[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 47 (Tuesday, April 26, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 26, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       VOICE OF DEMOCRACY WINNER

 Mr. COATS. Mr. President, every year, the Veterans of Foreign 
Wars honor students from across America for writing inspiring essays 
about democracy. This year Russell Disilvestro from Bloomington was 
selected from more than 1,700 entries from Indiana and was judged 10th 
of the 54 best from over 138,000 entries across the country. I would 
like to include his essay entitled ``My Commitment To America'' for the 
Record and commend it to your attention. Far too little credit is given 
to the exceptional young people like Russell who will one day be 
leading this Nation.

                        MY COMMITMENT TO AMERICA

                      (By Russell C. Disilvestro)

       Come with me for a moment as we journey back in time to the 
     year 1863 and listen to Abraham Lincoln as he delivers the 
     Gettysburg Address. Most of us are familiar with the opening 
     line--``Four score and seven years ago our Fathers brought 
     forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty 
     and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created 
     equal.'' We may not be as familiar with the statement of 
     Lincoln's that comes a little later--``It is for us the 
     living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work 
     which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.''
       Now let us journey back to 1993 and think about Lincoln's 
     words as they relate to us today. Lincoln spoke about the 
     need of citizens to fight to preserve their Union, but they 
     were in the midst of a Civil War. What do we, as citizens, 
     need to do in 1993 to preserve our Union? What is our 
     responsibility as citizens of this great democracy?
       As citizens, we have many responsibilities. We need to 
     learn about our country's past, care about our country's 
     present, and prepare ourselves for our country's future. The 
     key to our responsibilities is found in Lincoln's words. Our 
     country is, as he called it, an ``Unfinished work.'' We are 
     creating a new America each day. As a young person in 
     America, I personally must ask, ``What kind of America am I 
     helping to create?''
       As a young person, I show my commitment to America by 
     learning about my country's history, and by learning about 
     the Constitution. I show my commitment to my country by 
     learning about the problems that face my country, by obeying 
     the laws of my country, and by serving my fellow countrymen. 
     I am serving my fellow man now by participating in student 
     government. Some day in the future, I may show my commitment 
     to America by running for an elected public office. That is a 
     future dream, but I don't have to wait for the future to show 
     commitment.
       I try to show my commitment by using my writing and 
     speaking skills to promote positive things about my country. 
     This year, I spoke on Veteran's Day at my high school about 
     the role of veterans in protecting our country's freedoms. 
     Another unique way I have shown my commitment to America is 
     by giving speeches about the importance of voting.
       Why voting? Why have I chosen this topic as a unique focus 
     of my commitment to America? Because I think that voting is 
     so fundamental to our system of democracy. The world events 
     of the past few years have made me stop and think about our 
     country, our system of democracy in comparison to other forms 
     of Government. All over the world, people literally have been 
     dying for a democratic system that will allow them to vote. 
     The students of China flooded Tiananmen Square, the people of 
     East Germany broke down the wall, hungry for freedom! In the 
     recent breakup of the Soviet Union, we witnessed the 
     flowering of a new democracy where a totalitarian government 
     once stood.
       But freedom always has a cost. The birth of freedom, like 
     any birth, involves pain, and, like any birth, involves the 
     shedding of blood. Our own country and government were 
     established only after the loss of many lives. Soldiers with 
     bleeding feet starved, froze, and died serving under George 
     Washington at Valley Forge. They paid a price so that we 
     could have a democracy today!
       How important is our democracy? Just ask the veterans who 
     fought against Hitler in World War II. Just ask the United 
     States soldiers who risked their lives in the Persian Gulf 
     conflict. Just ask the families whose sons' and daughters' 
     names are engraved on the Vietnam War Memorial.
       Let's think back to Lincoln's closing remarks at his 
     Gettysburg Address--``We here highly resolve that these dead 
     shall not have died in vain--that this Nation, under God, 
     shall have a new birth of freedom * * *'' Each time we show 
     our commitment to America, we give freedom a new birth. By 
     showing our commitment to America, we can join our dream to 
     the dream of Abraham Lincoln: That this government ``* * * of 
     the people, by the people, shall not perish from the 
     Earth.''

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