Truth of Youth: What resolutions should U.S., Oregon make in 2009?

Web postings updated Jan. 7, 2009

"As many of you know, people make resolutions after New Years Day. And as we all know, of all these resolutions made, 90 percent of them are forgotten and/or dropped at the start (if it gets this far) of February. This trend can apply to most Americans. So as we, the United States and Oregon, step into 2009, what can be done?

First of all, the United States, instead of having its foot in a closing door, needs to step through the door of world respect. We have lost this respect with recent events and just our overall actions in the world. What this calls for I am not sure. As of late, I feel that our role as world police has dropped off, i.e Russia vs. Georgia (not the state).

The one thing I know for sure, is that our commitment in the Middle East, even though hard, should not be stopped. We are cresting the mountain of giving control back to the people, (Jan. 1, U.S. hands control of Green Zone to Iraqi officials) which is leaps and bounds better than where we were five years ago.

For Oregon, the situation lays out like this. Cut backs, such mentioned in a past Truth of Youth question, should be stopped. We have a fund for such situations, so lets use it. So the resolution for Oregon would be: A stronger support of education, health care and tourism.

Tourism is growing in Oregon, and yet such towns as Glide (Gateway to Crater Lake, yet no gift shops or information) do not embrace it. The state as a whole needs to embrace Tourism. It's made states with less resource output have more economic success.

I would be happy as a clam if these resolutions stayed true through the whole year. Of course there's other issues I haven't addressed. But they seem to already be in the works of fixing, or so I hope."

Zachary McKinney, junior

Roseburg High School



"2008 was a great year, but there are always up and downs to greatness. For the new year there are some resolutions that our state and the U.S. need to think about and deal with.

For instance, the war in Iraq has been going on for years now and we have put tons of money toward it, but lately i think it is somewhat of a waste. There are some good things about it, but it feels like our country is getting nowhere with the war.

Also the economy is in a tight spot. People are buying less, some values are going down, and the unemployment rate is high. Some businesses are going bankrupt and closing for good. Also gas prices were high this summer and even though they're down now they're sure to go back up — so will groceries.

2008 was a good year, but there's a lot that can be done in 2009."

Najla Morgan, sophomore

Glide High School

Published in print Jan. 5, 2009

“It’s time for America as a whole to really focus on getting our economy back in line, and making sure that our priorities are in order. The government needs to stop spending billions of dollars on projects that everyday Americans never benefit from.

They need to consider the average person’s needs before wasteful spending.

On a state level there needs to be more focus on public schools, providing them with funding for basic programs. I’ve always felt music is vital to a child’s development, so it’s awful to see it being cut from so many schools and denying kids a great artistic outlet.”

Megan Matthews, senior

Riddle High School

Truth of Youth, which appears in Monday’s News-Review, is an opportunity for teens to express their opinions. If you would like to submit a question, write to DD Bixby at P.O. Box 1248, Roseburg, OR 97470 or e-mail dbixby@nrtoday.com.