Harriman High School

Harriman, Tennessee
Teacher: Nancy Newcomb

 

 

 

The Role of Personal Responsibility

By Tessa Tate

Grade 10

 

 

The role of personal responsibility in improving the quality of life in our communities today is a broad subject.  A personal responsibility can vary from keeping your room clean to starting a homeless shelter.  I have chosen a few personal responsibilities that are important to me.  I feel that reducing the rate of divorce, parents parenting their children, reducing the rate of teen pregnancy, and reducing the rate abortion are big factors in improving communities today. People working together can make a difference in our communities.

           

Why do people get married if they are going to get divorced?  Although things may have not worked out the way they were planned, people should think about all the possibilities before they get married.  Marriage is a big decision and it should be thought through.  I assume that the rate of divorce in the United States has sky rocketed over the past few years. Divorce affects more that just the couple getting the divorce. It affects the entire family. Before people get a divorce, they should consider all the people that are going to be hurt. My main focus is on the children. Children are the ones most affected by parents getting a divorce.  Most children think it is their fault when their parents get a divorce.  It is never their fault, but that is the way the adolescent brain works.  Children are also forced to choose between parents.  This is never an easy decision; I feel that divorce is wrong.  Divorce can lead to many hurtful and harmful things.

           

If the rate of divorce is lowered, then parents are more likely to parent their children.  This means one parent can be home to take care of the children while the other is at work.  This gives the child an adult figure to set rules and follow through with punishment if the rules are broken. I feel that all children need parents to love them unconditionally and care for them at all times. From my point of view, a child is less likely to find himself in trouble if he has grown up in an environment with parenting parents. All parents are not parents. Some people just use the title "parent." Children who are disciplined grow up to be the type of people you enjoy being around, unlike children who have grown up doing what they want.

           

Teenage girls who have grown up in a parenting environment are less likely to become pregnant. Teen pregnancy is a big issue in my county. Statistics show that the rate of teen pregnancy has increased from 14.4 in 1997 to 18.5 in 1998 in Roane County alone. That is approximately four more teenage girls in one year. Teenage girls are not chemically, physically, or emotionally balanced to deal with this responsibility at such a young age.  I feel that a person should wait until at least their early twenties to become a parent.  Parenting is a big responsibility for a person at the age of forty, let alone a sixteen-year-old. I feel that if the rate of teen pregnancy is reduced then our communities will be affected drastically, in a good way.

           

If the rate of teen pregnancy is reduced then the rate of abortion will also be reduced.  Teenage girls are the age group most likely to have an abortion. It is an easy and fast way for them to get rid of their troubles and fears. I feel that abortion in is wrong in almost all situations. Abortion is just like taking the life of any other human being. It is murder.  Abortion will just add to the rest of your problems. You will have to live with being a murderer and having that on your conscience for the rest of your life. I feel that one exception for abortion is if you have been raped and do not want to go through with the pregnancy. Another exception is if a child of yours is raped and her body is not developed enough to have a baby. In most occasions abortion is wrong. I feel that if abortion is reduced, then our communities today will be a lot better off.

           

In conclusion, the role of personal responsibility in improving the quality of life in our communities today is very important. The smallest steps can improve a community.  Communities today can reduce the rate of divorce by encouraging couples to go to counseling before getting a divorce. Parents actually becoming "parents" can be improved by family counseling. Teen pregnancy and abortion can be reduced by giving people more information on the subjects.  It can even be reduced by women entering a support group.  I really believe that if the rate of divorce, teen pregnancy, and abortion is reduced our communities will be largely improved.  If parents parent their children then these three points will be reduced in large numbers.  If people in the community work together then a big difference will be made in communities all over the world.  

 

 

                                                Reference Page

Teen pregnancy statistics: Knoxville News Sentinel November 29, 1999

 

 

                                           Questions To Answer

 

Q1-  How does society invest in marriage in the USA and in Manus?

(a)  Love God first and love each other second; have commitment and moral values.

(b)  Marry for money

(c)  Communication plays a major role in marriage.

(d)  Kids play an important role in marriage.  I think husbands and wives are more bonded when kids are involved.

 

Q2-  Interview 10 married people.  (No names.)  State the length and number of each one's marriages and a line or two of advice from how to maintain a long, happy relationship.

 (1)  16 years

"Without communication, relationships could not survive."

 (2)  7 years

"Put God first and the rest will fall in place."

 (3)  11 years

"Communication is the key to any relationship."

 (4)  9 years

"Don't give your spouse any reason to cheat on you."

 (5)  5 years

"Put God first and communicate."

 (6)  8 years

"Don't let anything get in the way of communication."

  (7)  44 years

"Communicate and trust God to o the rest."

 (8)  25 years

"Keep your spouse happy."

 (9)  21 years

"Appreciate each other and compromise."

(10)  18 years

"Be honest with each other, communicate, and compromise."

 

Q3-  According to Richard Eckersley, what would our collective goals be?

"Dematerialize society without reducing quality of life."

 

Q4-  Write a worthy goal for your local community.

           

I feel that the rate of teen pregnancy in my community is extremely high and needs to be reduced.  Teen pregnancy is a important subject to deal with.  Too  many teenage girls become pregnant in our society today.  Statistics show that the rate of teen pregnancy has increased from 14.4 in 1997 to 18.5 in 1998 in Roane County alone.  That is ridiculous and needs to have something done about it.

Q5-  Comment on the excerpts from "Tomorrow's Child."

           

I think that children today are away from their parents too much.  I don't think a doll will solve the problem.  In my opinion I think a doll would make matters worse.  Children need their flesh an blood parents to take care of them and give them a sense of security.

 

Q6-  How does the fact that the USA in a democracy make lawyers particularly helpful, according the Kathleen Sullivan?  How does our diversity, wealth and size make lawyers particularly helpful?       

(1)  "Social nobility; none of us are born into a tribe, caste, or social status or into a guide or faction which we can't escape." 

(2)  "The notion of democracy, going with individualism, and social fluidity is deeply ingrained into our culture (lawyers) help, like other intermediaries between individuals an the state protects us from the danger of tyranny of the majority." 

 

Q7-  Ms. Sullivan claims bad practices are changed either by regulations or punitive damages.  Which do you prefer and why?  Can you think of an alternative?

           

I think that there should just be punitive damages, because it is ridiculous to put a regulation on how hot coffee has to be. It just really depends certain situations determining if there should be punitive damages or regulations. 

 

Q8- Briefly describe three ways society would benefit from the coming retirement of baby boomers, according to the required reading.

           

During the first decades of the twenty-first century, the baby boomers will retire just as the Generation Xers settle own and create a new baby boom.  Many of  the baby boomers will start their own businesses after they retire. As they retire, they will provide jobs for teenage entrepreneurs. Another positive thing is that their years of experience and extensive business contacts will make older workers highly competitive. As Generation Xers settle down and create a new baby boom, the first decades of the twenty-first century baby boomers will retire.

 

Q9- Evaluate the likelihood of President Clinton's anti-poverty program making a real impact.  Give at least three reasons to back up your conclusions.

           

It would lower taxes for companies.  It would lower encourage equity instead of commercial loans.  It will also give more money to provide housing for the less fortunate.

 

Q10- Name three things Truett Cathy and Tom Lewis have in common.

           

Both Truett Cathy and Tom Lewis attend church to worship God.  Both men also love being around children an helping them out in their time of need.  Lastly, they both men are honest an try to contribute to society.