Dorchester Day Essay Winners

Why I am proud to live in America
I am proud to live in America. America is a great country to live in for many reasons. Different cultures migrate to our country all the time because it has so many wonderful things to offer. America is known for many things including freedom, diversity, education, safety and protection, as well as being a wealthy and generous nation. America is a free country. Citizens have liberty to speak their opinions as well as write them down. Americans have the right to practice whatever religion they choose.

In America, people are not judged on what they believe, they are judged on their actions as citizens. America is a safe place to live. National protection services, such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard help people feel safe and protected. They not only help Americans; they also help other countries. Right now America is helping Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti and many more places.

Diversity is another reason I am proud to live in America. There are many different cultures living in America, such as Irish, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, African, and Polish. I personally experience this diversity every day in school. In my class Black, White, Vietnamese, and Hispanic students surround me. It is wonderful to be able to learn about these different cultures. In my world, all of these cultures are equal. By spending time with different types of people, I have learned that they are not much different than me at all. We are all humans.

America is a generous nation. This country provides shelter and medical care for homeless people. America donates food, medical treatment and money to people in need all around the world. Our hospitals are the greatest hospitals in the world. We have so much medical knowledge and technology, we can cure most sicknesses. People travel from all over the world to have operations that doctors in other countries do not have the skill to perform. Citizens of other countries are dying from illnesses that America has not seen in decades, because we have discovered vaccines to prevent them. And, with gene therapy, we are on the verge of curing and preventing many other horrible diseases.

Jacob Urso
5th Grade
St. William’s School

Why I am proud to live in America
I am proud to be an American. There is nowhere else on this earth like the United States of America. For one thing we have the best standard of living in the world. Everyone is entitled to a free education. We have libraries that are open to everyone, newspapers that are not government controlled, and a long life expectancy thanks to our healthcare system.

We have a Constitution that is over 200 years old. The Constitution protects its citizens from the interference of the government in the pursuit of religious freedom, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press. The Constitution grants us the freedom to travel wherever we want, practice any religion that we choose and say whatever we want. Try any of that in a foreign country!

Other countries do not have the freedom to choose their own government the way we do. We elect our own Representatives, Senators, and President. We have the judicial system that is fair and entitles us to a trial by our peers. In this country you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. If you cannot afford a lawyer, you are given one for free. We can call our Congressmen and Representatives and tell them that we like or don't like what they are doing, or that we don't want them to vote on a particular piece of legislation.

The United States has the strongest national defense in the world. Our scientists and computer technologists have created the most powerful weapons for the protection of this great country. Everyday our military forces use this technology to protect us from enemies and terrorists that can hurt us. We have smart bombs, listening devices, night vision, and stealth bombers.

We were the first to develop the Atom Bomb during World War II. This shortened the war and saved many lives. We have put men on the moon and are now exploring Mars. All of this technology has helped the average American too. We have a higher standard of living than most countries. We all enjoy having our own homes, owning a car, TV's, VCR's, DVD's, video games and computers. We also have the Internet, which was created by the military. This makes it easy to find information for all sorts of things. You can do your banking, buy things, look up words, learn other languages, grocery shop, and talk to someone 2000 miles away, all in an instant.

Because of the size of the Unites States, we have a variety of climates. We have trees and mountains, cold and hot, wet and dry. All of this contributes to our ability to grow all kinds of food for our people. We are totally self-sufficient and don't have to rely on other countries for our food. We have forests full of trees that produce paper, paper products, and furniture. You don't even have to leave the country to go on vacation. The United States is so vast and diverse that you could go anywhere for any kind of activity.

Being an American gives us lots of things that, unfortunately we sometimes take for granted. We have all kinds of natural resources. We have freedom to do what we choose. We are entitled to an education. We have some of the best doctors and scientists in the world. We have a highly trained military force. With all that this country has to offer, why would anyone want to live anywhere else?

Timothy Langis
8th Grade
South Boston Harbor Academy

"I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free" is a line from the song, "God Bless the USA", written by Lee Greenwood. Being an American allows us to be free, unlike some other countries where people are far from free. For example, look at Iraq: the Iraqi's were living a very tough way of life. Although America has gone through tough times in the past, we've learned and tried to become a better place for people to live. Here we are free to do anything we want, within the law.

This past February, I was in the play The Sound of Music. This play took place during World War II, in Austria, during the life of Captain Von Trapp. The Third Reich tried to force the Captain to join them and leave for war, leaving behind his seven children. The Captain didn't believe in what the Third Reich was doing, so he ignored their contact and avoided going to war. In the end, the Von Trapps escaped from Austria and came to America where they were free. Being free is something that most people don't look at everyday, but they should thank God for being able to live in such a stable and great country. I have realized that being born into a great family, in America, is one of the greatest things that has happened to me.

