Joliet Central High School

Joliet, Illinois

Teacher: Michael Reilly

 

 

How To Fulfill Your Responsibilities In Your Community

by David Newman
Grade 11

 

In order to discuss the role of personal responsibility in improving the quality of life in our community today, I feel it is necessary to first discuss what I feel constitutes an improvement of the quality of life. An ideal improvement of the quality of life would be something that almost everyone in the community benefits from. Also, many things must be considered in improving our communities. An improvement should be ‘well-rounded’.  I feel that everyone should play a role in the community. Whether the goal is to improve the quality of life, or to just help out on general, we all owe it to our community to do whatever we can to help reach this goal. 

           

I don't mean to sound like Henry David Thoreau here, but let's face it, there are far too few people who practice social activism for this day in time, even on the lowest levels. The sad thing is that these people who complain the most about how ‘things aren't the way they should be.’ And instead of trying to do something about it, and trying to change the situation for the better, they simply sit back and accept things. Even though they might talk about how things SHOULD be, and how they could change things, they never take action. Once you get down to this level in your community, and you are not fulfilling your responsibilities to your local community, you are no longer a citizen, merely a resident. In my eyes, residents should not receive the same privileges as citizens do. Yes, I do view being a citizen of your local community as a privilege. You benefit from all the involvement that everyone else has volunteered for.  If you are not willing to get involved yourself, you do not deserve to benefit from the positive changes brought about by others.

 

There are many things that a person can do to fulfill their responsibilities to their community. Although some are more obvious then others, mostly all of them can be done with minimal difficulty. 

 

Helping keep your community clean is one of the more obvious ones. If everyone dedicates just a small amount of their time to keep communities clean, they would be just that. Nothing aggravates me more than someone that complains about filthy conditions, yet would never be willing to lift a finger to change it. Personally, I can say that if it is a nice day, and I find myself being bored, I grab a garbage bag and go for a walk, cleaning as I go. You could also do this on a larger level as well.  You could try coordinating a "Community Clean-Up Day", or something to that respect with a local community leader.

 

There is another way that is not so obvious, and specifically applies to parents. I feel that one major role of parents in the community is to encourage their children to get involved themselves. Encourage them to go to local special events, do community service (especially because most high schools today require a certain amount to graduate), and to establish a good relationship with at least one community leader. It may be very helpful for your son/daughter to have a local community leader on a reference on a job application. This may also expose children to many opportunities that hey otherwise would not have known about.

 

In addition, I think that it is also important for parents to get involved themselves, so as to set the example for their children. Nothing really extravagant is necessary to accomplish this. Maybe just going to local events, going to school events, getting involved in your children's school, or simply doing something small and beneficial to the community on at least a monthly basis.

 

In getting involved in your local community, you will also be more aware of upcoming events and you may even be able to get involved in an event and/or plan it. Not only does doing this give you a certain sense of satisfaction, you can also learn from it. You can gain a better understanding on how to successfully plan and carry out special events. It also teaches responsibility. 

 

There are so many things for people to get involved in when it comes to their local community. For instance, there are park districts (which sponsor many different activities), possibly local theater , health care centers, youth centers, nursing homes, and special events (parades, certain holiday events, marches, ceremonies, etc.).

 

           

I, myself, have helped the local police department make a series of videos called ‘Armed With Skills’ for teenagers that airs on our local community television station. I have also taken part in many community service projects throng the JROTC program at my school.  Things I've done include: visiting nursing homes, canned food drives or the needy, marching in parades, and Christmas caroling.  The projects that I have been involved with have been educational and satisfying. Also, being as involved as I am in school and community service, I am a well known member of my community.

           

In conclusion, I think it is very important to get involved in your community.  Communities are taken for granted by too many people. And if there is something you don't like or agree with, it makes no difference if all you do is complain and talk about it.  Get involved! Try to change the things you feel are unjust and unfair. You should never just accept bad situations, whether it be in your life, your community, your state, or the world!  Remember- you are defined by your actions in life, talk is cheap.’

 

Answers To Questions

 

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

 

Society today in the USA and Manus invest in marriage differently. In the USA, most of society sees marriage as an investment into their own happiness and well being.  The married couple invests their heart and soul into the relationship. Their goal is to become spiritually healthy and happy as they share their lives (ideally).  In Manus, on the other hand, people marry each other and the basis of how economically wealthy they are.  There is an economic exchange for every betrothal or marriage.  The groom gives certain beneficial items to the bride’s family and vice-versa.  Consequently, people in Manus look to marry someone who they think they will benefit from the most.  In the USA, marriage is viewed with a sense of happiness and spirituality, while in Manus, Marriage is purely material.

