Show Modern Accountability and Responsibility David Douglas in Editor-in-Chief f As little children we are introduced introduced introduced intro intro- to the concept of ty When we want our first pet our parents told us You cant can't have a pet right now that now that is a big responsibility and I dont don't think you are ready for it As we we get a little older we wanted wanted wanted want want- ed to get our first job maybe a paper route Our parents sat us down before we began and nd give us a lecture lecture lecture lec lec- ture on responsibility and taking care of the obligations that go with employment By the time we graduated from high school we had heard countless lectures speeches admonitions recommendations recommendations recommendations rec rec- and public service announcements about being sible Then came the final lesson in responsibility moving out on our own and being responsible for ourselves ourselves ourselves our- our selves and others at some point By Bythe Bythe the time most people reach the age of 21 and receive all the privileges and responsibilities that go with that age we feel we are experts on the sub- sub Now what about accountability The terms responsibility and J accountability are used synonymously synonymously i. i at times but at the core are l j very different One can be responsible r l ble without being accountable but L. L you cannot be accountable without being responsible Responsibility is c defined as being able to choose for fort t oneself between right and wrong t Accountability is defined as to be 1 called upon to answer for ones one's acts or decisions A common example would be the individual who commits a crime and then is declared unable to stand trial because they are judged incompetent and therefore not held accountable for their action There is no doubt that they committed the crime in question and are responsible for what occurred but are not held accountable for it Conversely another individual commits the same crime and is found able to stand trial They are given a punishment that is considered equal to the crime com com- They are considered responsible responsible responsible sible and therefore held accountable Think back to those first experiences experiences experiences with responsibility Your parents parents parents par par- finally consented to your having havinga a pet if you would be responsible for it But when all was said and done who was actually accountable for the pet Your parents ended up feeding and cleaning up after the fish hamster hamster hamster ham ham- ster dog og cat turtle snake bird and any number of other pets we had as children The disease of f taking responsibility ity but not accountability is running rampant in our country and our world Politicians and government officials seem the most susceptible to this disease Attorney General Janet Reno called for the raid on the Branch Davidian group in Waco Texas where many people lost their lives Reno came forward after the incident and clearly stated that she took full responsibility for what happened happened happened hap hap- in Waco But what was she really accountable for Was she disciplined disciplined disciplined dis dis- dis- dis by her superiors Did she lose her position as Attorney General What about Senator Robert Packwood of Oregon After being investigated concerning accusations of sexual improprieties involving female members of his staff he openly admitted committing these acts The public called for his resignation resignation resignation nation and when questioned about it by the media he stated he had no intentions of resigning Had he resigned at the time he would have lost his government retirement which is fairly lucrative by any stan stan- dards Again we see someone being responsible but not accountable Earlier the lack of accountability was referred to as a disease a very debilitating one People who arent aren't accountable never get to where they want to be and wonder why They dont don't realize that each individual must make their life what they wish it to be no matter what circumstances circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances are handed to them I recently read of a man who lost his arms at the elbows and legs at the knees to a rare disease He was told he would spend the rest of his life in ina a wheel chair and would be severely limited in what he could do He didn't didn't didn't did did- nt choose this course of events but buthe buthe buthe he chose to be accountable for the results He now enjoys a quality of life near what he did before the unfortunate course of events With the aid of artificial limbs he walks and works and fishes and does much he did before He has taken accountability accountability accountability account account- ability for his life and has no regrets Being accountable is not a simple way but it will bring a lifetime of accomplishment and happiness rather than failure and nd disappoint disappoint- ment t i c 7 H u Zi Pt y t o f f f fAA AA f Y Ip y fP i Letters Letters' to the editor editor are are welcome from all readers aders o of the H Horizon orizon j t i r While the staff reserves the right to edit all letters for ot length and nd la Iana Ian lari- 1 a 1 i 1 r V t guage ev every ry be made to reta retain the author authors s content 7 J f i. i i Y F s Submissions should J d be w words r or l less and include a name name a f yiu A t J i. i 3 i l Z s da une hone num number Letters b be submitted the mailin daytime n phone r. r car cart an by using ailing X Y S-Y 1 S f c 5 a address r or by y hand han at the Horizon offices i in in the basement of othe the College ii Y Center at Letters Letters' s can be sent by mail bye mail e-mail to to 1 t X v.-X Il s. s c d w x w a u t 9 yM zu W W edu S J. 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