[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 103 (Thursday, July 25, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1350-E1351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           ARIZONA'S VOICE OF DEMOCRACY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. BOB STUMP

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 24, 2002

  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and its Ladles 
Auxiliary have a long history of promoting patriotism and values 
through its Voice of Democracy audio and essay competition. The 
program, now in its 55th year, requires high school student entrants to 
write and record a three to five minute essay on a theme. This year, 
the theme, ``Reaching Out to America's Future,'' attracted more than 
85,000 student entrants nationwide.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to announce that Alison Boess, who 
resides in the Third Congressional District of Arizona, is a national 
winner of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy Scholarship. 
Alison, a senior at Ironwood High School, was among 58 national 
scholarship recipients in the 2002 Voice of Democracy Program and the 
recipient of the Department of Pennsylvania Joseph L. Vicites Memorial 
Award. VFW Post 1433 and its Ladies Auxiliary in Glendale, Arizona 
sponsored Alison. I am pleased that Alison was among the 58 national 
scholarship recipients. I commend Alison's efforts and call to the 
attention of my colleagues Alison's award winning script on ``Reaching 
Out to America's Future.''

 2001-2002 VFW Voice of Democracy Scholarship Contest--Reaching Out to 
                            America's Future

                           (By Alison Boess)

       Imagine yourself in a life where freedom, dignity and the 
     acquisition of knowledge have been stripped from you. The 
     walls surrounding you are dark with grim mortality and 
     incarceration, imposed by a government that views you as a 
     threat to its authority. Your beaten body rests heavily in 
     the prison cell, immersed with thoughts of your family's 
     safety and the terror they are to suffer through. Perpetual 
     gunshots keep your heart darting wildly in your chest. 
     Outside the walls that have become your asylum, your wife and 
     children attempt to flee from their fate, but are shot dead 
     by their assailants. Your people have been overcome by a 
     government that withholds basic God-given rights and affords 
     you no control over your conditions.
       This is not a dramatization of what could be. It is an 
     image of what already is, right now, in countries currently 
     run by powers over which citizens have no influence--an image 
     far outside the experience, understanding, and appreciation 
     of most American youth.
       The idea that the future of America depends upon its youth 
     is a widely received and valid notion. French statesman 
     Alexis de Tocqueville observed that ``Among democratic 
     nations, each new generation is a new people.'' Bearing that 
     in mind, the responsibility that our new generation 
     understands

[[Page E1351]]

     and values the principles of democracy falls squarely on the 
     shoulders of our parents, leaders, and educators.
       Parents face the task of bringing up their children to be 
     moral and upstanding members of the community. To be a good 
     citizen, one needs to embrace not only the rights, but also 
     the responsibilities of living in a democracy. Voting for 
     officials is one of the key components. Voters must be well-
     informed so they-can choose the candidate who will truly 
     represent their beliefs and concerns. John F. Kennedy 
     commented that ``The ignorance of one voter in a democracy 
     impairs the security of all.'' If parents demonstrate a 
     desire within themselves to be knowledgeable about those who 
     they vote for, then their children will see this as the 
     proper example of responsible voting. Citizenship and 
     morality are also important attributes that parents should 
     teach to children. While democracy promotes freedom of 
     speech, it also calls for citizens to respect the ideas and 
     opinions of others. Accordingly, children should be taught to 
     listen to what others have to say with the same enthusiasm 
     with which they speak their mind. In addition, if youths are 
     clearly taught the difference between right and wrong, then 
     they can adhere more effectively to laws. Parents serve a 
     vital role by reaching out to their sons and daughters to 
     teach them lessons in civility that result in an 
     understanding and appreciation for democracy.
       Leaders and politicians need to exemplify the ideals of 
     democracy in our world. It is their duty to honor the wishes 
     of those they represent in order to show the effectiveness of 
     voting. Leaders also should embrace and fill the role of a 
     diplomatic and law-abiding citizen so that future generations 
     of politicians may look to them for good example. Politicians 
     would be well suited to speak to classes or youth groups 
     about what being a leader in a democracy means. If our 
     nation's leaders reach out to our young generation, they will 
     help to ensure the comprehension of our government and 
     safeguard its liberties with the abilities of tomorrow's 
     leaders.
       It is hard for students to imagine what life would be like 
     without the presence of a democratic government system. Young 
     Americans have taken democracy for granted because it is the 
     only form of government they have truly understood. It is far 
     easier to appreciate the impact of restrictions imposed on 
     foreign populations when the events occur during the 
     student's lifetime. Educators can play a crucial rate not 
     only by teaching the history of oppressive governments, but 
     by describing and detailing situations in the present where 
     the people's lack of power has resulted in an unjust and 
     often corrupt system. Recently, for instance, our attention 
     has turned to impoverished countries in the Middle East such 
     as Iraq and Afghanistan, and many are beginning to see for 
     the first time the demoralizing conditions under which many 
     of the world's people live. As important as our history is. 
     current events are more persuasive and influential learning 
     resources because they help students directly empathize with 
     those suffering under tyranny. Educators will instill in 
     students an earnest appreciation for the democracy they live 
     in if they can open the eyes of students by revealing the 
     circumstances of those for whom democracy is not a reality.
       Many of the youth in this nation have not had the 
     opportunity to truly appreciate America's democracy. The 
     harrowing account of the reality of others must not go 
     unacknowledged and our own reality must not go unappreciated. 
     If the parents, leaders, and educators reach out to America's 
     youth and reveal to them why this system is looked to as an 
     example by all the world, then interest and the desire of 
     youths to participate will be exponential. We must instill in 
     youth the values of democracy and the importance of its 
     endurance within our nation in order to ensure the strength 
     of the American democracy for generations to come.

     

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