1997-1998 Harry Singer Foundation National Essay Contest

Responsibility: Who Has It, Who Doesn't, And What That Means To The Nation 

Salem High School, Salem Missouri
1st Anna Swanson      2nd Jon Stogsdill     3rd Natalie Johnson
3rd Benjamin Norris    3rd Christina King

Crime
"A sixteen-year-old boy named Jerry says that his father would rather give him five dollars than five minutes. This irresponsibility of the father has caused Jerry to have feelings of abandonment and might cause him to turn to a life of crime later in life...In the early 1900's, a black physician Louis Sullivan began organizing his department's research resources. He called it Violence Initiative, where he took responsibility for the violence he saw by studying it and trying to find ways to stop it.

After evaluating a growing body of research on violence, a special panel gathered by the National Research Council in Washington published a lengthy report noting that "even if two individuals could be exposed to identical sequences of experiences as they developed, their potentials for adult violent behavior would differ because their nervous systems process information, recall experiences, and react to events differently." This council was taking responsibility for the actions of the nation because they were studying it and trying to find a way to prevent violence.

One of the biggest problems in this country is crime. Crime is not just in the large cities, but it is also prevalent in rural areas. Many believe that the only way to be responsible for crime is by punishment, such as jail and fines. I believe more can be done...Many may scoff at new research which points to a biological role in criminality. If we, the human race as a whole, can get to the root of the problem of crime, it can be stopped altogether. Many may see the cessation of crime as an unrealistic goal, but it is a possible reality. At the least, the nation's crime rate could be greatly reduced.

The most obvious clue that biology plays a role in criminal behavior is the simple fact that throughout history crime has occurred in all cultures, no matter how different their social and economic structures. One element in the universality of crime is the human capacity for aggression. Most criminals are angry people...in all societies, about 90% of violent criminals are young men. This fact invites the speculation that certain hormones may help tip the balance from heeding to breaking the law.

While no single determinant leads a person to break the law, each child is born with a particular temperament, or characteristic pattern of psychological and physiological response. Linking an individual's temperament to criminality and violent behavior is a complex matter. Research strongly suggests that violence arises from interactions among individuals' psycho-social development, their neurological and hormonal differences, and social processes. There is no basis for giving one of these elements more weight than another.

Research on this topic is based mainly in three areas: biochemical imbalances, genetic factors, and physical damage such as head injury before or around the time of birth. If these factors are recognized before or soon after birth, steps could be taken to prevent one from becoming a criminal.

Some studies suggest a link between criminal behavior and birth related trauma. Researchers theorize that complications during pregnancy or delivery might result in subtle damage to the brain or nervous system that can create learning or attention span problems that are known risk factors for antisocial behaviors. Similarly, a woman's use of alcohol, cocaine, tobacco, or other drugs during pregnancy also appears to damage fetal development in a way that is related to later violence.

Convincing evidence from the field of behavioral genetics implies that certain biological predispositions to criminal behavior are inherited. Like test pilots, criminals tend to be born with relatively unflappable nervous systems that allow them to face risky situations with minimal stress.

Both adult criminals and children who later commit crimes score high on tests measuring impulsiveness.