In books I've read, people who are in other countries talk about coming to America, "Land of the Free" or "The Land of Opportunity". Who wouldn't want to live somewhere like this with such a great reputation? America has a very diverse population because people from other countries come here looking for a better life. I've always had this "better life" and using the words from Lee Greenwood's song, "I thank my lucky stars, to be living here today." At my school, Boston Latin School, I have many friends of different cultures, from Iranian, to African-American, to Asian. I also have friends who are from different religions, such as Judaism and Muslim. If America was like some other countries, they wouldn't let certain people who weren't like us live here. Having friends of different cultures and religions teaches me something new everyday, and without these friends I don't think that I would be the same person I am today.

America allows the people to vote for who they want for different political offices, unlike in other countries where someone takes over and the people need to listen to everything that the ruler says. Here we are able to decide who we want to rule and what different rules we like or don't agree with.

"We hold these truth's to be self evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights," (from the Constitution). America also allows us to be equal and someone can't be better than you because they have a few extra dollars in their pocket. Bill Gates and the clown that makes balloons at Park Street are very different with their standing in society, but they are both citizens. They are equal, except sometimes people don't look past all the "great things" someone has done, to the person's true self. Everyone here, no matter what they have done, is good inside and we are all alike. The law might not agree with everything that the people have done, such as Martha Stewart, who is probably a very nice person, but she did something wrong and needs to be in jail to learn to do what's right. Teaching people what's right allows them to become better and treat everyone equally.

I have learned over the past fourteen years of my life, that not having everything you want is okay. There's no need to try to be cool and do what other people do. A lot of teenagers these days are drawn into the thought that they need to do what somebody else is doing, because it's "cool". In America we are given the right to be free and do what we want, and be ourselves. I've taken this to action, and I am myself. I don't care what other people say, even if they think that doing something that's not what they would do is weird. In America we can be what we want to be and nothing can stop us (except the law in some cases).

Overall I find that I am truly proud to be an American because I am able to be myself, be different and not be forced into something I don't want to be. This essay is one good way to show my pride of being American, but nothing can beat standing in Fenway Park with your hand over your heart, listening to the final notes, "for the land of the free, and the home of the brave".

Elizabeth O' Brien
9th Grade
Boston Latin School

Why I am proud to live in America
I am proud to live in America for many reasons. The first of these reasons are that America has so many opportunities and resources. One of the opportunities that I have experienced is free education. Many countries do not have the opportunity to get free education and some schools are gender specific. Some of the resources that are available in America are job training courses, welfare, and shelters for the homeless. These are great resources for people who need them in America and many other countries do not have the ability to produce these resources. Another reason I am proud to live in America is that there are several opportunities for career advancement. Compared to other countries, I think America has the best chance for individuals to excel in the career of their choice. I am proud to live in America because it is the country that stands tall and proud through positive and negative occurrences. Many instances in history made me proud to live in America. Some of them include raising the flag at Iwo Jima and the day Americans stood proudly and showed 9-11 terrorists that united is how we stand against enemies. I am proud to live in America because America is a country that provides several opportunities, resources, career advancement opportunities, and also Americans have a sense of pride that enable us to stand together among the good and bad situations.

America's opportunities are open to every citizen. Public education is free and at this time there are even programs to better prepare students for colleges or for trades. In the school I attend there are several opportunities like being a part of Teach Boston or being a part of the JROTC program. The Teach Boston program basically help students enter a career of teaching in any setting. The JROTC program not only teaches discipline but many other values as well. Some of the values that I have learned as a JROTC cadet are tact, dependability, courage, loyalty, and knowledge. Other countries do not give the opportunity for school aged children to go to school for free. Some parts of the world have not even developed modern schools. I can imagine how the children there are deprived of an education, which should be their right. Some countries do not allow girls to be educated. For example some villages in Africa do not believe that girls have the opportunity to be educated but that girls should learn to grow up and take care of the household and children. In America women have the choice and flexibility to take responsibility for a household, children, and pursue an education as well. One of the reasons that I am proud to live in America is because of the chances for advancement educationally that are provided to American citizens.

I take great pride in living in America because of the great government here, and the principles installed in the people of America. Our country has a democracy and the government is for the people by the people. I strongly believe in our government. The government as well as the principles instilled in the people of America have created a system that has given me many reasons to be proud. One of the instances of history have been a part of my pride are the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. This one part of history has proven the courage and pride that a country can have during the toughest moments. When the soldiers raised the flag the soldiers who were fighting who were at one point depressed during the current battle but when they saw the flag they gained immediate motivation and courage and they won the battle. I am also proud to live in America because of the courage and heartfelt response to the 9-11 attacks. I take pride in living in America because not only do Americans stand proud but they stand together.

I am proud to be an American because I truly feel that America is a great country. America provides resources to those in need of them. Education is a primary reason that America is so great. The resources provided, establish a route that leads to a successful life. Many people may want to graduate high school and enter college where many others want to learn a trade and get a job. There are resources for both. I am proud to live in America because being an American has influenced me to have more courage and loyalty towards all obstacles in life.

Nakennia Hobson
12th Grade
Jeremiah Burke High School