Revisit responsibilities on all levels

Dr. Victor Frankl, author of "Man's Search for Meaning" and a Holocaust survivor, conveyed: "Freedom threatens to degenerate into mere arbitrariness (oppression), unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness. That is why I have been teaching my American audiences that they should see to it that the Statue of Liberty on the Atlantic Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the Pacific Coast."

Very few Utahns are aware of a national project and timely message conceived in Vienna, Austria, and being born in this state. Currently, Utah is home to the Statue of Responsibility Foundation (sorfoundation.org), a foundation seeking to build the monument and revisit the message of responsibility. Before the end of this legislative session, members of our state House of Representatives will hear, many for the first time, a concurrent resolution (HCR16) regarding the Statue of Responsibility. Utah's place in this project is unprecedented.

The time has come for America's citizenry to revisit individual, family and community responsibleness. There is a groundswell occurring on America's soil. Supporting the building of the Statue of Responsibility with our time, talents and resources allows each of us to make a genuine contribution to a symbol permanently fixed on helping us understand true freedom.

Frankl expressed: "Man must decide, for better or for worse, what will be the monument of his existence. … Man does not simply exist but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become in the next moment … (and) every human being has the freedom to change at an instant."

Our social ills and their untold social costs implore us to go from instant gratification to instant change of heart. We need to overcome our embarrassing apprehension about spirituality and acknowledge mental and physical decay as sad consequences of our moral lapses. Another point Frankl alludes to: Irresponsibility hastens oppression.

Our lack of self-control invites governmental control. Benjamin Franklin observed: "Only virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."

Maybe we ought to follow Elder Dallin H. Oaks' suggestion, "We have tried throwing money and regulations at problems. We should now try throwing preachments at some problems. … It is time our leaders and our teachers turned down the volume on what we deserve and instead tuned us in to how we can serve."

Let us build a tangible monument on the West Coast to remind us of brotherhood, honesty, sisterhood and charity.

Great projects influence rising generations.

They will thank us in years to come.

Ryan Jenkins of Layton writes religious curriculum.