Testing should be done in these areas before and after birth of all children. Granted, this would cost money, but in the long run it would be nothing compared to the cost of lives that would be saved. By finding who is predisposed to have criminal tendencies, one could take steps to prevent later criminal behavior. If one has a biological deficiency, medicine or therapy could be administered. Better steps could be taken to prevent low birth weight and drug babies. With more research and the necessary steps taken, our nation's crime rate could be greatly reduced."
Natalie Johnson, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Alcohol
"Is there such a thing as responsible drinking? My answer is yes. I think that one solution is if people decide that they have to go out drinking with their buddies they should have someone take them wherever they are going and stay with them to make sure that they don't go for a ride with someone. Another solution is when someone asks their parents if they are okay with having a party at their house. If they say yes, then invite everone over and have your parents take everyone's keys at the door. This way, no one can leave and cause an accident...Drinking is not a bad thing like everyone makes it out to be, it is just that some people abuse the right to drink and get so drunk that they cannot stand up or tell left from right. Drinking is a very relaxing thing that people do at dinner or just when talking to a friend. If you have to drink, do not drink and drive."
Rob Woods, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"Many projects today are unsuccessful in turning around alcoholic teens because they don't encourage the teen to want to quit. These projects are strictly punishment or psychological analysis. These teens will not get better until they want to and decide to get better. The obvious solution to the problem of teen alcoholism is to set up programs that get the teens to change their desire. Such programs would be subsidized by taxes to take the place of unsuccessful programs that now exist."
Nathan Hogan, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"A few times, drunk driving has hit close to me. One night I went to a party. There were some guys there with beer, liquor and some marijuana. They seemed fine, and could walk straight, so they decided that they needed to get home. About an hour later they were knocking on the door asking us if we could get them out of the ditch up the road. They were embedded in the mud about four miles up the road from the house. The front end was demolished, and nothing was left of the car. They were really lucky that the sheriff was not called out to the site. The guys would have all gotten DWI's, and they should have received them. Another irresponsible act by one of my friends did not happen too long ago. We were going to a concert; one of my friends was already there. He had been at a frat house before we got there for about an hour and a half. During the time he was there, he drank a fifth of vodka and a twelve-pack of beer. He was extremely drunk. He tried to dance at the concert, but he could not stand up. I tried to help him up, but everyone was pushing us. Eventually, my friends and I got him up out of the crowd. We put him over in the bleachers and took him outside occasionally so he could get rid of some of his liquor...it got to the point where he would not move very much. Someone said we should take him to the hospital, so we did. His parents got called, and he got his stomach pumped. He was close to getting alcohol poisoning."
J. R. Steelman, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Honesty
"A student realizes that she didn't finish her homework from the night before. Instead of taking the grade which she deserved, she found a friend who had done the work. The friend gave her his work and she proceeded to copy it."
Jon Stogsdill, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"Probably the most used examples of irresponsibility are the common little lies that are told every day that serve no purpose. If a person accidentally breaks another person's coffee mug, or causes a piece of clothing to get dirty, and then they claim, 'It was like that when I got here', or, 'It must have happened earlier and you didn't notice,' when they know they were the person who caused the destruction, that person is acting irresponsibly."
Eric Wemhoener, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"In a world where some would say one has to lie, cheat and steal to be a success, honesty is the best policy."
Adam Lough, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"There was a survey conducted by a periodical (Readers Digest, 1966) that ranked a few cities of America in an 'honesty test.' They did this by scattering several wallets, each stuffed with about one hundred dollars in cash, throughout each city which they tested. In each city, they dispersed ten wallets. In a few cities, half and sometimes even more were turned over to the police station. The people of Salt Lake City, Utah returned the most, with a mind blowing seven out of ten wallets returned. Other large cities such as St. Louis, Missouri, San Francisco, California and Atlanta, Georgia also fared quite well in this test. One woman who returned one of these lost wallets in Seattle, Washington said, 'I had my wallet stolen right from my hand once, so I know how much of a hassle it can be to cancel all of your credit cards, and notifying the police is no help at all." Many other responses were the same.'"
David Chenault, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Media
"When we see all the negative aspects of life, it is hard to see the positive aspects. People seem to take for granted all the joys of life today, because we pay too much attention to all of the bad things. People today don't 'see' nearly as much of others or themselves taking responsibility in their everyday lives. It is not because there is more irresponsibility, it is because we make a bigger deal out of it. For instance: For every responsible act shown on television, there are ten irresponsible acts shown."
Benjamin Norris, Salem High School, Salem , Missouri

