[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 29, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S739-S740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                VERMONT STATE OF THE UNION ESSAY WINNERS

 Mr. SANDERS. Madam President, since 2010 I have sponsored a 
State of the Union essay contest for Vermont high school students. This 
contest gives students in my State the opportunity to articulate what 
issues they would prioritize if they were President of the United 
States.
  This is the contest's 9th year and I would like to congratulate the 
almost 600 students who participated. It is truly heartening to see so 
many young people engaged in finding solutions for the problems that 
face our country. To my mind, this is what democracy is all about.
  A volunteer panel of Vermont teachers reviewed the essays and chose 
Firdaus Muhammad as this year's winner. Firdaus, a freshman at Essex 
High School, focused on the rise of Islamophobia across the Nation. 
Jackson Maiocco, a senior at Bellows Falls Union High School, was the 
second place winner. Jackson wrote about military spending and the 
impact our defense budget has on our Nation. Joseph Brody, a senior at 
St. Johnsbury Academy, was the third place winner, having written about 
voter suppression.
  I am very proud to enter into the Congressional Record the essays 
submitted by Firdaus, Jackson, and Joseph.
  The material follows:

         Firdaus Muhammad, Essex High School, Freshman, Winner

       September 11, 2001--a day that all Americans remember. A 
     day that changed so many lives. A day when I wasn't even 
     alive yet. Yet 9/11 was a day that changed my life. Fast 
     forward eleven years to 2012. I was in third grade and had 
     just made the decision to start wearing the hijab in public. 
     I had awoken that winter morning with the intention to wear 
     my hijab to school, but I was naive. I didn't know that by 
     wearing the hijab, I became a symbol of Islam. I didn't 
     realize that by wearing a piece of cloth on my head, I was 
     suddenly a nine year old representing all 1.7 billion Muslims 
     across the globe.
       It's 2019. Eighteen years have passed since 9/11. It's been 
     seven years since I started wearing the hijab publicly. The 
     racism against Muslims has only gotten worse. The hatred and 
     Islamophobia has spread like wildfire, affecting every Muslim 
     in its path. Women's hijabs are being ripped off, racist 
     slurs are being spit at Muslims, and the angry stares have 
     only increased. The rise of Islamophobia during these past 
     years has been exacerbated by President Trump's Travel Ban. 
     On January 27, 2017, President Trump signed the Protecting 
     the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United 
     States Order. This became known as the Travel Ban or 
     essentially, the Muslim Ban. Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, 
     Yemen, North Korea, and Venezuela were all affected by this 
     ban. It's not a coincidence that five of these countries have 
     a majority Muslim population.
       I clearly remember watching the news with my dad and 
     hearing all the racist names being thrown at Muslims. Being 
     an eleven year old Muslim girl, I couldn't comprehend how 
     people could be so rude and racist to one another. I didn't 
     understand why Muslim families were suddenly being torn apart 
     because they were deemed ``unsafe''. Why were people suddenly 
     so scared of Muslims? Didn't they know that Islam was a 
     religion founded on peace and justice? A religion of equality 
     and kindness? How can we live in ``The Land of the Free'' 
     when Muslims are afraid of being targeted based solely on 
     their religion? I am lucky enough to live in Vermont where 
     most people are quite respectful and accepting of each other. 
     But I also know that there are other Muslims who are not so 
     lucky. Those Muslims who feel isolated in their offices, 
     schools, and other public places.
       I believe that in order to solve this huge racial problem, 
     we must learn to accept each other's differences. We should 
     not discriminate against others based on their religion. We 
     need to make sure that we represent people as they are, not 
     based on stereotypes. We cannot let the actions of a few 
     people reflect the beliefs of a whole religion. The United 
     States is a country of diversity, a country built by 
     immigrants. Any person who comes from any religion, deserves 
     to feel respected and welcomed in this country.

