[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 63 (Monday, May 18, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       MY VOICE IN OUR DEMOCRACY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 18, 1998

  Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit for this 
Congressional Record the enclosed prize winning script written by Ms. 
Hannah Leatherbury.

                       My Voice in our Democracy


 1997-98 VFW Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition--Georgia Winner

                        (By Hannah Leatherbury)

       This morning I woke up and fixed myself a bowl of Lucky 
     Charms. I sat down with my cereal and turned on the T.V. to 
     the ``Today'' news program. At the news desk, Anne Currey was 
     reporting on the events of the U.P.S. strike, and the 
     effectiveness of the postal workers' protest. After the 
     commercial break, Katie Couric began speaking to a woman in 
     Illinois who was holding her own protest. This woman was 
     protesting the behavior of her children. She had climbed a 
     tree in her front yard and was remaining ``on strike'' until 
     her children agreed to do their chores and adjust their 
     attitudes. Katie asked the woman if her protest had succeeded 
     and the mother triumphantly replied: ``Yes.'' At first I 
     asked myself how this story qualified as NEWS; and suddenly 
     it dawned on me that even the commonplace person has the 
     right to be heard. Here was a lady from Illinois who was 
     being interviewed on national television because in our 
     democracy she had the right to state her opinion and to have 
     it be heard. This irritated mother was being listened to as 
     widely as the participants of the U.P.S. strike. My voice, 
     like hers, has the ability to sound as loud and as clear as 
     the liberty bell itself.
       I can express my opinions through writing. I can write my 
     local newspaper and state my views on important issues. Not 
     only can my letter influence the topic of the next editorial, 
     but I can even be printed in conjunction with the editorial. 
     I can write for my school newspaper and voice my opinion to 
     my peers. I can write letters to my local congressman 
     explaining my concerns with the decisions being made in the 
     legislature. I can even voice my opinion in a letter to the 
     president. In our democracy I can be confident that, through 
     my writing, my voice is heard in even the highest branches of 
     the government.
       As a consumer I can call or write businesses and respond to 
     the quality of their products. If my whip cream isn't 
     satisfactory all I need to do is write the consumer goods 
     services and wait for a reply. On paper my voice is one of an 
     opinionated person, not one of an insignificant teenager.
       My voice can be heard by joining and organizing groups that 
     share in my beliefs in my community. The student government 
     in my school allows students to share their ideas in 
     improving their school P.L.A.N.E.T. (the school organized 
     environmental group) allows young people my age to take a 
     stand against pollution. There are so many organizations in a 
     community's schools, churches, and businesses which give us 
     all the opportunity to speak up.
       I can even organize my own protests if my opinion is strong 
     enough. I have the ability to boycott and convince others to 
     boycott businesses. If there is a legitimate reason for 
     opposition, your age and social status does not matter; you 
     can be heard. I can speak of the absurdity and lack of 
     intelligence in our nation's top positions and not have to 
     worry about being slapped with a charge of treason. I can 
     laugh out loud and comment on the editorial cartoon making 
     fun of the government without going to jail. The United 
     States Constitution grants us all the freedom of choosing to 
     use our voices.
       Without democracy, this morning and every morning of my 
     life would be dramatically different. The government could 
     ban Lucky Charms from the shelves for its high sugar content, 
     and I would have no right to protest the decision. The news 
     would be filled with the same faces of rich powerful 
     government officials. Instead of the cheerful Katie Couric, 
     we would be greeted each morning by a government appointed 
     figure (similar to the teacher of Ferris Buler) with a 
     monotonous voice and a personality comparable to that of an 
     inchworm. The government would have the authority to tell the 
     American people what they wanted us to hear, thus we would 
     repeat what our government wanted us to repeat without 
     question. We would hear only of ``important'' people and the 
     woman in Illinois could forget about having her voice heard.
       In a country without democracy, my voice would be one among 
     thousands of precious pearls locked in a safe never to be 
     displayed in public. Fortunately, democracy enables my tiny 
     pearl of wisdom to be removed from its safe and placed on a 
     necklace to be worn at a grand banquet.

     

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