Marriage
"I believe that once two people are married, it should be forever, and the thought of divorce should never enter the mind. I believe that divorce is morally wrong. A responsible marriage leads to a good life."
Melissa Halbrook, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"Society believes that marriage is based upon love. Love does not imply the monogamy of marriage, its permanence, nor the difficulty and pain involved in a divorce. Marriage is the only way sexual relationships are accepted by society and, until recently, has been limited to adult heterosexuals. Love has no limits. It has, in the past, been illegal for two people of different races to be married. Love has never complied with this boundary either. Therefore, love is only one small aspect of a healthy marriage. Trust, dedication, loyalty and friendship combine with love to make a strong marriage. Families require a sense of responsibility that many people today no longer possess. Our society has become a permissive one that allows infidelity and divorce. Due to this non-caring attitude projected by society, it is not as difficult for people to stop caring and forget about their families, resulting in divorce. Years ago, such problems did not exist. Change is inevitable, but not irreversible."
Andrew Deering, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"One needs to stay true to their spouse, and this is the most difficult task it seems...I know from personal experience, coming from two broken homes, because my father and stepfather could not stay faithful to my mother. As a result, I have had somewhat of a traumatic life; growing up primarily without my biological father, and then having my stepfather do the exact same thing, only worse. In many cases, some people don't grow up as stable as I have...In fact, younger children think that they are the reason for mommy and daddy getting a divorce. However, they are just too young to realize that their parents weren't very responsible regarding marriage...To anyone who does get married, be responsible...and, once married, be honest with one another, let each one in on everything, because deviation and deception can corrupt anything. But one doesn't need to take my word for it, just ask someone from a broken home how they like growing up without one parent or with their parents always fighting because one wasn't responsible with his or her own actions. At that point, it might hit a little closer to home than one would like, and one might see just how important responsibility in a marriage is."
Adam Lough, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Irresponsible acts
"Two young teenagers at Philadelphia's Norris Barratt Middle School committed a very serious crime. The [students] of this certain classroom were having a free day; many were talking and playing loudly. Two teenagers from this class took a fellow female classmate behind a portable chalkboard and raped her!...I shouldn't even have to explain the harm of this crime. The feelings of the victim must be overwhelming. How did she build the courage to go home with these emotions and tell her parents. Especially if these two teenagers were her friends. That is a terrible thought."
Benjamin Norris, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"A firefighter named Ceradus Saint is about 60 pounds overweight. This is very irresponsible because his job is to save people from fires and he cannot do this to his highest ability while he is so obese. He stated that he would feel better about his job if he were lighter. He should take responsibility and try to lose weight."
Scott Jenkins, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"The examples of irresponsibility range from minor incidents, such as lying about who took a person's pencil to major acts of senseless conduct, such as killing someone and then blaming it on conditions that have nothing to do with the crime. An example of such behavior occurred in Chicago, Illinois. A man who had planted a bomb in a subway car, planning to cause a total shutdown of the subway, was caught and arrested. He was then tried for attempted sabotage and the endangerment of civilians. During his trial, he maintained a plea of not guilty, and stated that his actions had been caused by a childhood fascination with burning his model toy trains. After a psychiatric evaluation, he was found guilty of his crime, but sentenced to only three years of incarceration at the federal penitentiary. Although this crime didn't inflict casualties, it did cause many people to question the dependability of the judicial system of Chicago."
Eric Wemhoener, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"It is believed that when one gets married, divorce is always a way out. That is an irresponsible behavior by itself."
Heather Schaller, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"One person's irresponsible actions caused three people to lose their lives. On April 17, 1996, Narkey Terry let out his angry aggression on the road, and caused a severe accident, all because he got behind someone that was a slower driver than he was. Because he allowed himself to get outraged at something so small, he killed three innocent people. Narkey Terry was convicted of two counts of involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, and possession of a concealed weapon (which was in his car at the time of the accident)."
Kristina Steiner, Salem Senior High School, Salem, Missouri

"An example of irresponsible behavior that happens in my own home town is some of the youth community drink, and some even do drugs. But, even more irresponsible are the people that sell that alcohol or drugs to the underage teens."
Daphne Younger, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Media
"When we see all the negative aspects of life, it is hard to see the positive aspects. People seem to take for granted all the joys of life today, because we pay too much attention to all of the bad things. People today don't 'see' nearly as much of others or themselves taking responsibility in their everyday lives. It is not because there is more irresponsibility, it is because we make a bigger deal out of it. For instance: For every responsible act shown on television, there are ten irresponsible acts shown."
Benjamin Norris, Salem High School, Salem , Missouri

