Even with the best of intentions, being responsible is not easy.
"It takes a lot of caring and hard work to stay responsible."
Rusty O'Brien, New Providence High School, New Providence, New Jersey
"Responsibility is a hard thing to possess. To have it, one must work hard. And to keep it, one just works harder....If
everyone was responsible for himself, the United States of America would be the greatest country in
the world!"
Dave Svach, New Providence High School, New Providence, New Jersey
But who would have thought the government would act as a road block as in the example taken from Tim Moore's essay:
"A local lady, mother of three and recently divorced, found it impossible to pay rent and provide food for her children when her husband walked out on her. She went to the appropriate
government agencies to request assistance. Six months later when she was beginning to get her life under
control, she went back to the agencies to tell them she no longer needed the assistance. She came away
from the agencies feeling as though she had broken the law. She had been reprimanded for asking them
to take her off their roles. They had complained about the amount of paper work she was causing them
by making such a request."
Tim Moore, Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas
Of course the welfare agency in Arkansas made a mistake; one which the ex-governor and current President of the United States would not condone. On January 21, 1993 the Wall Street Journal opined that if the Clinton administration would "keep the President's notion of personal and public responsibility before them, there is reason to hope that genuine good will result from their work."
Judging from the essays we received, many students are as hopeful as the Wall Street Journal. Some are realistic as well:
"I have decided that responsible behavior usually comes from average people. ...These people get up every day and go to work. They pay the bills and put food on the table for themselves and their families. These people are usually not recognized in the media."
Brian Toon, Lexington High School, Lexington, Illinois
"To run our every day lives by set limits takes a great
deal of responsibility. ...Though these limits seem like they are some sort of punishment, they are not. These limits are set to help...and will even benefit us in the future."
Jay L. Erickson, Hoonah High School, Hoonah, Alaska
"A family just bought a brand new vehicle. They use half of
their welfare check each month to finance it. Is this a wise way to use the check?...The same woman who told me about how irresponsibly some people use their welfare checks, also told me about some people
who are just the opposite. There are many recipients who will pay off all of their important bills promptly. They don't spend large amounts of money needlessly, and they use their food stamps wisely. In other words, they use their aid the way it was meant to be used."
Heather Crocker, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri
"Imagine a world where everyone is responsible...there would be no corruption, no teen pregnancies, no drug addicts, no ugliness. We would never have to worry about our brothers, or neighbors, or employees, because everything would be perfect. Of course, this is an impossibility;
however, what is possible is to become just a few steps closer to that perfection....Most of all, we need to realize that with our personal freedom, the liberties that we fought so hard for, comes responsibility."
Nicole A. Mellado, Carbondale High School, Carbondale, Illinois
Unfortunately many adults are a far cry from Nicole's expressed ideal:
"A bad example of accepting accountability
is that of a FBI agent, again the guy who was supposedly in charge, who embezzled a couple of thousand dollars from the government, then lost all of it gambling in Atlantic City. The man is fired, but wins
reinstatement after a court rules that his affinity for gambling with other people's money is a handicap and therefore is protected by federal law."
Karen Gowin, Colby High School, Colby, Kansas
A woman drove to a city 30 miles from her home after putting her 9 week old infant in a closet. Her husband, who wasn't often around, found the baby and called the police. He claimed he didn't even know the baby existed and assured authorities that the child wasn't his. This irresponsible woman was president of the local school board.
A 25-year-old anti-graffiti mural artist was caught vandalizing
private property with spray paint in the Sunset District of San Francisco on April 6, 1994. He was employed to teach youngsters how to channel their artistic expression. How's that for a role model?
The chief economist at Bears Stearns, Lawrence Kudlow, was forced to resign in March, 1994, after admitting he had drug and alcohol problems. He has frequently been asked to testify before congress concerning economic matters.
In the spring of 1994, Congressman Carroll Hubbard was found guilty of abusing campaign funds.
"If the government took more responsibility for its actions maybe
the people would soon do the same."
Dana Guiffreda, Valhalla High , Valhalla, New York
Two top executives of the Woolworth company were sued for fraudulent activities. According to the Wall Street Journal April 4, 1994, one defendant "acted to conceal adverse material information regarding Woolworth's finances in an effort to increase and maintain an artificially high market price for the common stock of Woolworth."
