[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5452]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING IRENE COFIE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 24, 2012


  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to interact with some of the 
brightest students in the 22nd Congressional District who serve on my 
Congressional Youth Advisory Council. I have gained much by listening 
to the high school students who are the future of this great nation. 
They provide important insight into the concerns of our younger 
constituents and hopefully get a better sense of the importance of 
being an active participant in the political process. Many of the 
students have written short essays on a variety of topics and I am 
pleased to share these with my House colleagues.
  Irene Cofie is a senior at Dawson High School in Brazoria County, 
Texas. Her essay topic is: In your opinion, what role should government 
play in our lives?

                            A Just Overseer

       Every man needs a leader: a mentor who will regulate that 
     person's decisions while also serving as an overseer by 
     making sure every decision formulated by the individual is 
     civil and doesn't hold the potential to cause mayhem. In this 
     sense, we as men, have the government as our leader to verify 
     that the decisions we take are astute and will not result in 
     culpable consequences for the majority. Thus, a government's 
     ideal role can best be described as an equitable overseer of 
     men.
       As an overseer, a government should remain open-minded to 
     its citizens' desires and rights. Many governments follow a 
     precept, in hopes of maintaining consistency in laws and 
     regulations within their nation. This precept also limits a 
     government's susceptibility to popular demands that are 
     irrational. For example, in America, our government acts on 
     the precept of securing freedom and civil liberties to its 
     citizens, as established by the United States Constitution. 
     Yet, even though the government of America vigilantly manages 
     citizens' affairs through laws, the American government 
     doesn't aggrandize its power over Americans through cruel 
     tactics. However, in many communist countries, the government 
     enjoins its citizens to do exactly as they command and as a 
     result, many citizens of such nations lack the natural rights 
     they deserve. Therefore, even though the role of a government 
     is to serve as an overseer to its people through laws and 
     rules, it is highly important for a government to not be 
     straitlaced in its governing style. A government should 
     instead regulate the masses to make sure that chaos doesn't 
     erupt, while still granting citizens their natural liberties.
       Governments' main concern should be providing a safe 
     environment for citizens while assuring that citizens' 
     freedoms are protected and mandated appropriately; thus, 
     freedoms given to one will not counter the civil rights of 
     another. Even though it is up to government to oversee the 
     protection of the masses, citizens primarily have a higher 
     influence in governing their own actions. As a result, 
     citizens should act to control their behavior in society, 
     instead of receiving condemnation by government in order to 
     enable them to live virtuously. In other words, citizens do 
     not need a ``big brother'' government to certify that they do 
     not abuse drugs or alcohol. Rather, the axiomatic truth 
     stands that citizens of any government are entitled to behave 
     maturely and govern themselves as individuals.
       It is common for citizens to complain that the role of 
     government is too big and extensive. Ultimately though, the 
     fault of this conflict belongs to citizens because it is the 
     responsibility of all citizens to take care of themselves 
     through moral reasoning and laudable ethics; we as citizens, 
     should be caretakers of our own distinct lives. In turn, the 
     government can maintain an efficacious nationhood, through 
     enforcement of logical precepts as an overseer of the masses, 
     not necessarily the individual. In conclusion, the government 
     serves as a protectorate of everyone within its country, 
     making sure that peace and order are maintained through laws 
     and regulations, in benefit of the majority.

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