RESPONSIBILITY What s OR OBLIGATION? difference? · Juan doesn’t think his neighborhood association is running efficiently. He decides to run for president of the association in

What’s the difference?

RESPONSIBILITY OR OBLIGATION?

The Florida Law Related Education Association, Inc. Copyright 2011

¡ Responsibility?

§ the state, fact, or position of being

responsible or accountable to

somebody or for something;

taking initiative.

HOW WOULD YOUR GROUP DEFINE…


GIVE EXAMPLES OF A…

¡  Responsibility §  Owning a pet § Cleaning your room §  Doing chores §  Getting good grades §  Doing homework


Obligation?

something that must be done because of legal requirements

“If men were angels, no government would be

necessary.” - James Madison

HOW WOULD YOUR GROUP DEFINE…


¡ Obey the law ¡ Pay taxes ¡ Register for selective service ¡ Serve on juries

GIVE EXAMPLES OF AN OBLIGATION


¡ Not only citizens but visitors to the United States and lawful permanent

residents must obey the law. ¡ Example: if you are in New York on vacation from Jamaica, you still have to obey the laws in the state of New York and the federal laws of the U.S.

OBEY THE LAW


¡ Visitors, legal residents and citizens all have to pay local sales taxes when they buy things. ¡ Lawful permanent residents have the right to work; if they choose to work, they are required to pay income taxes, just like citizens of the U.S.

PAY TAXES


¡ All draft-age males living in the United States must register with the Selective Service System once they reach the age of 18 years old. § This applies to citizens AND lawful permanent

residents. § Even undocumented (illegal) residents living in

the United States are expected to register with the Selective Service System.

§ Men must register on their 18th birthday; they may register late but not after a man has turned 26.

SELECTIVE SERVICE


¡ Is required in case the United States ever needs to re-establish conscription or compulsory military service, also known as the draft.

¡ Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War

¡ The draft has not been used since the Vietnam War (1973). Since then, the US has had an all-volunteer military.

¡ Conscientious objectors: those who refused to fight on religious grounds-were excused from compulsory military service (draft).

SELECTIVE SERVICE


¡ Only citizens are asked to serve on juries. ¡ Jurors are usually chosen at random from a list

of drivers’ licenses or ID cards. ¡ Potential jurors are sent a Jury Summons by

regular mail; this letter will tell the person where and when they are report for jury duty. § The citizen can ask for postponement or to be

excused but must have a valid excuse for the court (usually in writing). § Ex. no one to take care of children under

school age, disability, pregnancy, etc.

JURY SERVICE


¡ The Sixth Amendment guarantees the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a public trial without unnecessary delay, the right to a lawyer, the right to an impartial jury, and the right to know who your accusers are and the nature of the charges and evidence against you.

JURY SERVICE


¡  Jurors are expected to arrive at the courthouse on the date and time written in their summons where they will form part of a juror pool. § They must remain in the courthouse for one day, waiting

to be called. § Only some of the people summoned will actually serve

on a jury. ¡ The actual jurors for the case are chosen at random from

members of the juror pool at the courthouse. ¡ The lawyers from the cases choose who they want from

those chosen at random. They can eliminate certain people if they feel they could hold a bias in the case.

JURY SERVICE


1.  Read the situation posted on the board. 2.  If you think it is a responsibility, you will go to the right side

of the room. 3.  If you think it is an obligation, go to the left side of the

room.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE…

Responsibility Obligation


There are a lot of stray animals on the street. You decide to pick up a stray cat you see

wandering through your neighborhood and take it home.

Is picking up a stray animal a responsibility or

an obligation?

WARM UP



About 605,000 of Florida’s 2.6 million students are in middle school

(grades 6-8). Is attending school a responsibility or

an obligation for middle school students?

SCENARIO 1



Obligation! Florida Law (Section 1003.21, Florida Statutes) states that all children who are either six years of age, who will be six years old by February 1 of any school year, or who are older than six years of age but who have not attained the age of 16 years, must attend school regularly during the entire school term . A student who attains the age of 16 years during the school year is not subject to compulsory attendance…if he/she fi les a formal declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment with the school district.

IS ATTENDING SCHOOL A RESPONSIBILIT Y OR AN OBLIGATION FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS?



Mark, a realtor in Springfield, Florida, receives a summons for jury duty. He serves on a jury for two weeks listening to testimony about a robbery that took place and determining the verdict for the case along with his fellow jurors.

SCENARIO 2

Is Mark’s service on a jury a responsibility or an

obligation? The Florida Law Related Education Association, Inc. Copyright 2011

IS MARK’S SERVICE ON A JURY A

RESPONSIBILITY OR AN OBLIGATION?


