Reply #94: Mostly agree, except on one point [View All]

[Spiffarino]

Personal responsibility extends to everyone, including the poor and infirm. Sounds bad, I know, but here's my take on it.

A healthy society is nurtured by developing the potential of its people - all of them. It's good for everybody when we take care of the basic needs of those least able to care for themselves. However, this means it is incumbent upon each person to develop to the best of their abilities regardless of limitations.

Think of Helen Keller who, in spite of all her afflictions, made an enormous impact on the world. Her brilliant mind would have been lost had nobody taken personal responsibility and cared for her. Same for Stephen Hawking, Chris Reeve, etc.

There are many more whose contributions are less well-known but just as important. I think of a person like Scott "Khephra" Lowery. His life was often one of unbearable hardship, yet he persevered and eventually became an amazing individual who used his talents to enrich us all. In the face of hardship, he became the best he could be. He did not lie down and play victim. Instead, he found his courage and took control of his life.

If we leave people like these behind, we risk losing the benefit of their minds, their art, their love, their wit and their compassion. By the same token, they must be encouraged to grow and develop as individuals. Government and charitable benefits are merely tools. Personal responsibility requires that you take these tools and try to create something worthwhile.

Neither society nor the individual is served by playing the victim. As long as there is life, there must be a willingness to grow and become better. To me, "personal responsibility" does not mean "for me and nobody else." It means I have a responsibility to better myself, my country, and my world to the best of my ability.

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