Grade 12
Teacher: Jake Fischer
America is known as
the Melting Pot, the Great Experiment, and the Land of the Free by
people around the
world. But none of these catchy names will ever describe what America really
means because it
cannot be put into words accurately. It is a land of opportunity, of passion,
and
of a unity known no
where else in the world. To me, it can only be known as home.
When Jamestown was
founded in 1607, America was known as the New World. It was a
place to escape the
burdens of the Old World and start a new life that could not be found
anywhere else in the
world.,, America was established in 1776. Our fore fathers built this nation
on sturdy
cornerstones of faith, equality, freedom, and love. This created the foundation
to what I
would become the
greatest country in the world. Today, millions of immigrants flood into
America to experience
this foundation. They can still find a life unlike any other in the world. A
large part of this
better life is the morals and the character that Americans display on a daily
basis.
This is proved in
many different ways. We are the most charitable country in the world. We have
charities for every
different Situation. After 9/11, millions of dollars were given to the victims
and
their families. Our
charities extend worldwide as well. We send people to Africa to fight the
AIDS epidemics every
year. We give food and supplies to people that don't have what we do in
countries around the
world.
America is also a
country that recognizes the value of education and its importance
in the future of our nation. In many countries such as Iraq, Ethiopia, and Afghanistan, education
is not an option and
only the wealthiest citizens can send their children to schools anywhere near
the caliber of the school systems in America. America has truancy laws that
encourage all young
people to get an
education. We have excellent public schools that don't cost anything to attend.
We also have
religiously affiliated schools for different beliefs. I am a firm believer in
education
and I also believe
that it should be mandatory for the youth in this country to get at least a
high
school degree. As
much of a burden that school seems to be sometimes, I believe that it is
essential for the
progression of our nation to educate its offspring.
Besides freedom,
opportunity, and equality, there are privileges in America that
many take for
granted, but that I adore more than anything else. I believe that the greatest
part of
being an American is the
security. Americans enjoy different types of security everyday. We have
great law enforcement
agencies that protect on the local, state, and national levels. Crime is
inevitable, but the
American law systems limit this crime and serve justice into our communities
with excellent
municipal systems. It is this justice that allows us to sleep well at night, or
play a
baseball game in our
front yards. We can go to school and have to worry about nothing more
than a scuffle over a
girl or a small food fight that can result in nothing more than a stained
shirt. However, this is not the only type of security that we can enjoy as
Americans, we also have the right to financial security. If a person loses
their job, they can apply for welfare that will get them back on their feet.
Retired people receive social security checks so that they do not have to work
through their old age. Life insurance is offered so that if a parent is killed,
the children do not have to suffer through poverty. I have not been personally
affected by any of these circumstances, but it is good to know that they exist
to make sure that I don't get myself into a financial dilemma that I cannot get
myself out of.
One of the aspects of
this country that I love the most is the tradition that it holds. This
tradition is more than baseball and apple pie. It includes the pride that I am
filled with when I hear the Star Spangled Banner or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. With this great tradition,
comes great patriotism and passion. It gives me chills to think about this
patriotism because I know that there are people putting their lives on the line
to ensure my freedom and happiness. This is the ultimate sign of patriotism. It
is this sense of patriotism that unites our country and it is this unity that
makes our country such a blessing to live in.
America is a country
that has everything, but should take nothing for granted because we are blessed
to be citizens of this country and to be a part of everything that our country
stands for. This country is more than a
roof over our heads and shoes on our feet. It protects and nourishes our needs
as a society and gives us almost anything we want. America is a land of
equality and as our beloved national anthem goes, the land of the free and the
home of the brave. Home is where the heart is and my heart will surely never
leave America.