Obligation! Florida law (Section 40.23 Florida Statutes) states that

any person who is duly summoned to attend as a juror in any court and who fails to attend without any sufficient excuse

shall pay a fine not to exceed $100, which fine shall be imposed by the court to which the juror was summoned, and,

in addition, such failure may be considered in contempt of court.


On his 18th birthday, Marshall went online and registered for the selective

service. This means that in a crisis requiring a draft, men would be called

in sequence determined by random lottery number and year of birth. Is Marshall’s registering for the

selective service a responsibility or an obligation?

SCENARIO 3


Obligation! From the Military Selective Service Act: Except as otherwise provided in this tit le (sections 451 to 471a of this Appendix) it shall be the duty of every male citizen of the United States, and every other male person residing in the United States, who, on the day or days fixed for the first or any subsequent registration, is between the ages of eighteen and twenty -six, to present himself for and submit to registration at such time or times and place or places, and in such manner, as shall be determined by proclamation of the President and by rules and regulations prescribed hereunder.

IS MARSHALL’S REGISTERING FOR THE SELECTIVE SERVICE A RESPONSIBILIT Y OR AN OBLIGATION?



Shauna did not like a policy that was recently passed by the state

legislature. She decided to create a petition supported by members of her community and included a copy of the

petition in a letter to her Representative.

Is petitioning the government a responsibility or an obligation?

SCENARIO 4


Responsibility! Why would you say the petitioning the

government is a responsibility?

IS PETITIONING THE GOVERNMENT A

RESPONSIBILITY OR AN OBLIGATION?



Tax returns are due by midnight April 15th, so long as April 15th is not a

weekend. John forgot to complete a tax return and thought it really was not a big deal – he could just wait until next year.

Is the filing of a federal tax return a

responsibility or an obligation?

SCENARIO 5


Obligation! ¡ From the IRS Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Internal Revenue Code:

§  TITLE 26 > Subtitle A > CHAPTER 1 > Subchapter A > PART I > § 1. Tax imposed

¡ CLICK HERE to see all those who are subject to income tax in the United States.

IS THE FILING OF A FEDERAL TAX RETURN A RESPONSIBILITY OR AN OBLIGATION?



Mariselle wakes up at 5:00 a.m. to go to the polls for the national elections so she can vote before she has to go

to work. Is voting in an election a

responsibility or an obligation?

SCENARIO 6


Responsibility!

Why would you say voting is a responsibility?

IS VOTING IN AN ELECTION A RESPONSIBILITY

OR AN OBLIGATION?



Jackie is going to the grocery store and puts her 2 year old in a car seat

in the back seat of the car.

Is using a car seat for a child a responsibility or an obligation?

SCENARIO 7


Obligation! ¡ 316.613 Child restraint requirements.— Florida law requires…children through age 3 must be secured in a separate carrier (child safety seat) or in a vehicle manufacturer's integrated child safety seat…Infants must ride rear-facing until they are at least one year old and weigh 20 pounds or more. Rear-facing, the infant should be semi-upright at an angle or no more than 45 degrees. A forward-facing older child should ride sitting upright. ¡ Violation of the child restraint law carries a fine of $60 and 3 points on the driving record. Source: Broward Sheriff’s Office, http://sheriff.org/safety/carseat.cfm

IS USING A CAR SEAT FOR A CHILD A RESPONSIBILIT Y OR AN OBLIGATION?



Susan spends her Saturday mornings volunteering doing

crafts with seniors at the local senior center.

Is Susan’s community service a

responsibility or obligation?

SCENARIO 8


Responsibility!

Why would you say volunteering in your community is a responsibility?

IS SUSAN’S COMMUNIT Y SERVICE A RESPONSIBILIT Y OR AN OBLIGATION?



Jacob was charged with shoplifting from a local store. He will be serving a

100 hour sentence volunteering to pick up trash in his community.

Is Jacob’s community service a responsibility or obligation?

SCENARIO 8


Obligation! Because Jacob’s community service is a sentence for a crime he committed, he is required to complete this

service to the community. If he doesn’t, there is a strong chance he will serve time in jail by the

discretion of the judge.

IS JACOB’S COMMUNIT Y SERVICE A RESPONSIBILIT Y OR AN OBLIGATION?



Juan doesn’t think his neighborhood association is running efficiently. He

decides to run for president of the association in order to correct problems in his neighborhood. Is running for an office in civic

organization a responsibility or an obligation?

SCENARIO 9


Responsibility!

Why would you say running for office is a responsibility?

IS RUNNING FOR AN OFFICE IN CIVIC ORGANIZATION

A RESPONSIBILIT Y OR AN OBLIGATION?



Documents

RESPONSIBILITY What s OR OBLIGATION? difference? · Juan doesn’t think his neighborhood association is running efficiently. He decides to run for president of the association in