Personal commitment
"Living in a small town of under 5,000 people, I, personally, know many people that are irresponsible. I think the biggest contributor to irresponsibility in our town is the community itself. One of the main problems in our community is underage drinking. Kids my age and younger are constantly attending parties that serve alcohol to minors. Kids usually throw parties themselves and have older people purchase the alcohol for them. Our community, parents and elders, recognize this growing problem but place the blame on the children and their parents. The children must learn to take responsibility for their own actions, however, the community must also see themselves as part of the problem. Our community has very little to offer teenagers for recreation. There are no movie theaters, shopping areas, skating rinks, or decent bowling alleys. The community refuses to recognize their responsibilities to the teens. Recently, they even voted down the proposition of building a community civic center that would provide sporting activities and swimming for teens and parents. With nothing else to occupy their time, they turn to parties and alcohol. Before the community places all of the blame on the teens themselves, they need to provide alternate recreation for the teenagers to take part in instead.

We have many community members who would willingly donate their time and money to help erect various recreation sites such as bowling alleys, skating rinks, or even dance clubs. But we have many more who would rather complain about taxes and place the blame of teenage drinking on others. I would like to organize an awareness group that would educate teens more about the dangers of drinking, and would actively seek out community involvement for the proposition of new teenage attractions. The group could make an effort to communicate with high school kids at least once a month. By showing movies with the effects of drinking and presenting them with alternate activities to do instead, I think the town of Salem could decrease its underage drinking statistics."
Anna Swanson, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"I have decided that I would take responsibility for a problem in my school system. Every day there is a large amount of paperwork that is done at my school. After it is done, the paper is just thrown away. The paper is either moved to a landfill or burned. Recycling this paper would be much more environmentally sound. There is no local recycling center that recycles paper products in my community. The closest facility is 150 miles away. I have developed a way to get our wasted paper there. All the excess paper could be placed in marked boxes instead of being thrown in the trash. At the end of each week the paper could be gathered up and placed into spare cardboard boxes. A local company makes deliveries in the area of the recycling center every week. The trucks could pick up the boxes of paper and deliver them to the recycling center. This project would only require a few workers and minimal time. Taking this responsibility would help solve a growing problem in our school."
Matt Wofford, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Parenting
"Deadbeat dads all across the nation refuse to accept responsibility for their children. These fathers don't pay their child support. They don't take the time to see the children they created. This can cause severe emotional damage to the child that is much worse than the monetary damage."
Justin Wylam, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"A parent gives a child chores to help them become better people. When a child is able to do their chores without their parents having to tell them, the parent feels good. They know they have done some good for the world, and their kid will be successful when it becomes older."
Emily Parrett, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"Brian was disrupting his kindergarten class, and his teacher told his mother about it. Then, Brian's mother asked him how he could stop the disruptions. He came up with two solutions. One was to ask the kids not to talk to him right then, and the other was to ask to be moved. This was an act of responsibility on both parts. It was responsible on the mother's part for asking Brian what he thought. This taught him to start thinking responsibly on his own. It was responsible on Brian's part for coming up with solutions and wanting to resolve the situation."
Nathan Hogan, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Role Models
"Our president should be a positive role model for others that look up to him. He is sending the message to young people that it is ok to have sex with anyone, whether married to them or not."
Christina King, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"Tiger Woods is a 21-year-old African and Asian-American Masters Champ. In an age of the commercially hyped, trash-talking, in-your-face sports star, Tiger is an exception who combines great athleticism with decency, politeness and respectfulness."
Melissa Curley, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Responsible acts
"A man driving on the interstate realized that a truck driver had lost his brakes and was out of control while going down a hill. The man pulled his truck in front and allowed the out of control driver to bump against him to stop his truck. By sacrificing minimal damage to his vehicle he possibly saved many lives."
Matt Wofford, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"People stand out when they take responsibility for themselves or others. One example occurred on Mother's Day 1955 in Sugar Hill, Georgia. Rob and Margaret Glass had let their kids go outside and play on a drizzly day. They heard lightning and ran outside to see their son, Stephen, running from the woods. Rob ran into the woods and found his son Kyle face down, struck by lightning. Remembering his Boy Scout training, he performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until the paramedics arrived, and Kyle survived. Rob took the initiative and the responsibility for his son's life, which he saved by taking control of the situation and doing something."
Cassy Felkerson, Salem R-80 High School, Salem, Missouri