"Corporate irresponsibility has it's immediate harms: unsafe
or unaffordable products, dangerous or alienated work environments, unemployment and growing inequality, ravaged urban centers, widespread pollution, and crime."
Victoria Jones, New Underwood High School, New Underwood, South Dakota
"Some companies don't take responsibility for dumping their waste
or polluting the air because of the desire to make more money. ...These companies that are wrecking our environment ...should not be able to have an easy way out."
Robert Keith Preheim, Marion High School, Marion, South Dakota
"People don't like to take the time to reuse again. It's easier
to buy another. But now you can do your share of reusing or recycling. All you have to do is separate paper, aluminum, glass, and plastic, and recycle. It saves the US money and energy. 'In 1988 26 million
tons of paper and 28 billion glass bottles and jars were recycled in one year.' Aluminum was always an area of recycling. 'In 1989 sixty one percent of aluminum was recycled.' If everyone does their share
this would be a better country to live in."
Dawn Stein, Rolla High School, Rolla , North Dakota
We don't want Dawn's statement above to mislead readers. What she, and other students say about environmental concerns, specifically recycling, while generally true, does have another side which is seldom heard.
For instance, some recycling processes are energy intensive and produce volumes of wasted water. Landfill space is saved at the cost of water, fuel and other forms of energy with their pollutant by-products. Additionally, local governments rarely charge the consumer anything near what it costs to recycle and many cities never directly charge residents for garbage collection. When the costs are hidden in taxes, the incentive to reduce waste is lessened.
Consumers can only make rational decisions when they are allowed to see the whole picture. While it's true that recycling aluminum cans takes less than ten percent of the energy necessary to change bauxite into aluminum, consider also that in the sixties it took 164 pounds of aluminum to make 1,000 cans; in the nineties it takes only 35 pounds. This is a result of technology and competition between the can manufacturers, not merely mandates from environmentalists.
The issue is multi-faceted. While we do not take sides, the Foundation does encourage balanced discussions.
"Industry also illustrates irresponsibility. For years industry dumped their wastes into streams and lakes, buried radioactive waste underground, and discharged sulfuric acid into the air. Corporations thought that
nature would take care of the waste, but they were wrong. Part of these toxic wastes can end up in the food chain. The environment can handle some, but not all of our waste. Finally, the most overlooked
example of irresponsibility towards the environment comes from citizens all over the country. Improper disposal of household chemicals ranks high as a source of toxic waste. Many household chemicals have not even been tested for their effects on the environment. Although sad, these examples of irresponsibility towards the environment can be reversed, but it will take time and dedication to change the way we treat our world."
Samuel J. Newcome, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas
Perrier yanked its water from the market even though benzene levels did not exceed safety standards. The company understood that consumers are often more motivated by emotional rumors than they are by facts.
Some people fear we are becoming timid, frightened and ill-informed. They fear we may be sacrificing the economy to excessive concern over radon in basements, alar on apples, ozone holes, nuclear energy, greenhouse gases and so forth. Others agree with Brazil's Secretary of the Environment. In an address to the Climate Change Conference in the spring of 1990 he said that "The worst and most dangerous aspect of our modern economic thinking is the dogma of the necessity for continuous economic growth. Even the idea of sustainable growth is a contradiction in terms."
"The greenhouse effect, a thinning ozone layer, deforestation,
endangered species, and pollution of our water and land have all become major headlines. These problems caused Americans to recognize our responsibility to protect those resources not just for ourselves,
but also for our children and grandchildren. People began to feel the need to work together to solve the problems that they created."
Michelle A. Peterson, Concordia High School, Concordia, Kansas
As you will read below, Darrell Stoller faced reality and disillusionment early. He saw the only alternative for an adult bus driver; a man he believed worthy of respect; was to hold his peace or lose his job:
"I do not ride the bus very often anymore, and what I saw and heard shocked me. For the most part, the students maintained a quiet respect for the driver. This was what I was used to. Over the years I did not always agree with my driver, but I always respected him. However, there were about four very rude kids riding that day. They paid no heed to the driver, although he tried his utmost to obtain order. Three of the children were brothers, the other was a neighbor. I learned from my sisters that this was the way they acted every day.
As I left the bus, I asked the driver why he could not discipline the troublemakers. I remembered an incident of my past, where my riding privileges were suspended for a week. I had broken one rule to receive this punishment. I counted seven rules that were posted in the front of the bus that were all broken in fifteen minutes. To me this looked like a case where some severe disciplining was needed.
