Carrollton High School
Carrollton, Ohio
Teacher: Carol Wilking

 

The Children First
By Chrissy Ludwig
Grade- 12

                                                                                                                       

Any and all communities should take the personal responsibility in providing a warm and supporting community for the children. Many will say that we need to provide more recreational facilities for our youth, but I do not believe so. Many communities have recreational areas and they are still having problems among their young people. In all small communities, like my hometown, you have an over abundance of two things, fast food joints and churches.You most likely have one public high school and the area bowling alley. We, as a community, need to provide a place where a teen can go to talk. This cannot be the area high school, where everybody knows everything, or the church. Many young people will not go into a church to talk because they are sadly uneducated in religion or expecting either a sermon or for the confidante to immediately call the parents. Centers are needed to provide a place of support for the young people. This center could employ people that have gone through the same trials many young people are going through today. They could also employee the older generation. The senior citizens of the community could be there to support and teach and instill in the teenagers and young adults, many of their own principles. If we were to open a place for teens to turn to when they are having small problems, big problems or to just shoot the breeze, I believe it would cut down on premarital sex, substance abuse and the big issue, violent outbreaks.

           

Premarital sex among teenagers has jumped drastically these days. Not only are they having sex, but also the children are having children. In a recent survey of the state of Ohio 5,144 girls between the age of fifteen and seventeen were pregnant. Among an area high school (freshman through seniors) forty-eight percent of high school boys participated in sexual intercourse and thirty-three percent of the girls had participated. At that same high school there were four girls pregnant and three who had children at home. Premarital sex does not always lead to pregnancy, but can also cause the spread of sexually transmitted disease. For those that have already chosen to have sex and have worries about a STD or that they may be pregnant could go and speak with someone. The center could have tests run and if absolutely necessary, they could contact the parents and they could also see that if the girl is pregnant she gets the prenatal care she and the baby need. I think that if they know there is someone else that can relate they will feel more relaxed with receiving help.

           

Another fact that is hitting society hard is substance abuse among teenagers. Students that are on the honor role and National Honor Society members are going out on the weekend and getting trashed. They are not only consuming the alcohol, but also experimenting with new drugs and the new craze is huffing. That’s right the cleaners you have been using are now being used to get high. Some of the areas brightest students are going and getting drunk and high for something to do. Drunk driving is a large cause in teenage traffic accidents. When a teenager is under the influence of either drugs or alcohol, he tends to commit actions that they later regret. A facility with an understanding environment can lead them in the right direction, and provide alcohol and substance abuse help. The teen can enroll in the step down program before their problem gets out of hand. The counseling and guidance that a teenager needs is vital in making him or her into a productive responsible adult.

           

A big problem that has surfaced the last couple of years is violent outbreaks among our youth. School shootings and violent acts targeted on different races and gay students have become a big concern among society. A student shooting at a prayer meeting, a student opening fire in the cafeteria and the most publicized is the shooting at Columbine High School. Students shooting each other because of their hair or eye color or their belief in God or the simple fact that they were more popular. Other than the shootings, students are getting beat and beaten to death for their beliefs and sexual preferences. If they do not have a strong home life, they need to find support and a way to express their feelings other than violence. To have someone there to speak with or to ensure that they are being supported produces a healthy (mentally and physically) young adult. On the other hand if these people have a strong home life and are supported, it may be that they are uneducated. People need to understand all people including their religion, race or sexual preference. My imaginary center would have classes on different cultures. They would learn the backgrounds of their peers. They would be taught about different religions and most importantly be taught respect. 

           

The personal responsibility of a community is to ensure a safe community for the children. The children, after all, are the future. Facilities and centers are needed in communities so that the youth have a place to turn that is not a school or church. The community needs to help the children make good decisions and instead of putting shame into the child after a bad decision is made they will help them resolve their wrong doings. The formation of these facilities may cut down on premarital sex among teens, substance abuse and violent outbreaks.

 

Answers To Questions Regarding Required Reading

 

Q1: In the USA investing is not actually taking place. People are getting married, as it seems, because it is the prerequisite to other “activities”. In Manus the people invest in marriages as an economic exchange, which centers about marriage.

 

Q2:  *all based on people who have not been divorced

1. 11 years- “…to give yourself in front of God is a commitment that arises from all other commitments in my life and we both take that very seriously.”

2. 17 years- “…we have been able to laugh at each other throughout this experience and keeping the laughter keeps the marriage alive.”

3. 25 years- “…our children have shown us an ever-changing world and kept us light at heart.”

4. 18 years- “…trust and honesty is a huge key in a happy marriage.”

5. 5 months-“…keeping your ears open to those around you that have had a successful marriage is what we are trying to do.”

6. 30 years-“…keeping your faith in each other is very important.”

7. 22 years-“…never jumping to conclusions is a good piece of advice I wish someone would have told me.”

8.14 years-“…a diamond is not forever, love is.”

9. 18 years-“… if you have something to say, say it.”

10. 56 years-“…cherish anytime you have together.”

 

Q3: Dematerializing society without reducing the quality of life is viewed by Erickson as being our common goal. We should worry about what is important other than the name brand clothes and sport cars.

 

Q4:Our community should worry about building the community around the children, making them the focal point of society.

 

Q5: I do not think a doll should be made to look like the mother. A child needs to make it through this world, even if the first step means entering the Kindergarten classroom without a mother…life size or doll form.

 

Q6: Democracy- lawyers work as intermediaries between the state and an individual.

Diversity- United States is a melting pot with respect to religion, race, national origin, and female status and the lawyers mediate across diversity or faction

Wealth-we worry about collective luxuries where the law can do some solving of these problems

Size- due to our size and the formation of uncustomary businesses, law has to step in to achieve economies of scale

 

Q7: Regulation in many cases. If you regulate McDonald’s coffee you will have to in turn regulate the temp. Of coffee other places, then we wont hear of Burger King drive thru burns

 

Q8: benefits of baby boomers:

They are the most educated and the healthiest generation in history.

They may hire other experienced retirees.

They will offer highly competitive businesses and services.

 

Q9: Facts that may support the conclusion that President Clintons Anti Poverty program worked are:

A gradual fall of those on the poverty line

A fall of those that are on welfare

Trickle down theory has hit rock bottom

 

Q10: Mr. Cathy and Mr. Lewis were both hard workers, they both started a business or organized center from scratch, and finally, they both gave back their community.