would reduce the hurtful ways in which some are treated. Doing everything for the good would be beneficial
to the entire society. With God back in
charge, the desensitization of murders heard so much of, would be fewer. School shootings would not be a “way to be
known”, but instead each person would know that they are known by God, which is
enough. Even better, each person would know
the peace and serenity available when you choose to accept Jesus into your heart; making
the decision to be saved. If the right
teachings find their way into the classrooms, finding God will make you an A+ student. Putting God back into our lives will not only make
us better as individuals, but as a people as well.
A lot of
thought and dedication has to be put into perfecting our societies and communities, and it
is important to remember that dealing with a group of people is much more difficult than
dealing with an individual. The chance of
reaching perfection is probably a very slim one, but it is worth a shot. When people start taking personal responsibility
for themselves as well as the community, you are well on your way to achieving any goals
you have set. And who knows…with the
right ingredients, perhaps our society will some day come close to reaching perfection.
Answers To Questions Re: Required
Reading
Question #1:
Each society invests differently in marriage, some more, others less. The United States does not invest as much in marriage as Manus does. Manus financiers are interested in the economic exchange which centers around marriages. They give material gifts when there is a marriage or betrothal. The U.S. is more resistant in giving money to those who have gone bankrupt or even a store that changes locations.
Question #2:
# Years Married Advice
23 “Be friends. Being best friends really helps.”
23 “Do what the wife tells you to do. Just kidding. Be
respectful of the others’ feelings.”
6 “Be friends, because when the kids are gone, it’s gonna be the two of you. You better like each other.
6 “Learn to communicate-give as well as take. It’s
not 50/50, it’s 100%.
5 “It helps to have common beliefs and base your
decisions on compromise. You don’t have to be
right-it’s not a competition.
5 “For us, we base our relationship on the Bible. We
are both Christians, and that is really important.
10 “Stick with it, even through the tough times.”
6.5 “Communicate and have clear expectations.”
28 “Don’t give 50/50, but give 100/100. Put some
humor in it. When you find fault’s in one
another, discuss it, then say it’s done…it’s
buried. We’ll never bring it up again.”
28 “Be more concerned about your mate; be loving
and understanding.”
Question #3:
According to Richard Eckersley, our collective goal should be to live our lives in order to improve our lives. We need to address the issues facing our Western society effectively, and realize that how we live our lives now will effect our future. We need to live now so we will be happy with the outcome.
Question #4:
A worthy goal for our society would be to get everyone involved. Too often, people are so busy with their own lives that they forget to care about someone else’s. People need to take time to get to know those neighbors who they live around. They need to have and show a sense of pride for their community, and not be afraid to get involved.
Question #5:
I don’t really think that it is necessary to have a doll resembling one’s mother. For many young children, it could be the cause of psychological problems later in life. For example, what if the mother left her children, or they were abused by her. They most likely won’t want a doll looking like her.
The gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots” should not be growing. It doesn’t matter who has more things than others, because it is what is on the inside that counts. Material wealth is not the most important thing in life. Wealth is measured by those things for which you would not take money.
Question #6:
Lawyers are used in disputes among individuals and businesses. We, as U.S. citizens, pride ourselves in our individualism. Lawyers help protect us from the danger of the tyranny of the majority, and help large businesses achieve ‘economies of scale’. The diversity of our culture promotes disagreements and conflicts; the wealth of our country allows us to have our basis needs fulfilled and us to care and work to improve the quality of air and water, which would improve the longevity of life; and the size of the United States blends many different customs and beliefs together, making us the country we are.
Question #7:
Punitive Damages are damages awarded by a court to a plaintiff as additional punishment to a defendant for a serious wrong, whereas Regulations are simply principles, rules or laws designed to control or govern behavior. It is difficult to pick the better of the two, seeing as how each has a time and a place and are equally useful.
Question #8:
There are many ways society would benefit from the retirement of baby-boomers. For example, retiree entrepreneurs could offer services to the large number of Generation Xers; they would care for their own children as well as their aging parents; and since there will be approximately one individual over 65 for every four working-age adults, some companies may offer on-site “elder care”. With the elderly staying at home, it will provide opportunities for teenage entrepreneurs.
Question #9:
It is hard to tell whether or not Clinton’s plan will be successful. I am strongly in favor of the third idea which provides money for Community Development Financial Institutions. The CDFI’s offer cheap loans for those who need them, in order for them to purchase housing or start a business. The other two might be successful because they deal with other people. Other people in the sense that the other people will benefit for helping those who are less fortunate, like getting better financing and being provided public debt guarantees. It is great that they help, but it is even greater if they would help solely from the goodness of their hearts.
Question #10:
Truett Cathy and Tom Lewis, while being very different people, have a lot in common. Both men decided that they wanted to help others. Their persistence toward their goals made them attainable. Cathy and Lewis were forced to overcome obstacles in order to prevail, like the death of Cathy’s brothers, and the location of Lewis’s soon-to-be school. The most important similarity was the goal they had in common-the desire to help children.