It seemed that some other people felt the same way as I did. However, they intended to punish the other party. My driver told me that he would have to change routes in a couple of weeks. If he did not do this, he faced a possible dismissal. It seemed that the parents of the culprits had complained to the principal of the school that their sons were not receiving fair treatment on their bus route. They felt the driver was at fault, and they urged that he be fired.
I found this to be absurd. These children had obviously had very little disciplining done by their parents in their upbringing. Now that they were being exposed to what they deserved, their parents viewed it as unjust. The threat of a lawsuit may cost one man his bus route, and...his riders [may lose] a good driver."
Darrell Stoller, Eureka High School, Eureka, Illinois
The following is an insightful essay submitted to the Foundation by Heather Stearns, a student at Carbondale High School, Carbondale, Illinois:
Whose Responsibility Is It?
by Heather Stearns
Carbondale High School, Carbondale, Illinois
Whose responsibility is it, anyway? I was wondering that the other day as I sat listening to a conversation among a group of friends. In that group, there were many different types of people represented when it comes to dealing with responsibility. Although they may not admit it, each person has a certain idea of their own responsibilities and how they deal with them.
The first type of person I noticed was the talker. She spoke loudly and brashly, and she was "always right." Her way of dealing with responsibility is not to deal with it at all. She gets bad grades because "her teachers hate her," not by any fault of her own. She hurts other people's feelings "because they are overly sensitive." She stays out until the wee hours of the morning because "her parents never told her what time to be home." All in all, she scrapes by doing as little as she can, and nothing is her responsibility.
After I noticed the talker, I soon noticed the earnest listener, as well. She glued her eyes to the talker, and with every word that was said she nodded her head in agreement, regardless of her own opinions, if in fact she has any. The eager to please listener accepts the responsibility of everybody and anybody. She constantly apologizes for everything she says and does, and will take the blame for things that are quite obviously not her fault. She has a problem with responsibility in that she can not recognize what is her responsibility and what is not. In being this way, she comes across as very passive and gullible.
In this same group of people, there was the rebel, sarcastically commenting on everything that was mentioned. He rolled his eyes at any mention of responsible behavior, and got a crazed look in his eyes when a dangerous situation was discussed or suggested. The rebel respects nothing. He is the epitome of irresponsible behavior. He drives drunk, he practices unsafe sex, he abuses his body, and he does not take anything seriously. Whether he be at Lacrosse practice or in math class, the rebel does whatever he can to shrug off responsibility. He is not stupid or untalented, though. He has what it takes to excel, he just chooses not to use his gifts. This naive, hurting boy hates nothing more than responsibility, for he might then be held accountable for his actions.
Also participating in this interesting conversation I listened to was the girl who should know better. She is one of the most frustrating types of people to know. This young lady quickly recognizes "wrong" but somehow does not steer clear of it. She feels she can not quite commit herself wholeheartedly to being a fully responsible person, for fear of disappointing herself and others. She takes responsibility seriously, yet sometimes acts impulsively and against her own beliefs. For her, responsibility is a huge commitment looming ominously over her. She practices the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" philosophy of life. One day, she could be an extremely responsible adult, but for now, she chooses to take the easy road and join the talker and the rebel in denying that they have responsibilities.
Although these people are set in their ways, there are things that they can do to make themselves more responsible people. The talker, for instance, can try to be more sensitive to other people's feelings and most of all, think before she speaks. The earnest listener is not exactly irresponsible, but she can improve her self-image. That would be a way that she can be responsible to herself.
I could write an entire book on ways the rebel can be more responsible. For starters, he could respect others, himself, and life in general. He could also try to play by the rules for once and see where it gets him. Although responsibility seems an impossible goal for the rebel, he could adapt his life to be a more responsible person if he tried.
The "girl who should know better" can easily become more responsible. All she needs to do is listen to her heart. For this girl knows what she should do but has trouble carrying it out. Someday she will probably be very responsible, but only when she decides to be.
After taking in all these outlooks on responsibility, I asked myself what the real question is. Whose responsibility is it? Well, I think that it is each individual's responsibility for their own actions. Whether or not one chooses to admit it, we are all responsible for ourselves and ourselves alone. Although at times it is easy to try to be responsible for a friend or loved one, we can really only be responsible for ourselves. In the same way, we can not expect anyone else to be responsible for us. We enter the world alone, and we will leave the world alone, and in between we must be responsible for our own lives. Only in that way can anyone be truly happy or successful.
