Harriman High School
Harriman, Tennessee
Teacher: Nancy Newcomb

  

Personal Responsibility
By Philip Rosenbaum
Grade 10

 

Personal responsibility is often overlooked by many people in today's society, both young and old. It is also one of the more important factors in determining the quality of life within communities. Responsibility is not a subject to be taken lightly. If people do not keep up with their responsibilities, the world turns to chaos, and nobody gets anything out of that. Everybody has to do his or her part to keep the world working. This country also has problems with working together to build the future, but it is not too late to save it.  Everybody just has to do his or her part and share the responsibility.

           

Parents most definitely have a responsibility to look out for the younger generation.  These people are role models, and they have to train the younger people to take responsibility for their actions. Otherwise, they will not feel that they will be responsible when they are the older generation. Many children who grow up without role models become people that you would never want to become role models for your children.  They can become drug users, dealers, rapists, murderers, or any other sort of criminal. Of course, not all children have to turn out that way. Parents can easily get their children enrolled into programs that teach them to take responsibility and control for themselves.  These programs are very good, and their leaders are good role models themselves, who have most likely been taught by the same type of people, or even some of the same programs.  If parents don't want their children to become degenerates, they should be the ones to take responsibility and make the choice for themselves and their children. There has to be a future for the kids to try to run. Also, you must do things that are not strictly for the children.  Parents must keep their sanity, so they will not lash out at their kids.  They need to take some time out for themselves. That will help keep the home environment healthy, which will in turn keep other people healthy and happy. Parents should also discipline their children from an early age, to help them deal with the harsh realities that they will face later on in life. Also, the parents should help their kids learn how to work through their problems. That would help them keep a future marriage together.

           

Children also have to play a role in their own education. If their parents are willing to teach, the children had better listen to them. The children's responsibility is, to some degree, more important to the future than their parents' responsibility is. They are the role models of the coming generations, the future leaders of the world. This is a scary thought, but if the children, especially the teenagers, can hold themselves together and keep control, the future may be all right. Still, cooperation by the youth is an absolute necessity. It is your job, kids, to get yourselves into these programs. Get involved in as many activities as you can. That should be your goal, to help your elders run this country.  Inner city youths, who are considered to be some of the more disadvantaged children, can also become very good leaders. Because of the "disadvantaged" stereotype, metropolitan areas have come together to put together some of the best programs for children. The thing about these people is that they really care about the present and the future. Those are the kinds of people who know that they have a responsibility to help build a better tomorrow and take care of this responsibility as they should. 

           

Parents and children are not the only two groups in the world. There are the people in their twenties and even their early thirties who are not parents yet, but still have responsibilities that need attention. These people are the capable of being the best role models, as they have just finished their childhood and can identify with the kids. They can just talk to them about what is going on in their lives, or just hang out with them.  That is why many young adults are directors and helpers in programs such as "Big Brothers and Big Sisters." That proves that college age people are not useless. Many of these adults were raised in some of the same programs that they are helping in now.

           

Everybody has a personal responsibility to take care of the people of the world.  It is really the only way that we can ensure a future where the world works, where the world is not always at war.  This world, no matter how bad things can get, can still be saved.  Everybody must simply take care of his or her personal responsibility.    

 

Answers To Questions Regarding Required Reading

 

1. Manus contributed financially in marriage.  Most Americans contribute by time, communication, and commitment.

 

2. married 1 time for 15 years- comprise is the most important thing in marriage.

    married 2 times for 16 years- good communication

    married 3 times for 5 years-trust

    married 1 times for 2 years-communication

    married 1 times for 18 years- have a good sense of humor

    married 1 times for 32 years- respect your spouse

    married 2 times for 10 years- always remember the good times and learn for the bad

    married 1 times for 22 years- divorce is expensive

    married 1 times for 7 years- don't live in the past

    married 1 time for 33 years- compromise

 

3.  "Dematerialize society without reducing the quality of life".

 

4. A worthy goal for our community would be to recycle more.  If you walk down the road you can see cans, paper, plastic bottles, and Styrofoam products.  We have a scrap metal yard. That could take care of the cans, but we still need a place to take the other things. 

 

5. Children that don't have a mother growing up try to replace their mother. It could be by another person or even by a doll.

 

6. 

 

7.  I do not think it should be regulated.  It would hurt more people than it would help.

 

8. Society would greatly benefit from baby boomers retiring. There would be more jobs open for other members of society.

 

9.  President Clinton's anti-poverty act will help millions of people in need.

 

10. Both started out with money. They contributed to society by giving people what they did not have. They cared about educating children.