Too often in our society, we are faced with people who refuse to accept the consequences for their own actions, people who have an excuse for everything. Examples range from the smallest children all the way up to the President of the United States. No, Mr. President. It was not a "vast right wing conspiracy". You chose to mess around with "that woman, Miss Lewinsky", face the music.

Our society has changed over the years. In the 18th century, our first president was known because he had owned up to his parents when he chopped down their cherry tree. Even more recent, when a student was disciplined at school, "he got it worse at home". Today, however, parents rush to their children's defense. Instead of encouraging discipline, they make excuses. That is the hardest aspect of any teacher or administrator's job, the lack of support from the parents. The most public example came in Chicago recently when thousands of people rallied behind Jesse Jackson and others who were protesting the expulsion of several students who caused a major disruption at a football game and threatened the safety of hundreds of people around them. What happened to accountability?

There is constant talk about abortion. A couple of weeks ago, someone wrote in this space that the Catholic church was wrong for condemning abortion because a young girl would turn out much better in life if she did not have the worries of raising a child. While this may be well and true, why didn't the young girl think of this before she decided to engage in sexual intercourse? There are countless methods of birth control available to men and women alike. Although a unplanned pregnancy is tragic, abortion should never be used as a method of "convenience" – to escape responsibility.

Everyone wants an escape and excuse – some way to get out of their responsibility. It is men who humble themselves and face the music for their actions that are indeed honorable and worthy of respect. The most prominent example is Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts. Here is a man who was involved in a scandal, yet has overcome the negative publicity and become possibly the greatest legislator of our time. He has devoted his life to taking care of the weak and the underprivileged. He is a great man, and great politician. President Clinton has tried to do much of the same, he has finally owned up to his faults (although I admit reluctantly) and done a tremendous job of running our country into the longest stretch of peace time prosperity in our nation's history.

Life is not easy. We all make mistakes from time to time and have our faults and misgivings. That is only natural. The best thing that we can do, however, is own up to them and move on. Don't make excuses; accept the consequences.

• No more excuses