Opinion
Personal responsibility lacking in U.S.
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The United States deals with thousands of problems every year — everything from international issues such as the war on terror and global security to domestic issues like illegal immigration and social programs are issues that our Legislature confronts daily. But America's biggest problem today is the lack of personal responsibility. If there is one value that has eroded away in America, it is its belief in this one. America has become a sue-happy society where people are not accountable for their actions. We continually blame everything but ourselves for our problems. This is a disturbing trend for Americans whose nation was originally founded on ideals of rugged individualism. American obesity is a prime example of this lack of personal responsibility. In 2005, the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act was passed by the House but not by the Senate. This bill would have been a step in the right direction, as it would have barred people from filing lawsuits against the fast food industry for reasons related to obesity or the health complications that go along with it. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told the San Francisco Chronicle, "The notion that a food seller should be held responsible for an individual's food consumption is absurd." Unfortunately, not everyone feels this way. It has gotten to the point that if fast food restaurants don't chase away their customers, then customers can sue. Never mind that people's unwillingness to exercise plays a major role or the fact that they know fast food is fattening before they eat it. No one is forcing anyone to eat or do anything that would cause obesity. It's your choice and your responsibility to take care of your body and no one else's. Yet people such as Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-Washington, D.C., stated in the Washington Post, "We're talking about a public health problem for which our government has not taken responsibility." And why should they? Uncle Sam is not forcing anyone to eat at McDonald's every day. This is just part of an overall disturbing trend in the United States, and this lack of responsibility and accountability is not limited to American obesity. The same attitude is stretching into all walks of society. The attitude has become: If you steal, it is because of socioeconomic forces. If you become a mother when you're 15, it's because you didn't receive a good enough sex education. If you murder someone, as we witnessed immediately following the Virginia Tech tragedy, it's because of race or easy gun access, violent movies, violent video games or bullies who picked on you too much on the playground. It's never just that person's fault. People now look at wrongdoers as victims of their society. This is true at every level of society, from major felonies all the way down to youth baseball. If Johnny didn't make the team, it's because the coach is on a personal vendetta to squash his baseball career, not because Johnny is simply not good at baseball. If you start smoking cigarettes or doing drugs, it's because of peer pressure and societal forces — nothing you did. When students do poorly in class, it's because they're not the teacher's pet and the teacher hates them, not because they didn't study hard enough or that they're poor students. All that seems to matter today is that people feel good about themselves in the end. There are most likely many reasons why this generation insists on blaming all of its problems on other forces in society, but it seems that it is due, in large part, to a lack of appreciation for our origins. The post-World War II generations have benefited largely from the sacrifices of their predecessors, and thus have always, for the most part, lived in prosperity. These generations have no appreciation for what hardship actually is, so when something goes wrong we have no idea how to handle it other than to blame something else. Why? Because everything has always just been given to us. If you were to ask someone who survived the Great Depression and World War II what a bad day was, you would most likely get a very different answer than if you asked the same question to a college student today. To older generations, a bad day is going to bed hungry, but to a college student today, a bad day is having a cell phone that's not working. We've never truly had to struggle, at least compared to generations past. Thus, we have lost our appreciation for our prosperity, and we must always feel good about ourselves. Therefore, when things go south for us personally, we don't know how to act, and we blame every other factor so we can still feel good. Joe Trovato (jtrovato@wisc.edu) is a freshman majoring in journalism.
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Freshmen always know the best way to lecture upperclassmen about the incredible life challenges they’ve faced and how to overcome them. Oh what a loathsome world we’d live in if it weren’t for the Badger Herald! - Germain Q. Stemme
We are a delicate people. Correct me if wrong but all of us are winners according to my public school system. I personally have been told that I’m “uniquely human”.
your entire point about food is completely absurd…unfortunately it makes up the bulk of your article. fast food restaurants, mcdonald’s in particular, advertise their salads as healthy knowing full well they have 600 plus calories in them alone. it’s because companies like this deceive that people choose to eat there. of course, there are people who are gluttons, but it’s not everyone. you make many generalizations, sir, and it’s not right.
