(out of 12 please)
Prompt: Should people take more responsibility for solving problems that affect their communities or the nation in general?
The government has a duty to provide its citizens with jobs, welfare, etc. However, this duty is not soley the responsibility of the government- everyday citizens should take on pressing issues affecting their community.Often times, some of the most urgent issues are not satisfactorily addressed by the government. Such issues include the rash of murders by cops targeting black civilians and climate change.
In 2015 alone, almost 2,000 unarmed black civilians have been murdered by police officers. This at first seemingly ephemeral issue has become the "new normal" in the United States. As this startling trend continues every day, it is evident that the government is not doing enough to resolve this issue. This governmental inaction has engendered a massive way of protests across the country, which have kindled more responsiveness from the government. During a speech by 2016 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, Sanders was interrupted by a pair of surly Black Lives Matter protesters, who proceeded to make some remarks about the plight of the black community regarding the cops. Despite their method being rude, these protesters were able to point the government's attention to the issue. Bernie Sanders added the issue of systematic racism to his agenda and hired a black spokeswoman for racism.
Many believe that the government is not doing enough to counteract climate change, a scary reality that could permanently change the world by 2048. Because of this apparent inaction, many citizens have taken matters into their own hands: thousands of environmental groups made up of people dedicated to fighting climate change have been working on creating a more environmentally friendly populace. If both the government and the people do not act on this issue, the planet and millions of its species could be doomed. But, due to citizens who felt a responsibility to deal with one of the most serious issues of this century, there is a good chance that some of the catastrophes associated with climate change can be avoided.