Are you impressed by Heather's maturity? We were!
There were many excellent essays but space is limited. However we thought you should have a chance to read what Jennifer and Josh had to say:
Responsibility
by Jennifer Woodward
Walters High School, Walters, Oklahoma
Social irresponsibility runs rampant in today's society. People continually look for someone else to blame for their problems. Many times these problems were caused by the person's own actions or by no one at all. Listed below are a few examples of this inexcusable trend.
First, in Titus County Texas, Howard Clymer was driving well over the marked 45 mph speed limit. He, driving while intoxicated, missed a curve and crashed. He then sued the state Department of Highways, the road contractor, a utility company and the engineering firm that designed the highway. Five years later the firms settled with him and others in the car for a total of $175,000 plus $200,000 in attorney fees. The firms nearly went bankrupt because of this settlement.
Second, the 3m Company had to redesign their bowpin devices, which are used for making gift wrapping bows, because a three year-old choked to death. . . while playing with a gift bow. The Company also had to pay large amounts of money to the parents for damages they claimed to have suffered because of this accident.
Finally, a teenage boy decided to drive three drunk young women home from a party so they wouldn't have to drive themselves. On the way, one of the girls in the back seat opened her door to throw up. She accidentally closed the door on her arm and it was cut off. The girl's parents sued the driver for failing to lock the doors.
The previous examples show just how warped and abused our judicial system is today. At time it seems to encourage irresponsibility by (a) "blame it on someone with money" attitude. (Commonly referred to as "deep pockets".) People today are not held accountable for their own actions and stupidity; and the deeper the pockets of the other party, the more likely a lawsuit will arise. Ridiculous lawsuits are clogging up the system; but for all these horrendous examples of injustice and irresponsibility, there are many ordinary people who are not worth millions but are helping others and are contributing to our world in their own unique way.
Recently, in my home town, a family's home burned down in a tragic fire. Within minutes family and friends came bearing food, clothing and supplies. In less than two weeks after the fire, the family had received enough money and gifts from the community for shelter and other basic necessities of life.
Another example of people binding together to help one another occurred several summers ago. A teenage girl was kidnapped at knife point from her home which is several miles from town. Her frantic sister called the police and her parents. The call than went out over the CB radio stating where the kidnapper and the girl were going. A dozen or so farmers raced in their pick-ups to a point ahead of the kidnapper's car. They formed a road block with their vehicles and veered him (kidnapper) off the road. He fled from his car into a field. One of the farmers shot him in the leg. He (the kidnapper) was captured and the girl was rescued.
Also in my community, an overzealous social worker and an incompetent doctor took custody of a critically ill infant. É The infant, suffering from a rare heart defect, was not improving after a year of treatment. The doctor accused the young mother of medical neglect despite months of hospital vigils. The news spread quickly through the small town; and two days later, the courtroom was packed with witnesses willing to testify to the mother's endless dedication to her dying son. The unfounded case was dismissed within fifteen minutes because of a lack of evidence. Soon, it was learned that the physician was accusing the mother in order to mask his own inability to help the baby.
In a town not far from here, elementary school students were doing a greenhouse project. They planted tiny seeds and watched them grow into plants. One evening, vandals broke in and destroyed everything. The plants were ruined. A week after the break-in, two local commercial greenhouses with the help of many parents, replaced several thousands of dollars worth of ruined plants.
Finally, a young accountant was on vacation when he died in a terrible skiing accident. Fellow employees and friends at the firm where he (the victim) worked banded together and raised enough money to set up a trust fund for his baby daughter's college education.
These five examples show that the world still has a few caring individuals. These people are sick and tired of this "I'm a victim, feel sorry for me" attitude. It's time to teach ourselves and our children to be responsible. ÉThink back to the drunk driver, the child who choked on a gift bow and the girl who (lost an arm). They all blamed someone else for what happened. Why was the man drunk driving in the first place? Where were the baby's parents while it was choking to death? Why weren't the parents of the girl thankful that it was just a lost arm and not a lost life? If the boy hadn't driven her, she might have died drunk-driving. These people wanted to blame someone (other than themselves) for what happened. This kind of behavior has to be stopped.