 Jackson Maiocco, Bellows Falls Union High School, Senior, Second Place

       For decades, an excess of military spending has plagued our 
     nation while there are many vital areas that would prosper 
     with the reallocation of some military spending. The majority 
     of our nation's federal budget is dedicated to the military; 
     in 2018, the US spent a grand total of $623 billion on 
     national defense. This huge sum of money dwarfs the amount 
     that President Trump allocated to the Department of 
     Education: a mere $68 billion. I know that sounds like a 
     considerable amount of money, so I'll put it in perspective. 
     For every dollar spent on education, nearly $11 went to the 
     military. This simply can't stand.
       In fiscal year 2018, the US Federal Budget was roughly a 
     trillion dollars. President Trump made good on his promise to 
     slash federal budgets, but increased the defense budget by 
     almost 10%. Considering the size of the defense budget, a 10% 
     increase is huge: $52 billion, to be exact. Areas that were 
     negatively affected by Trump's budget cuts were the 
     Department of Education, which had a 14% budget slash, and 
     the Department of Health and Human Services, which lost 18% 
     of its federal funding. Every country's main goal should be 
     the scientific and social advancement of their citizens and 
     society as a whole, so the damage done by Trump's budget cuts 
     is incredibly detrimental to our nation. Meanwhile, we're 
     pouring unprecedented amounts of money into building tanks 
     that will never see action; according to Eric Husher, former 
     Senior Balkan Intelligence Analyst (1992-1996), there are 
     over 4,000 M1 Abrams tanks sitting in the Nevada desert 
     collecting dust. Keep in mind that it costs upwards of $4.3 
     million to assemble an M1 Abrams. So collectively, there's 
     roughly $17 billion worth of American taxpayers money sitting 
     in a parking lot in Nevada. But wait, it gets worse. These 
     tanks aren't being built for use; they're simply being built 
     to keep a factory running. This needless military spending is 
     incredibly detrimental to our country. Excessive military 
     expenditures results in slower economic growth, and, as 
     outlined above, is simply a waste of money.
       The only feasible solution is to gradually decrease 
     military spending, and invest those funds into more 
     worthwhile areas such as education, science, and healthcare. 
     Far right hawks and conservatives might argue that a drastic 
     decrease in military expenditures would leave us exposed and 
     weak, but the evidence states otherwise. In fact, even if we 
     cut our military budget by 80%, we would still have military 
     superiority in the world.
       In the words of legendary journalist Hunter S. Thompson, 
     ``Every Republican administration since 1952 has let the 
     military-industrial complex loot the treasury and plunge the 
     nation into debt on the excuse of a wartime economic 
     emergency.'' With no such emergency anywhere in sight, our 
     tax dollars should be spent on more worthwhile investments.

        Joseph Brody, St. Johnsbury Academy, Senior, Third Place

       Democracy was founded on the fundamental principle that the 
     power of government is derived from the consent of the 
     governed. Throughout the course of our nation's history, this 
     foundation has been fractured by the disenfranchisement of 
     low-income and minority groups. The Jim Crow laws, for 
     example, prevented African Americans from voting through poll 
     taxes and literacy tests. While the means of voter 
     suppression have become less glaring, the United States 
     continues to systematically suppress underrepresented 
     populations from exercising their Fifteenth Amendment right. 
     In order to ensure that our democracy is accessible and 
     fruitful for all, the United States must abolish Voter ID 
     laws and reform Election Day.
       First of all, minorities are silenced by the Voter ID laws. 
     As Attorney General Eric Holder simply stated, ``We call 
     those poll taxes.'' Voter ID laws inhibit minority voters 
     because they present additional barriers to an already 
     problematic voting process. Even though obtaining 
     identification is often touted as ``free,'' Harvard Law 
     School asserts that the cost of supporting documents can 
     exceed $175. Given that minorities are often in the lowest 
     income brackets, this price can be insurmountable and 
     disproportionately prevents African Americans from receiving 
     identification. The Brennan Center for Justice revealed that 
     nearly 25% of African Americans lack necessary identification 
     in comparison to just 8% of their white counterparts. 
     According to The University of San Diego, the beneficiaries 
     of Voter ID laws are largely ``whites and those on the 
     political right.'' Clearly, this not only alienates 
     minorities, but produces politicians who are not concerned 
     with their interests. The solution is simple: eradicate Voter 
     ID laws. Though many express concern about voter fraud, this 
     fear is baseless. Professor Justin Levitt confirms that there 
     have only been 31 cases of credible voter impersonation since 
     2000. In short, Voter ID laws are a refurbished Poll Tax; 
     under the mask of ``fraud

[[Page S740]]

     prevention,'' only the disenfranchised stand to be silenced.
       Election Day is a hindrance because it occurs on a Tuesday. 
     The working class cannot afford lost wages or lost energy 
     from standing in hours-long lines. The result of this awkward 
     timing: low-income Americans cannot afford to vote. According 
     to the Pew Research Center, 63% of the most financially 
     secure Americans voted in the 2014 election, while only 20% 
     of the least financially secure were able to make it to the 
     poll. In effect, the population that bears the greatest 
     burdens possesses the least political power. In actuality, 
     Election Day was established on a Tuesday so that farmers 
     wouldn't miss church or market day. The government needs to 
     act with a similar intent and align Election Day with the 
     schedule of the working class. It should be a federally 
     mandated holiday and stretch across Saturday and Sunday. For 
     those unable to vote, absentee ballots should be guaranteed 
     and expedited.
       Ultimately, eliminating Voter ID laws and reforming 
     Election Day will make voting accessible to all Americans. 
     Voting is at the heart of democracy, and once this is 
     realized, the quality of life for all Americans will be 
     heightened.

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