 

Q2-Interview 10 married people. State the length of each one’s marriages and a line or two of advice from each on how to maintain a long, happy relationship.

 

For this question, I interviewed my mom, my dad (my parents are divorced and remarried), my two brothers, my grandmother, my great-grandmother, my aunt, my uncle, and two neighbors. The length of each person’s current marriages are as follows: my mother’s-5 years, my father’s-11 years, the older of my brother’s-6 years, the younger of my brother’s-5 years, my grandmother’s-30 years, my great-grandmother’s-51 years, my aunt’s-20 years, my uncle’s-13 years. While I interviewed each of them individually, they each gave me the same advice on how to maintain a long, happy relationship. All of them told me that communication is THE main factor in a healthy relationship. While this might seem like common knowledge, it is on a much deeper level for married couples.  They understand each other, no each other’s certain traits. They told me that communication also involves knowing when not to push for a conversation so to speak.  Just let your spouse know that you are there for them. You do not always have to have a solution.  One thing my grandmothers told me that I didn’t really hear much from the younger couples is that you have to have patience. Another key factor is trust, they told me.  In the absence of trust, all that is left is discomfort and insecurity.

 

Q3-According to Richard Eckersley, what should our collective goal be?

 

According to Richard Eckersley, our collective goal as a society should be to expand beyond growth.  Also, we need to realize the consequences of every move we make as we are growing.  The population of the world, as one unified society, needs to work together with one common goal of improving the quality of life… for everyone.  So many things need to be considered during the advancement of the human race.  The economy, society as a whole, political issues, and over all human well being must be taken into account.

 

Q4-Write a worthy goal for your community.

 

I feel that my local community needs to clean itself up.  People of my community need to help out and do their part to help keep our town looking nicer. If everyone united and pitched in just a little, it would make all the difference.

 

Q5-Comment on the excerpts from “Tomorrow’s Child.”

 

One excerpt from “Tomorrow’s Child” talks about how society is getting to the point where we rely on things like toys and TV to raise our children when we are to busy to do it ourselves.  We are becoming less and less a part of the lives of our developing children.  The second excerpt talks about the different opportunities available to different people (minorities and non-minorities).  It also briefly talks about how this fact affects a growing child’s life.

 

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

 

According to Kathleen Sullivan, lawyers are particularly helpful in the USA because of the fact that we are all so diverse and that we do have so many conflicts.  By having lawyers in such a diverse (or heterogeneous as Kathleen put it) society, we have a guarantee (for the most part) that everyone gets to voice their opinion, and if they think that something in this society is unjust or unfair, they have the right to try to change it.  In this respect, lawyers are like walking, talking constitutions who create, find, interpret, adapt, apply and enforce rules and principles that structure human relationships.  While we [society] are a heterogeneous group, one person might use a lawyer when they need help personally; their case could help others.

 

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 prefer punitive damages, because, to be realistic, you probably won’t be able to get to a person unless you make them pay out of their own pockets. You can “regulate” all you want, but there always seems to be a way around that.  You have to hit them where it hurts the most: the pocketbook. Of course, there are always more peaceful and ideal alternatives to changing bad practices, but realistically, negotiating and bargaining can always be taken back while a punitive damage is final….and hurts.

 

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

 

Society could benefit in a lot of ways from the coming retirement of baby boomers. One way is that when the baby boomers retire, many of them will probably open up their own companies. Having as much experience as they do and being used to working will probably guarantee a “business boom” for them.  The Generation X’ers will benefit from this because the baby boomers will offer services to the large number of them who will be having families. Obviously, this works the other way around as well. With many people retiring, there are more opportunities for others to be entrepreneurs.  Lastly, some companies are going to offer on site “elder care” for their workers which is like a day care for a relative they might had had to take care of at home, and, consequently, would not have been able to work.

 

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.

           

I think that President Clinton’s anti-poverty program can make a real impact. There are many people that are willing to get involved with this and make it work. This is also something that hasn’t been tried before so it will probably work out. As long as people stay determined in their duties in this program, there is no way it can fail.

 

Q10-Give three ways in which Truett Cathy and Lewis are alike.

 

Cathy and Lewis are similar in that they are both pious people. Another way they are alike is that they are both retired citizens, yet still active in their community. They also provide for needy children.