There is a way to stop this behavior, or at least reduce it. Several years ago a law called the Good Samaritan Act was passed. It stated that any off-duty medical professional trying to help someone could not be sued if the person died. This law should be broadened to cover all people. Someone who is trying to save someone should be commended not punished for their actions.(Editor's note: Readers should research the other side of this issue and realize that great harm is sometimes the result of overzealous incompetent aspiring rescuers.)
Furthermore, a law should be passed which would protect people and companies from ridiculous lawsuits such as a parent suing a spray paint company because their child sniffed ("Huffed") the paint in order to get high and died from it instead. If the product is not being used in the manner it was intended for then the company should not be held responsible or liable.
Editor's note: Tort law used to be more in line with Heather's thinking. It has evolved over the past fifty years with the doctrine of strict liability, championed by tort practitioners such as Melvin Belli, now accepted as the norm.
Responsibility
by Josh Talmud
New Providence High School, New Providence, New Jersey
As I've grown up, the small town I live in has changed in millions of ways. Stores have closed, neighbors have moved, my world has changed significantly. One of those many changes was made to the nearby railroad crossing. Once just tracks, with few warning signs, it now has lights, bars and a very interesting sign which says, "Do Not Stop On Tracks." When I first saw that sign, I couldn't stop laughing. Of course you wouldn't stop on the tracks, who would? Did someone decide that the railroad tracks were a good place to change a flat tire? What stupidity warranted such a sign?
What probably caused it (no one really knows for sure) was a lawsuit. Someone stopped on the tracks for some reason, got hurt, or, God forbid, died, and sued the Transit system. His defense? How could he know not to stop on the tracks, there certainly wasn't any sign telling him not to. This may sound a little far fetched until one thinks of all the different lawsuits that have come up recently. There's a quarterback suing because he wasn't the team's starter, a man suing because he was injured while he was driving drunk in California, there's even cases where robbers have sued because they hurt themselves breaking into people's houses! All of this is beyond stupid, but not only are people coming into court with these cases, they're winning!
What has gone wrong with society? The nineties have become the "it's not my fault" decade and it's disgusting. When will we learn to take responsibility for our actions? When will we learn that suing in court does more bad than good? We haven't yet, and people keep on suing, and winning, and signs telling people not to stop on the railroad tracks keep on popping up. We should be ashamed of ourselves. While murderers and rapists and all sorts of criminals get off scot free, New Jersey Transit has to spend millions in court because some idiot never learned to stay off the tracks. It's time Americans grew up and learned to take responsibility for their actions, instead of suing everything that moves and some things that don't.
Another thing that is plaguing the American court system has been stupid defenses. The "temporary insanity" defense has been used time and time again to get guilty people off the hook. Now, in some instances, there is such a thing as temporary insanity. People do get angry sometimes and do completely rash and uncalculated things. Once they've calmed down, they're back to normal. This is most certainly an example of temporary insanity, however, this doesn't make someone innocent. Everyone is responsible for their own actions. If they're not, then they shouldn't be in society. This responsibility covers all areas, and has to be used in all situations. Just because you're mad doesn't mean you can go to the post office and kill your co-workers. You may be in control of yourself now, you may never do anything like that again, but you're still guilty. So, that eliminates the more practical use of the "temporary insanity" defense. There is, however, another usage of this defense. Some lawyers actually claim that their client went stark mad, and is now back to normal. This is beyond silly. No one can go crazy one minute, and be normal the next. And isn't it convenient how they stopped being crazy the minute they were arrested? Again, people are refusing to be responsible for their actions. Instead of blaming it on someone else, these people are blaming things on mysterious ailments. The only ailment is these people's refusal to take responsibility for what hey have done. They have committed a crime, and no psychological mumbo-jumbo can change that.
This is a question of responsibility, a question that should be answered once and for all. Whose responsibility is it? It's not the government's, it's not the court's, and it certainly isn't the Transit authority's. No one said life was perfect; stop suing because it isn't. Maybe when we die we'll all sue God because we expected more. Until then, leave the courts to do their job, and grow up. And, please, don't stop on the tracks.
There was more evidence that this project required more than the usual research for factual information. A great deal of subjective soul-searching took place across the nation:
"People tend to act first and think later. Possible outcomes are
not considered until the act is over. People in modern times do not think rationally, they base their actions on pure feelings and on a moment to moment basis. This lifestyle is extremely dangerous. Many bad situations can come out of living this way."