It’s been my experience that people who take this position are responsible only for being born wealthy and white in safe suburbs. They then like to turn around and lecture everyone else about being personally responsible. People who have never faced a real challenge or difficult situation have no business telling anyone else what they would do in their shoes. Personal responsibility is easy when you’re sheltered.
Or maybe I’m wrong and the author came from the hood and was able to rise above poverty and violence and was able to resist things like gangs and drugs. I just kinda doubt it.
Great article! Very well done! I agree with your points. It is good to finally see some common sense opinion articles in this paper. But be careful, this is Madison.
Good point. If a business injures someone, that person should take personal responsibility for their injury instead of making the business take personal responsibility for causing it. Real well thought out.
This kind of simple-minded rhetoric really belongs on AM radio, not in print.
8:58, the vast majority of us wealthy, white kids from the suburbs came from families where someone 1 to 3 generations ago was from a poor ghetto and personally took it upon themselves to improve from the culture they were brought up in with very little help from anyone else.
8:58…yes because this author is so sheltered…he’s only in the army. think before you speak
But who can we blame if not the international corporations? - Germain E. Stemme
this is the article of the year as far as I’m concerned.
hey trovato i’m sure that your speaking from personal experience, having grown up in the italian ghetto, fighting against discrimination and grinding poverty only to have made it to this prestigious university.
oh wait, you actually came from a wealthy white suburb and have no idea what your talking about.
stop talking down to those less fortunate than you. are you an idiot?
2:06…how is he talking down to anyone? he’s saying this phenomenon is a result of our PROSPERITY.
Given this tired, unoriginal and poorly written piece you might want to think about changing your major kid.
8:58 and 2:06, what, sounds like stereotyping. way to go - since he is white, he must be rich and attacking minorities. get the point of the article, he’s making an observation about the whole of society (all of us), not making a focused racial attack. back-off. why don’t you go find someone to blame for the lame, typical, liberal babble spewing from your mouths - quit overreacting
Wow. Mitch McConnell is hardly the source you’d want to quote about personal responsibility. Crazings.
great article…it’s about time someone said something about this. it’s an important issue that no one ever talks about. and what typical liberals…taking personal shots at the author is all they can resort to when a superior argument has been presented. i look forward to reading more of your articles.
Every single one of Germaine’s posts are unfounded. Shut up. PLEASE.
You Say : “It's your choice and your responsibility to take care of your body and no one else's.”
Here is why people have lost control over their diet - powerful immoral advertising to kids.
From Special Report (AdWeek): Fast Food April 30, 2007 By Tony Case
“…food marketing to children is under the microscope, as obesity rates soar. A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found children aged eight to 12 viewed an average of 21 food ads each day. Still, the chains continue to lure children with promotions featuring Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (McDonald’s) and SpongeBob SquarePants (Burger King).”
Posted by David Goldbeck HealthyHighways.com
Wow! what a great article. It is so on target that the only response to the fast food comments was that it really WAS someone elses fault! (10:12 am, 10:05 am) Also, you notice that the people who find fault with the article somehow know the author is rich (obviously a sin), from the suburbs (where everyone is evil because they are rich), and was sheltered (because his evil self enjoyed the sin of low crime rates). You evil doer Travato! We must personally attack you because you made a cogent point that we don’t agree with! Burn the witch!
-Jerry, Toledo
BTW, Mr. 8:58, personal responsibility is never easy in this day and age. Character is what we derive from hardship. Personal responsibility is how we develop character and handle hardship. I think if your “experience” dealt more with reality and the fact that everyone has hardships and chooses how to deal with them, you might not have the attitude that people can only be successful because they are lucky. Try actually taking some personal responsibility and encouraging others to do the same. It may make a difference in your life!
Jerry, Toledo
Great article Joe,
Thanks, I work in Philly the epicenter of blame and laziness. It truly is a crisis in our country that people avoid personal responsibility.
Mike in PA.
I come from a low-income family where my mother worked hard to get no where in this pendulum society. Now I too am working just as hard to make a better life for my daughter. I totally agree with the points made in this article. If you act out in or gain too much weight, it is YOUR fault. We need to stop blaming others, and take responsibility people. Sure these factors influence our behavior, but you make your own final decisions.