"There are so many responsible examples that it is hard to write about just a couple."
Leslie Jones, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Responsibility
"A person who finds an expensive coat lying in a locker room and turns it in to the lost and found instead of keeping it as their own, is taking responsibility over someone else's unfortunate mistake. A woman who is asked to give blood to help another person live and accepts is also acting responsibly. Likewise, if the woman doesn't accept, but finds someone to give blood for her, she is still acting responsibly. Students who complete their assignments on time and use their class time wisely are good examples of people who are responsible.

"The best way to pass this responsibility on to others is to teach it to our children and siblings at an early age. No one can be responsible all the time. There will always be an exception, even with some of the most responsible people in the world. But, if everyone sets a good example on a daily basis, we can help to keep the responsibilities and morals of future generations strong."
Eric Wemhoener, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"Responsibility is the moral, legal, or mental accountability of a person. Being responsible is not something you receive, it is something you have to work at."
Joni Partin, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"Christians are responsible for staying out of questionable situations, standing up for their beliefs, taking the opportunities to tell others about Christ, and not doing things that hurt their witness or make them seem like hypocrites...Jack reads his Bible every day because he wants to know more about what God wants him to do in his life. He takes his Bible to school, and is not afraid to take it out in class and read it. He just wants to get closer to God, and he doesn't care what other people think."
Julie Anderson, Salem Senior High School, Salem, Missouri

"Finally, the responsibility that we all have as Americans is the responsibility to vote. Many people do not take advantage of this right and responsibility, and then they complain because they do not like the choices that were made in the government. If they had used their responsibility and voted, then maybe their vote would have made a difference in the outcome of the election. Then, they wouldn't have to complain about government. This also shows irresponsibility because they don't use the choices that they have, and then they complain about the choice that was made."
Shandy Flett, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Sex
"America is being more open about sex. Anywhere from teaching about it thoroughly to passing out condoms to students in gym class. Many people are skeptical...Those who spread rumors that openness will increase the rate of sexual harassment have been ill-informed. Another rumor is that spreading condoms around is like telling kids sex is all right. I figure they are going to do it anyway, so they might as well be protected, and understand that they are not invincible against sexually transmitted diseases."
Benjamin Norris, Salem High School, Salem , Missouri

Student Opinions
"The schools can have students find and explore the various ways and places responsibility can be found in today's society. They can have open class discussions on responsibility and explore where the problems surrounding responsibility can be found. Responsibility is an important subject. Being able to say I was wrong is a lot harder than blaming something or someone else."
John Stogsdill, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"In my community, we have a high rate of people dropping out of school and not graduating. This is because of pregnancy, family problems, the lack of liking school, or personal reasons. Whatever the reason is, people are not taking the options that my school gives. My school currently has programs like optional school, chances to take the GED exam, at risk program, pregnancy counseling, and home schooling opportunities for people to use so they can graduate. Many people on the other hand are not taking these options. If people would take the programs, then we would have fewer people living on welfare, and not getting good jobs, which makes people feel insecure about themselves.

"Therefore, my proposal to this problem would be to get volunteers to counsel students that have dropped out or are contemplating dropping out. Each volunteer would meet with at least one individual a couple of days a week to discuss what is going on in their life, coming back to school, or about taking home schooling. The volunteers could help the students prepare to take the GED exam or offer tutoring to students that are either home schooling or that are going back to school. The only cost would be for the telephone bill."
Christina King, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"You ask me, 'What is responsible behavior?' and I am supposed to tell you exactly what it is, and give examples of it. The truth is, I don't really have a clue...For instance, I am failing English class with a fifty percent, and if I actually put some real effort into it, I could probably ace the class. I am irresponsible, I admit that. Today someone told me that admitting it is the first step toward recovery, I guess they are right, because I am doing this paper now.