Jon Greskiewicz, Garnet Valley High School, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania
"There is a story in the Bible about Nehemiah, in the Old Testament. One day, the king granted him permission to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. When he got there, he saw that there was much work to be done. Day by day, little by little, the people began to lay down bricks to build the city walls. One person would start here, and another person would build there. Eventually, each individual wall met to become one huge wall that was to be the city walls of Jerusalem. That is how responsibility works. It lies within the individual. We may say to ourselves, 'How can I make
a difference in this world? I'm only one out of billions!' But, if each and every one of us tries to show responsible actions, they will all build up, like the individual walls that finally produced the one great wall."
Jong-Hyuk Woo, New Providence High New Providence, New Jersey
"We need to stop using ignorance as an excuse for not getting involved. ...If there were more people who devoted a little time towards the problems of today we would be a lot better off. I can only pray that by the time my grandchildren are my age, people will have more respect for other people, and that people [will be] able to look beyond things like color, religion and what state of health they are in and see that
we all need someone to stick behind us."
Tricia Holum, Rolla High School, Rolla, North Dakota
"As a student in a small town high school, I am not exposed to the slums and violence in the larger city. However, I do feel a responsibility to help the country, as should everyone who expects the government
to help them if they ever have the need."
Lisa Wharton, Marion High School, Marion, South Dakota
"I feel responsibility comes from within one's self and it's just a matter of answering to it. I feel everyone knows what they're responsible for, but they just don't accept the responsibility."
Dylan Knowles, Antietam High School, Reading, Pennsylvania
"Responsibility doesn't start at school or with friends. It starts at home, within ourselves. If you want something done right, you have to
make it a goal to do it by yourself and you should keep doing it until you're done."
Florencio Ramos, Jr. , Richmond High School, Richmond, Illinois
"In my opinion responsible behavior is going out
of your way to help someone in need and giving back to your community."
Chad Hart, Meadow Bridge High School, Meadow Bridge, West Virginia
"How can we make people take responsibility? By taking
it ourselves, that's how. Just like enthusiasm, responsibility is contagious."
Tori Merchant, Prairie High School, New Raymer, Colorado
"I think responsibility is the burden one puts on one's self
for the goodness or the negativity of outcomes related to one's behavior. Each person must choose for himself how and if he will accept this responsibility. Taking responsibility stems from one's pride
in one's self. If someone is proud of himself, his work, or his family he will take the responsibility to maintain the things or people he is proud of. Over the years, it seems to me, there has been a deterioration
of self-worth and pride, which inevitably leads to a society taking less responsibility for themselves and for their actions."
Kara Wayman, Garnet Valley High School, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania
"Because citizens created the government, they have obligations to patrol and reform it when needed. A person must do more than vote in general elections if he expects Washington to listen.... Ultimately, the citizen is responsible for problems in society and the solutions needed in combating them. If they come together in recognition of their dutiesÉthen everyone can benefit from a more responsible society, created not
by business or any federal project, but by individuals willing to accept responsibility."
Rebecca White, Broken Arrow High School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
"Responsibility can be defined as the ability to respond."
Valerie Amoss, Garnet Valley High School, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania
"Although no one knows exactly what responsibility constitutes, it does involve good morals."
Amy Gottesman, Valhalla High School, Valhalla, New York
"Being responsible means being held accountable for your own
actions, and facing up to the repercussions caused because of them."
Keilani Williams, New Underwood High School, New Underwood, South Dakota
"Responsible people will work hard at what they do and
take care of their mistakes. Irresponsible people will constantly put the blame on someone else."
Christina Smith, Big Spring High School, Newville, Pennsylvania
"Everyone is responsible for something, whether it be a child responsible to pick up the toys or an adult responsible for the depletion
of the Earth's ozone."
Nicol Hepner, Marion High School, Marion, South Dakota
"Thirty-seven year old Bob Lampshire works in a local Carl's Jr. in Medford, Oregon. Some might wonder how he can do such a job and be blind. His cash register is in Braille and he has a money identifying machine that beeps a different number of times when he runs the money over it, depending on the denomination. I feel that this shows great responsibility to Bob Lampshire and to Carl's Jr."
Travis Bridges, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon
"Responsibility. Webster defines it as (1) a being responsible; obligation and (2) a thing or person for whom one is responsible. That really helps. So, I turn to Webster once again looking for responsible. This definition includes a lot more. It is (1) expected or obliged to account for, (2) involving obligation or duties, (3) accountable as being the cause of something, (4) ability to think and act rationally, accountability for one's actions and, (5) trustworthy and dependable. No wonder people shy away from the word. Some of its implications aren't too scary, though.
