Barbara Patton: Responsibility is character trait of month

Barbara Patton
Columnist
Published: October 7, 2008

I was really too tired to write this column. When it came right down to it, I just didn’t want to write it at all, but I had said that I would. That meant that it was my responsibility to follow through.

The Character Council of Opelika, in conjunction with the schools, has selected the Character Trait for the Month of October as – you guessed it – “responsibility.”

According to a Googled Web site, responsibility means taking care of your duties. It means answering for your actions. It means accountability, and it means trustworthiness. This same site also said being responsible is important because it is a core value for living honorably. It is important to be accountable for your behavior, and one should be dependable when you have things to do. You knew that, didn’t you?

Did you know that there is moral responsibility, legal responsibility, family responsibility, community responsibility, responsibility to customs, traditions, beliefs, and rules, and personal responsibility? When responsibility is listed that way, it sounds rather daunting and very burdensome.

The truth is that no one can escape responsibility. Morally, we have a responsibility towards others, towards sustaining the earth and protecting all living things. Legally, we have a responsibility to uphold the laws of the land as they stand to date. As a family member and as a community member, we are responsible to do our part as a contributing member of both and to treat our family members and the members in our community with respect. We all come from different backgrounds, cultures, religions and heritages and we should do our best to uphold and honor our beliefs and traditions. Finally, it is up to each of us to fulfill our responsibilities and become the person of character we need to be.

One of the programs used by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County is Character Counts, and there is a self-evaluation in the teaching guide. It is a true-false test and not very long at all. Take it and find out if you are, indeed, a responsible person: 1) I do what needs to be done. 2) I am reliable and dependable. 3) I am accountable for my actions; I don’t make excuses or blame others. 4) I fulfill my moral obligations. 5) I use good judgment and think through the consequences of my actions. 6) I exercise self-control. You don’t need to tell anyone the results. Just continue to work on those areas that need it. There are benefits from being a responsible person. “It puts you in charge of your life.”

Once again, it is time for those in Opelika in Ward 3 to go to the polls to vote. This is a right and a privilege, and with that right and privilege comes responsibility.
As Gerald Johnson said: “No man was ever endowed with a right without being at the same time saddled with a responsibility.” Please be responsible and vote in the Ward 3 run-off election.

Barbara Patton is executive director of Envision Opelika and writes a column for the Opelika-Auburn News.