"From past television interviews and magazine articles I have heard of irresponsible actions, far worse than my laziness in school. O.J. Simpson was accused of killing his wife, and his wife's friend. It was never actually proven that Simpson did it. In my mind, I think he did, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt. The harm caused by this crime is easily seen. The grief felt by the victim's family and friends is obviously felt by everyone. Imagine your family member being beaten, mutilated and murdered!

"Sexual harassment accusations have been 'popular' for many years. What I mean by 'popular' is that they are so commonly used, sometimes when they shouldn't be. These accusations are made mainly by women, towards men. Clarence Thomas (one of the Chief Justices) sexually harassed Anita Hill. The media loved this, tabloiods, newspapers, bad jokes...very popular news, indeed. The bad part of this ordeal was the loss of trust of courts and government in general. This is not good, for the fact is that America is known for it's freedom of rights, so what happens when the 'free' people don't trust their government and/or society. Riots, fights, theft, and mainly induced fear break out.…Police officers beat Rodney King (an African American) to the ground with police issued defense weapons (sticks). The harm caused by this act is evident. Although he is scarred by this irresponsible act, in the long run, the police will have a far worse record. When people don't trust the police, bad things happen...So in this essay, let's take some notice of responsibility for a change... We are only human, and irresponsibilities surround us. We can only try our best to act responsibly."
Benjamin Norris, Salem High School, Salem , Missouri

"I believe hotlines should be set up to help couples work out their problems. I also believe free marriage counseling by trained professionals should be established. Many people who have marital problems cannot afford to pay a counselor. If these programs were established, I believe the divorce rate would decline."
Ross Hawkins, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"Today most baby boomer families are not saving for the future...We buy new cars and houses before we worry about our distant retirement...In many large cities such as Chicago, small groups of people set up investment clubs. As members of these clubs, even small investors can take advantage of the booming stock market. While this isn't a practical solution to save for retirement, it does serve as an introduction to investing...The real problem with retirement planning isn't lack of money, it is failure to realize what steps must be taken for the retirement you want. A solution to the lack of investment planning in Salem could be solved by monthly meetings. Business representatives from local insurance agencies could provide information about mutual funds, and stock brokers could come and explain which stocks were likely to perform well over an extended amount of time. This would benefit everyone involved. The businessmen would get increased sales, and the public would get information. Armed with this information, most people will begin investment planning. Then they will be self sufficient at retirement and be able to provide for themselves without living off the government or family members. All of this requires that people take responsibility for their future. If they don't plan for the future and expect others to take care of them, they will be rudely awakened. It is unfair to the general public that they have to take care of these people."
Justin Wylam, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"Where I live there isn't much for kids to do so a lot of kids go out every weekend to drink and drive and to do drugs. Therefore, there is usually a lot of trouble that could be reduced greatly if we would have things to occupy the kids in this town. Salem has a lot of empty land in it that could be used to put in recreational activities for people to do. I feel that if they would do this then they would find the amount of young kids in trouble would be reduced greatly and the amount of under age drinking would also be reduced. There are many people in this town that have quite a bit of money that could help pay to build recreational things for us to do. They could also have fund raisers to get the whole community into helping raise money to do this. The community doing fund raisers would help with getting everyone involved, no matter what their backgrounds are. The community needs to join together to build a stronger community here in Salem. If the kids that are committing these crimes would see that the community is joined together then they would realize that they are not going to be able to get away with doing the crimes they are doing. If everyone would work together and get to know everyone around then maybe the young kids would not be able to find someone to buy them alcohol."
Crystal McGuirt, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"I have thought abut the problem of having no recreational activities in a community. Once, we were supposed to get a civic center that would have recreational activities for young, old, and all ages in between. Even though it was a great idea it was voted down by the taxpayers. In the summer, people can go to the pool and the rivers for fun, but in the winter, there is nothing to do. We have a bowling alley in Salem, but it's nasty and dirty, so people don't go there often. Once, years ago, we had a movie theater in our town, but it didn't get enough business, so it had to shut down. Since then, people don't have faith in opening a business that provides fun in Salem.