Take for instance definition 5. Everyone wants people to think they are dependable and trustworthy. Teenagers, for example, get more freedoms if they can be trusted. The rest of the definitions are a little harder
to deal with. No one wants to do those things."
Heather Stearns, Carbondale High School, Carbondale, Illinois
"In the United States today, the growing trend in legislation, as well as [in] public opinion, is to put more emphasis on removing responsibility from the individual and placing it instead on the government, media, or public school system. This is done by creating some sort of a handicap
for nearly everyone. Society has made it possible for its members to shirk responsibility for their actions by hiding behind the 'victim' label. For example, people who earn little or no money are no
longer referred to as poor, but are called victims of poverty."
Valerie M. Levan, Antietam High School, Reading, Pennsylvania
"People usually look for the easiest way out of a situation instead of
the most responsible."
Michelle R. Gannon, Rock Hill Senior High School, Ironton, Ohio
"A poll was taken (by this student) among people from fifty years of age and up to see if responsibility was important in ones life. They all replied that responsibility is important in ones own life and that without responsibility they could no longer be called an adult. They said that responsibility is one of the many things which turns a young person into an adult.
The very same poll was taken at a middle school in Ironton, Ohio. The very same question was asked. Less than half the class said it was 'sort of important.' The other half either said that they didn't care about responsibility or that they didn't even know what it was.
This poll was taken to show that responsibility is learned as you get older in life and it's not just something a person is born with."
Michael Bevins, Rock Hill Senior High School, Ironton, Ohio
"Frank Crane said, 'Responsibility is the thing people dread most of all. Yet it is the one thing in the world that develops us, gives us manhood or womanhood fiber.'"
Craig B. Milam, Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, Arkansas
"Taking responsibility in a stupid and even irresponsible way causes
as many problems and protests as not taking any at all."
Eduardo Novelli Valente, Harrisburg High School, Harrisburg, Illinois
"The people who do take responsibility for themselves and others
have the right to be proud of their achievements. People can choose how to solve their problems, but whether they solve them in a positive or negative way is up to them."
Heather Parenteau, Froid High School, Froid, Montana
"How about individual responsibility? One example I thought of is Bernard Getz. Because he was mugged once before, he decided that he should carry a gun with him at all times; that he should be responsible for his own safety. His decision came in handy because one day he was jumped by five guys. Using the gun to defend himself, he shot one of his attackers. Because he felt responsible for himself and because he knew he was responsible for his actions, he admitted to having shot one of his attackers. In my opinion, Bernard Getz is a good example of having individual responsibility because he had a very good reason for carrying a gun and for using it. He also took the blame for his actions."
Raluca Preda, New Providence High School, New Providence, New Jersey
"To most, being responsible is a burden, a duty; it is something to dread. As a classmate of mine so eloquently put it, "Responsibility sucks. I hate being responsible for anything".'"
Nicole A. Mellado, Carbondale High School, Carbondale, Illinois
"On the American frontier of times past, every boy wished only to be a man. He was eager to be given responsibility, and to be worthy of it. So if you did your job and acted the part, you were accepted as you were. It is the willingness to accept responsibility that is the measure of a man."
Jory Wipf, James Valley Christian High School, Huron, South Dakota
"In the end, we, ourselves, have the responsibility and the duty
to care for our country."
Robert Jimenez, Hereford High School, Hereford, Texas
"Whether or not you are appreciated publicly, your own soul will know the difference. Responsibility will make you feel better in the long run, and probably someone else, too."
Kendra Smith, Eureka High School, Eureka, Illinois
"With the freedom that our country gives us comes more responsibility."
Erika Grossell, Deer River High School, Deer River, Minnesota
"Many people may think protesting isn't a form of exhibiting responsibility, but it is."
Jeff Garner, Blue Ridge High School, Blue Ridge, Texas
"There are people who realize that while everyone is responsible for themselves the young cannot be blamed for what they do not know. It is up to the older generations to make sure that the youth know what is right and what is wrong."
Stephanie Schlanger, Antietam High School, Reading, Pennsylvania
"One last example of good responsibility would be a friend of mine. He found a travelers check worth five-thousand dollars. He, instead of spending it, returned it to its rightful owner. The owner was very grateful and gave him a small reward."
