Valley Springs High School

Valley Springs, Arkansas
Teacher: Lavina Grandon

 

 

Taking Responsibility in Our Communities

By Brittany Bruton

Grade 12, Age 17

905 words

 

Why are communities in our country deteriorating? Why do children shoot other children? Why is there so much hate in communities today? Why are there families living in poverty? What can we as individuals do to improve our communities? Each individual must be a responsible person, a responsible family member, and a responsible member of society. If every person in a community assumed responsibility for themselves, their families, and their fellow man, then their community in time would become an orderly and proper community.

           

First, an individual must be a responsible person to improve the quality of life in his or her community. An individual must have self-respect. If a person cannot respect his body, then he can’t respect other people or anything around them. Tom Lewis a former D.C. police officer says, “No matter what they are seeking, it will only come true if they work hard an respect themselves and those around them”. Self-respect, pride, and integrity in oneself will only make them stronger and more delightful to be around.  Who wants to be around a depressing person that has no self-respect? That can only bring the people around them down also. If young people had more self-respect, then they wouldn’t let people take advantage of them, put them down, or let anything not worthwhile get to them. If a person has a lot of self-respect, then he or she can prevent unwanted pregnancy, getting married way too young, or any thing that can get in the way of a person’s dreams. Having self-confidence goes hand in hand with self-respect. Without self –confidence a person will have a harder time achieving his goals. Self-respect and self-confidence are the two major thing people have to find within themselves to achieve inner happiness. And if every individual in a community worry about himself only and not what other people think or do, then he will help his community thrive.                            

 

An individual must be an honest person. If a person cannot tell his true feelings and express his honest opinions, then he cannot communicate properly with others.  Honesty is a quality that every person wants and every person needs to gain trust and companionship from other people.

           

An individual must have compassion and understanding. An individual must be able to forgive and forget. A person has to have an open mind and an open heart. People today have a tendency to look at the negative aspects of things instead of the positive aspects.  All the negativity in our community results in bad things happening. If people would look at the good things in their neighbors, in their friends, in their jobs, and in life in general, then he could improve his mind and soul and community all at the same time.

           

Next, an individual must be a responsible family member to improve the quality of life in his or her community. Parents should be loving and caring towards their children and each other. They should be married and totally committed to each other.  “Married people are generally happier, healthier, and live longer says researchers Steven Stack and Ross Eshleman,” writes Pat Wingert of Newsweek. They should build a relationship out of love, not just because they are having a child. 

 

If two people are not responsible enough to use protection or birth control, then they should not be married and ruin both their lives. Parents should help support one another.  Parents need to respect the needs and desires of everyone that is in their household.

 

Children also need to be respectful of their parents. They need to obey the rules of the house. They should do what their parents tell them to do. They need to love and respect both parents no matter what should happen between them.

 

Finally, an individual must be a responsible member of society to improve his or her community. Each person in a community needs to get an education no matter what!  Without an education a person will go nowhere. “Truett Cathy tells that he has an abiding faith that education improves people and their horizons,” says John Berry of Philanthropy. Who wants to live off a minimum wage job all his life? No one. Having an education will make a person’s life much smoother. He can work at a good job, which will give him more money, which can give him more self- worth.  An education prepares a person for real life. Not being educated is a sure way for a hard life. An individual must also get involved with in his or her community. A person should help others and try to make a difference. Volunteering will only make a person feel great. No matter what he is doing whether it be working with the elderly, the mentally challenged, or mentoring.  Anything will help make a difference in our communities. “No one succeeds without some kind of mentor--parent, teacher, older friend-- to offer guidance along the way”, as cited by Senior Editor of Newsweek, Jonathan Alter.

 

 

References

Berry. (1998).  Doing good by eating chicken. Philanthropy, 3(96), 5.

 “The Fishing School”.(1998). Philanthropy, 3(96), 25.

Groal (1998). Mentoring makes a difference. Newsweek, 123(19), 20.

Wingert (1998). I do, I do maybe. Newsweek, 123 (19), 58.

 

Answers To Questions To Required Reading

 

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

 

In Manus they invest in marriage like investing in business.  They don’t want to waste anything and want it to be a success.  In the USA we marry too freely.  We a very high divorce rate.

 

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

 

1.      How many marriages- 1, how long- 23 years, Advice: Wait as long as possible and finish your education first.  Don’t rush in to anything.

2.      How many marriages- 1, How long- 4 years, Advice:  Don’t loose your sense of humor.

3.      How many marriages- 1, How long- 15 years, Advice: Be honest.

4.      How many marriages- 4, How long- no longer than 2 years each, Advice: Don’t ever get married! 

5.      How many marriages- 1, How long- 26 years, Advice: Communication is the key.

6.      How many marriages-2, How long- 3 years for the first one and 28 years with the second one, Advice: Make a wise choice in a marriage partner.  Make a commitment to stay together when times are good and bad.

7.      How many marriages-1, How long- 30 years, Advice: Like what Benjamin Franklin said, “Have your eyes wide open going in and half open afterwards.”

8.       How many marriages- 1, How long- 13 years, Advice: Have at least one orgasm a day.

9.      How many marriages- 5, How long- average of 7 years, Advice: Make sure they are your best friends and that you trust them with your life.

10.  How many marriages- 1, How long- 24 years, Advice: Wait for the lightning to strike.

 

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

 

Our collective goal is to demoralize society without reducing our guiltily of life.

 

Q4- Write a worthy goal for your local community.

 

A worthy goal for our community should be to have a more open, realistic group or class that would teach the dangers of drugs, sex, and alcohol in elementary schools.  They need to be taught how it happens and be aware of the dangers before it’s too late.

 

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

 

Raising children today will determine the outcome of the future.  Connecting to a child through doll is not the key.  They need learn how to deal people of other races and backgrounds not just the one they are from.

 

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

 

The fact that the USA is a democracy makes lawyers helpful because they create a form of public responsibility and accountability that would not happen in a place with out a democracy according to Ms. Sullivan.  Our diversity, wealth, and size give us the opportunity to have lawyers and get bills passed and things to change in our country.

 

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

 

I prefer punitive because there are so many laws that need to be passed, but that never will make it.  No. 

 

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

 

One way society would benefit form baby boomers retiring is that they will offer a service to Generation X’s who will be having families. Another way society would benefit is that some companies would offer nonmedical “elder care” facilities to take care of them. The final reason is that the elderly who stay home may provide opportunities for teenage people like nanny service, having teens perform duties for the elderly, run errands, and do chores.

 

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

 

The likelihood that President Clinton’s ant-poverty program will make a real impact is very small.  The money would have to come from somewhere and that somewhere would be from the taxpayers.  That means that taxes would be higher, which would harm people more.  The high taxes would only put people in more debt.  Finally, people would just take advantage of the programs like welfare.  Some people on welfare are capable of working but just choose not too.

 

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

 

They both started a successful business.  They both believe in hard work to achieve goals.  And they both have big hearts for underprivileged children.