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Seventh grader wins Patriot's Pen Contest
Feb 1, 2003 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
Ben Cantrell has won the Patriot’s Pen Contest sponsored by the local VFW post. The topic was “My Pledge to America” and his essay follows:
I, Ben Cantrell, pledge to be a good citizen of the United States of America. A citizen is “a person who by birth or choice, is a member of a state or nation which gives him certain rights and protection and which claims his loyalty.” By being born in this country, I am automatically an American citizen and have many rights and freedoms. For me to be a good citizen to my country, I have to show responsibility, loyalty, and respect and concern for others.
I am a responsible citizen by knowing and following the laws of our government. I know it is the law that I go to school. I have a duty to go to school to get a good education so that I can get a good job that will contribute to our country by paying taxes. I show responsibility by learning and understanding the history of the United States. I am responsible by keeping our town clean by not littering and recycling things so our natural resources like trees are not used up. When I am eighteen, I will be responsible by voting in elections. Also, I am responsible by not abusing my rights. I have a right to have my gun, but I would never use it to hurt anybody.
I am a loyal citizen when I believe the words of the “Pledge of Allegiance.” I am loyal by watching and listening to the news to know about what is going on in our government. This helps me decide what is important to our country. Even if I do not like a law, I will not talk bad about the government. I know that most laws are for the good of all citizens. When I am old enough, I will be loyal by being ready to serve our country in a war.
Finally, I am a good citizen by respecting and caring about other citizens. I do not interfere with other people’s rights. I respect other people’s freedoms, like their freedom of religion. I do not treat people differently or criticize them because they are a different religion. I volunteer my time and money for those less fortunate. I do this by giving food to charities and clothing to the needy. I volunteer my time by picking up trash along the roadsides. By showing concern for others, responsibility, and loyalty, I am a good citizen.
I, Ben Cantrell, pledge to be a good citizen of the United States of America. A citizen is “a person who by birth or choice, is a member of a state or nation which gives him certain rights and protection and which claims his loyalty.” By being born in this country, I am automatically an American citizen and have many rights and freedoms. For me to be a good citizen to my country, I have to show responsibility, loyalty, and respect and concern for others.
I am a responsible citizen by knowing and following the laws of our government. I know it is the law that I go to school. I have a duty to go to school to get a good education so that I can get a good job that will contribute to our country by paying taxes. I show responsibility by learning and understanding the history of the United States. I am responsible by keeping our town clean by not littering and recycling things so our natural resources like trees are not used up. When I am eighteen, I will be responsible by voting in elections. Also, I am responsible by not abusing my rights. I have a right to have my gun, but I would never use it to hurt anybody.
I am a loyal citizen when I believe the words of the “Pledge of Allegiance.” I am loyal by watching and listening to the news to know about what is going on in our government. This helps me decide what is important to our country. Even if I do not like a law, I will not talk bad about the government. I know that most laws are for the good of all citizens. When I am old enough, I will be loyal by being ready to serve our country in a war.
Finally, I am a good citizen by respecting and caring about other citizens. I do not interfere with other people’s rights. I respect other people’s freedoms, like their freedom of religion. I do not treat people differently or criticize them because they are a different religion. I volunteer my time and money for those less fortunate. I do this by giving food to charities and clothing to the needy. I volunteer my time by picking up trash along the roadsides. By showing concern for others, responsibility, and loyalty, I am a good citizen.