"In my town, Salem, we have empty buildings that could be transferred into a building that has recreational activities. Since we have a group called 'Community Betterment,' I think they could get a special committee to get a place where people, teens and all, could go hang out for fun. The building could have a pool hall, a dance floor, an arcade, and a concession area. The committee can raise the money that will be needed by doing a variety of fund raisers, such as road blocks, bake sales, charity auctions, etc. The group will have to get one of the buildings either donated or rented to them. The group can also help when the remodeling process comes about. Since our town is small, contractors would either volunteer their time or give it for a lower price. When the new building is finished, there could be a small fee for getting in. If all this would happen, I believe the number of people partying and having premarital sex would decrease."
Brie Boyer, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"I think that the most responsible thing a man can do for his family is get a good job and work hard to get them what they need and want. He also has a social responsibility. He can't be out all the time doing things that might hurt his reputation. The last responsible behavior someone can do for themselves and others is to control their anger. I've been in situations where my boyfriend didn't control his anger, and I've come out of it with cuts and bruises. It is so important that a person be able to cope with his or her anger. One should be able to just sit down and calmly talk about the situation.

"Anger is a big problem in the world today. I know that everyone gets a little mad, but it is not necessary to blow up and start punching and kicking things. Everyone should be able to calmly talk things out. Not everyone has this problem, but the ones who do usually won't admit to it and won't get help...The problem is how to get them to counseling. Maybe they have a hard time admitting to people that they have a problem and need help. I think that if people could get through the first time, it would be a lot easier for them. I just wish that no one had to get hurt by another person's inability to control anger."
Leslie Jones, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"Our entire country has lost its focus. The Americas were originally settled due to religious freedom, and almost 300 years later, a new country was founded upon a strong faith in God. I believe this is the mind set that we need to get back to. In today's America, the government restricts what we can and cannot say about religion. By law, teachers cannot talk about religion or pray in school. Religious discussions or prayer in school must be student initiated. Many young Christians do not have the ability to talk to classmates about religion, and the country is in bad shape."
John Westerman, Salem High, Salem, Missouri

"All in all, the society that we are today is a well meaning one. Although we may not have the time or ability to help out our fellow man, a part of us wishes we could, and as long as we never lose that, we will be all right. Even the certain 'Hate-Mongers' have those that they love and respect. Finally, though it is often hard to see, goodwill is in human nature."
David Chenault, Salem, Salem, Missouri

Teens
"Mary Borchers has had to grow up fast. When she was little her father died of cancer. Mary and her mother moved to Salem, and in the few short years they have been here, her mother has also been diagnosed with cancer. Because of this, Mary has had to spend a lot of her time in the hospital with her mother and help her in her, oh so often, ups and downs. Although it has been hard, Mary hasn't given up in school. Mary continues to keep her grade point average up and has recently been accepted to participate in the Occupational Therapy program at Maryville College."
Melissa Curley, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"It may not be a big deal, but going to college takes responsibility. For most people, it is the first time without their parents. So, if someone used to rely on their parents to get them up and nag at them until they were ready, they're in trouble. Now, one has to get used to getting up and going on their own. No more home cooked meals. So now this teenager that has always depended on mommy and daddy is on his or her own."
Melissa Doff, Salem High, Salem, Missouri

