[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 8380-8381]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  TREVOR P. SCHMIDT WINS THE VFW'S 1999 VOICE OF DEMOCRACY BROADCAST 
                         SCRIPTWRITING CONTEST

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BILL BARRETT

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 4, 1999

  Mr. BARRETT of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to call my colleagues' 
attention to the following script written by my constituent, Trevor P. 
Schmidt, a senior at Chadron High School in Chadron, Nebraska. Trevor 
won the VFW's 1999 Voice of Democracy broadcast scriptwriting contest 
for Nebraska.

                         My Service to America

       The other day my friend Shawn and I went out to lunch. I 
     was driving so I said, ``Where

[[Page 8381]]

     would you like to eat today, Shawn?'' He said he didn't care, 
     so we went where I wanted to go. Once we got there, Shawn 
     started to complain like you wouldn't believe, and I thought 
     to myself, what right do you have to complain? I gave you a 
     choice, and you deferred to me. In America today, the 
     constitution and our fellow citizens are asking us, ``Where 
     do we want to go today?'' Unfortunately, the majority of 
     Americans are saying, ``I don't care''. However, if you read 
     the news, the majority of people do care. They are just not 
     motivated enough to do anything about it. Oh sure they like 
     to complain once they see where the country has ended up, but 
     complaining can't move a speck of dust and it isn't going to 
     help our country. Democracy is based around participation, 
     and it is only successful when used properly. Like a car's 
     engine, America can run using only part of its cylinders, but 
     in order for America to reach its highest potential, all 
     parts must be working at the same time.
       Democracy is a tool just waiting to be picked up, but like 
     any other tool it is useless until someone puts it to work. 
     Throughout time, it has been used by a plethora of 
     individuals, and now it is my time and the time of my peers. 
     It is time for us to accept the torch of America that is 
     slowly being passed down. We cannot let the flame die, so we 
     must hold it high and let it light the way for the world. For 
     many of my peers, action in Democracy will begin as they cast 
     their votes in this fall's election. While I'm not able to 
     join others in voting at this election because of my age, I 
     have taken my own road to ensure that the tool of Democracy 
     does not sit idle. Since voting was not an option for me, I 
     wanted to ensure that those who did have the right to vote 
     were making use of it. I approached the county clerk and 
     arranged it so that I could be their extension. Over a course 
     of three days, I worked for them and registered over fifteen 
     new high school voters. While this really isn't comparable 
     with running for office, it was something I could do to help 
     my country. This action was just another step in my 
     maturation as a citizen of democracy.
       I began my service years ago, when as a child I first began 
     to read. At first I only read simple stores, but as the years 
     passed, I began to read and hear a much grander tale; one of 
     a nation that rose up around a noble theory, a nation that 
     was to be ruled by the people. I learned of America. I 
     thrived on this utopian story for many years, but once again 
     as time passed the story got more complex. I learned of the 
     mistakes America and its people had made, and I learned of 
     the great people who struggled to rectify these mistakes. I 
     have absorbed many people's opinions over the years, and now 
     I have my own and I know that I can give them voice.
       Langston Hughes once wrote, ``I too sing America, I too am 
     America.'' This is where I stand now and forever, I will sing 
     my voice along with my fellow Americans and though my voice 
     may be lost in the chorus at times, I will keep singing, keep 
     supporting my nation. A person singing a solo is limited to 
     his/her options, but a choir combines each individual's 
     choices into a complex splendor. Choral music depends on each 
     member singing his or her own distinctive part. Sometimes the 
     chords clash, and sometimes the parts slide into near unison; 
     always each part must be heard. So too with democracy, I must 
     speak my opinion, but I also must hear and accept my fellow 
     citizen's opinion and recognize that my nation will be 
     nothing with just my part. One thing that is of key 
     importance though is that I must know my part; therefore, my 
     quest for knowledge must never end. I must also encourage 
     those around me to speak their mind. Even though I may not 
     like what I hear, it is an essential part for the success of 
     democracy. This is how I will serve my country. I will learn 
     all that I can, I will take in others' opinions and learn 
     from them, and then without reservation I will speak my mind 
     and let my nation know how I feel. I too am America, and I am 
     not about to let anyone forget.

     

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