The Pampa VFW Post 1657 recently held a ceremony awarding and congratulating the winners of the Voices of Democracy essay contest and recognizing the Teacher of the Year.
This year’s Teacher of the Year is Megan Atwood, second place winner for the VOD essay contest is Oliva Charravia, and first place winner is Sofia Charravia. This is Sofia’s submitted essay in full:
“How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?
The girl stood up, placed her hand on her heart, listened to the Pledge of Allegiance, and thought, ‘how lucky am I to live in this country.’ This is the perfect picture of what showing patriotism can look like. Merriam-Webster defines patriotism as ‘love for or devotion to one’s country.’ In today’s culture, showing patriotism is something that sadly isn’t seen enough. The truth is, it’s not hard to show patriotism or respect to our country. We have been blessed to live in a place of freedom and opportunity with privileges that other people around the world can only dream of. It’s why I choose to show my patriotism and hoor our nation daily. I show this support for my country through my everyday actions, by staying informed and learning about our history, and by serving and supporting others.
Patriotism starts with even the smallest every day actions. Respecting the flag, national anthem, and following the laws are simple, yet powerful ways to show our loyalty to our country. Doing this represents our love, support, and respect for our country. My everyday actions showcase my American pride for several reasons. Whenever the time comes at a football or volleyball game to stand for the national anthem, I’m always right there, ready to show respect and think about how free we truly are. As a cheerleader at my school, I sometimes have the privilege of signing the national anthem in American Sign Language so that everyone can understand its powerful words. Next, obeying our authority in this country is an easy way to show support for our country. For me, not speeding, not littering, and wearing seatbelts are just some of the ways I follow the law to show my support. Through my speech, I support our country. I speak positively about America, even among our hardships and struggles. We may have our issues, but we stand on our freedom. Negativity won’t help our country, but hinder it. These small actions may seem simple, but they are impactful.
Actively learning and staying informed are things that help me better support our country. As John Adams once said, ‘children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.’ How can we truly value what it means to have patriotism if we do’t know our own freedoms in this country? I show my faithfulness for my country by learning our history: what mistakes we have made and what we can do better. Learning and understanding our freedoms immensely helps me display my unwavering support. Along with learning about our history, staying informed on the issues of politics helps us better understand why we do what we do. While we may not always agree with things happening in politics, it’s good to hold our country accountable. It shows that we deeply care about this place we live in and want to do better. Although I am not old enough to vote, I believe it plays a big part in supporting our country. So, when I am 18, I will proudly use my freedom to vote; that’s one of the greatest freedoms we have.
Service is beyond what it means to actively show support for our country and its citizens. Supporting and serving others has always been something I’ve strongly believed will create a deeper sense of unity, strengthening our nation. Serving not just citizens, but the people who are actively serving our country shouldn’t be taken lightly. Active duty members and veterans are very important to me, especially since my grandfather served in the Air Force. I find it necessary to always respect and thank those who have so graciously fought for us, many of whom have even given their lives for people they didn’t even know. They did this for the greater good of our country, and that should always be remembered and respected. Simple things I partake in are making Veterans Day thank you cards, speaking at the Veterans Day event at my school, or simply saying ‘thank you for your service’ to people who are more than deserving of hearing those five words. Along with serving our veterans and people who make our freedoms possible, helping my community has always been a passion of mine. I am the president of the Student Council at my high school, and I believe that showing patriotism starts in a small community like the classroom. It doesn’t have to mean you run for a position in the actual government. It’s a good start to serving the community around me and almost a precursor to how government works. As president, I am able to promote unity and positivity, although it may not be in front of the world, it has to begin somewhere. After all, this young generation will be our next mayors, governors, congress members, and politicians.
Supporting the United States of America and showing patriotism doesn’t require big, grand gestures. The easiest actions, like being respectful, putting effort into learning more about our country, and serving those who have valiantly fought for this country are simple and meaningful ways I display my patriotism. If they can physically fight for us, the least we can do is honor them and our country. By showing pride, gratitude, and taking action daily, I can help make America the best it can be. So, as the patriotic girl stands there, she reflects on the words, ‘one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.’ How lucky is she! How lucky are we!”
Congratulations to each one of you, and thank you for allowing your patriotism to shine proudly and making an example of how we can be better patriots. And to our veterans, thank you for your service.