"Heather Schaller has shown her responsibility through her job. She wanted to go on the school sponsored ski trip in March. She also wanted to be a lifeguard at the pool this summer, which required her to take a life-saving course offered only on the weekend of the ski trip. Heather decided to stay and take the course. Her decision was responsible because she decided a good summer job was more important than the ski trip."
Erin Wohlwab, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"Many of my friends drink and drive. They don't think that there is any harm in this, even after all of the stories they have heard. One day, someone could be in the wrong place at the wrong time and could get really hurt. Another irresponsible behavior is having sex before marriage. I'm afraid that I'm at fault with this one. At any time I could end up pregnant and ruin everything that I have planned, such as going to college to make my life better. The last irresponsible behavior that I'm going to talk about concerns both men and women. Abuse is a big problem in our country. Any man that hits a woman is irresponsible. Even if he thinks that what he is doing is right. I have been hit before by my boyfriend, and he blamed his irresponsible behavior on me, saying that it was all my fault."
Leslie Jones, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"Bob is a popular Christian student. His friends invited him to a party. He knew there would be alcohol, and many of his non-Christian friends would be there. He thought it could be an excellent opportunity to witness to them. He went, thinking he was being responsible by not drinking and telling his friends that it's wrong; however, he lost his influence on his friends. The fact that he was there showed his friends that he condoned drinking, which made him look like a hypocrite. Some were so drunk that they couldn't verify that he wasn't drinking. Although Bob thought he was being responsible, he seems irresponsible to others."
Julie Anderson, Salem Senior High School, Salem, Missouri

"Lori frequently drank throughout her high school years. She knew what could result from this, but wasn't worried about it. She was fortunate, and was never involved in any accidents. Now, she acknowledges that her actions were irresponsible, and that she not only endangered her life, but the lives of her passengers and other drivers."
Carolyn Schweighauser, Salem Senior High School, Salem, Missouri

"A teen-aged couple decide to engage in sexual activity, but do not consider the dangers. The couple disregards the importance of birth control, and end up having an unwanted and unexpected baby. In 1997, a college student attends a fraternity party, where he is killed by the selfless act of binge drinking, the new and irresponsible fad of attaining a fast buzz that has become popular. Christian Davila, 14, and Maryling Flores, 13, were sweethearts who were forbidden by Flores' mother to see each other. In November, 1995, the couple met one last time standing at the edge of a Florida canal, where they joined hands and plummeted to their deaths 15 feet into the cold, murky water...Teenage suicide is the second leading cause of death among teenagers. Every one hour and forty-five minutes, a teen commits suicide...There are many 24-hour hotlines that those who are confused and contemplating suicide can call. Many times, talking to someone who knows how he/she is feeling can make the person feel that he/she is not alone in the world. They can be informed that whatever the problems they are facing, they can be worked out, and there are always people out there who are willing to help one in need.

"A probable solution to the problem of suicide can begin with government funded classroom instruction about the dangers of suicide. This class could be alternated daily with a health class, and inform students about signs of suicide, ways of prevention, and the effects suicide has on loved ones left behind. The class should be offered not only in every public school around the country, but also to private schools...the rising rate of suicides may begin to decrease."
Shannon Jones, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

White Hats
"Albert Lexie shines shoes at the hospital and gives his tips to the hospital's Free Care Fund. To date, he has donated over thirty-eight thousand dollars to the fund that provides free care to children who live in the area. He began his quest to help in 1981. He has gone to the hospital every Tuesday and Thursday since."
Justin Wylam, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"The responsibility that a family takes for one another is amazing. In Mesa, Arizona, John McNeil was in great danger. He had climbed up a power tower and he couldn't get down. His brother, James, went to his rescue. James climbed the tower, despite his fear of heights, to help his autistic brother. More than two hours later, help arrived. James' response was, 'Yes, I've given him a lot...but he's given me more. He gives me unconditional love. Am I my brother's keeper? Absolutely.' If more people had that attitude then the world would be a better place."
Autumn Fleener, Salem Senior High, Salem, Missouri

"Children are also capable of understanding responsibility. One young girl heard that there were children who were sick and others who would not have any Christmas. She told her mother that she wanted to give the forty dollars she had saved. She donated it to Make-A-Wish Foundation, and shortly thereafter, they helped see a three-year-old boy off to Disney World."
Carolyn Schweighauser, Salem Senior High School, Salem, Missouri                                                          [Back]