Kevin Cade, Rock Hill Senior High School, Ironton, Ohio
"Responsibility is not genetic...it is acquired and must continue to
exist in order for society to realistically do the same."
Chris Jensen, Freeman High School, Rockford, Washington
"There are a few responsible individuals in this world who carry everyone else on their shoulders."
Stephanie Kauffman, Conrad Weiser High School, Robesonia, Pennsylvania
"Life is a long struggle for everyone so we all must be understanding to others and be willing to reach out and give somebody help. That is a part of taking on responsibility, taking care of yourself, and sometimes
others. So if it is your fault, admit it. Don't in turn blame someone else. If you need help, admit it, but be responsible enough to admit when you don't need help any longer."
Heath Frye, Marion High School, Marion, South Dakota
"Everybody complains about how terrible our society is. Yet most of these complainers are the ones who never accept responsibility for their actions and don't get out in their community to make a difference. People need to realize that nothing will ever get better unless we all stand together and work at it. Which means being responsible for ourselves and taking the initiative to make changes."
Karen Krumlauf, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, Oregon
"In my opinion, responsibility is knowing what you did wrong and trying your best to make amends."
Melanie Griffin, Blue Ridge High School, Blue Ridge, Texas
"In order for us to overcome this irresponsible behavior, we must learn to take pride in what we do, realize that what we do can either be beneficial or detrimental to others. In short, whether it's marriage, family, or classroom values we're trying to improve, we must consider ourselves as 'one' with each other. By sharing and partaking in each other's capabilities, we can learn to meet our responsibilities."
Ryan L. Moore, Carbondale High School, Carbondale, Illinois
"A gradual decline in accepting responsibility has led us to a society which blames others for all the nation's problems. Bill Clinton recently called for 'A new covenant' between the government and the governed. In his appeal to the people, he repeated one word twenty times: responsibility.
He continued to convey the idea that the burdens of citizenship must be shouldered, not only by leaders, but by those who follow."
Bridget Robertson, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
"Responsibility is a must in any society. People must take responsibility for their actions and not blame other people."
Cary Brown, Blue Ridge, Texas
"I feel that people who stop and help fix a flat tire or fix a car that has quit running show a great deal of responsibility. They stop for no reason and expecting no pay and help someone in need."
Kevin Cade, Rock Hill, Ironton, Ohio
"A black woman in a small town in Texas was refused public housing because the only housing available was in a 'white' section of the complex. This woman took her case to court, not for money, but [as a matter of principle.] This woman peacefully and justly battled the housing authorities for what she believed in, without trying to twist it to her personal advantage. The court awarded her the right to live [in the complex], but the woman chose to give up the right because her [principled] stand would [have] only made her life more difficult in that town."
Jera Chandler, Plainview High School, Ardmore, Oklahoma
"If I could sum up my...solution to this country's responsibility problem in one word, that word would be education."
Michael J. Pyle, Niantic High, Niantic, Illinois
He who laughs, lasts!
"Centuries ago robbery may have never existed. At one time we were all friends but not in this century."
Corey Kara, Barnesville High, Barnesville, Minnesota
"The only thing that comes to mind of having full responsibility is a plant. The plant does everything it possibly can to survive. They don't screw up like humans do."
Jeremy Cordts, Iowa-Grant High School, Livingston, Wisconsin
"People from France are possibly the most responsible in the world."
Alicia Endres, Carbondale High School, Carbondale, Illinois
"In Carter County, Oklahoma, a woman brought suit against a rancher
for failing to remove a dead, decaying cow from land adjoining her property. She complained that when the wind blew from the South the cow produced an awful odor. She said she asked the rancher to remove
the dead animal on several occasions, but her requests were ignored... I think if the lady had such a problem with the cow, she should have been responsible enough to remove it herself."
Angela Anderson, Plainview High School, Ardmore, Oklahoma
We figure Angela had to be kidding -- right?
Courtney, on the other hand, may be taking "responsibility" too seriously:
"Whether or not people take responsibility in the world could make or destroy the world in a matter of seconds."
Courtney Paniagua, Plainview High School, Ardmore, Oklahoma
And as Ben Deubner out in Froid, Montana optimistically said:
"If everyone starts to become responsible then maybe in a couple of years there can be a new essay contest with the subject:
Responsibility: How Did Everyone Get It and How Has It Affected the Nation?"