[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 7479-7480]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             STUDENT ESSAYS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 18, 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.
  Siri Soth is a junior at Austin High School in Fort Bend County, 
Texas. Her essay topic is: In your opinion, what role should government 
play in our lives?

       It is important for the government to play an active role 
     in our lives but to a certain extent. I think it is an 
     important duty of our government to provide us with a strong 
     National Defense and protect our individual rights and 
     freedoms. Our government has an obligation to protect us from 
     powers that we, as a nation, would not be able to adequately 
     protect ourselves from. Our government's number one priority 
     should be to protect its nation from any harm whatsoever. By 
     providing this great nation with the strongest defense 
     possible, our government is instilling faith and pride in the 
     people of this country. It is also the government's duty to 
     protect our rights. Our individual rights are very important 
     to our freedom and if those rights are protected and 
     respected, our nation will be happy. Our rights are given to 
     us at birth, they are not granted by the state and they are 
     not in anyone's control. Our government is there to ensure 
     our rights and make sure that no one can take said rights 
     away from an individual. Life and liberty are magnificent 
     gifts that certainly cannot come from any government 
     official, but can be protected by one. Protecting our rights 
     is necessary for our government to do in order for our nation 
     to feel safe and secure and to know that our rights cannot be 
     taken away by anyone. In my opinion, the government is here 
     to hold people accountable for their actions by making and 
     administering laws for the good and safety of our nation. I 
     also believe it is the role of the government to enforce the 
     separation of church and state. In order to protect our 
     rights, such as freedom of religion, I think it is a must to 
     ensure that church is not associated with government. Because 
     of the mass amount of diversity in our country and the 
     numerous religion and religious values present, intertwining 
     church and state is limiting people's first amendment. People 
     of this nation should never feel uncomfortable about an 
     action of the government because of a religious bias. So in 
     short, our government definitely needs to play an active role 
     in our lives, but under certain circumstances. The government 
     needs to ensure safety in the people of this nation by 
     protecting us from foreign powers and ensuring us with faith 
     in them to respect our rights and keep us secure.

  Stephanie Lin is a junior at Clements High School in Fort Bend 
County, Texas. Her essay topic is: Select an important event that has 
occurred in the past 50 years and explain how that event has changed 
our country. Stephanie chose the Vietnam War.

       The Vietnam War has constantly been referred to as ``The 
     War We Couldn't Win''. From an objective perspective, gazing 
     at the maps of offensives, counterstrikes, and captures, it 
     may seem the case. However, we must also examine the effects 
     within our own domestic issues. Of course, the economic 
     perspective forces us to acknowledge the losses incurred from 
     the soldiers sent . . . and the innocents killed.
       More than forty years ago, on the fourth of May, the city 
     of Kent dawned upon a massacre of horrors. The Ohio National 
     Guard, people meant to protect, fired over sixty-seven rounds 
     of bullets in thirteen seconds into a crowd of Kent State 
     University students protesting against Nixon's invasion of 
     Cambodia, killing four students and wounding nine others. 
     Comparatively, the numbers seem small, insignificant even. 
     However, what was killed was not only human lives, but an 
     ideal. The public trusted the government to protect their 
     freedom of expression, and their own people. The Kent State 
     Massacre violated that trust for the public, desecrating and 
     shattering the idealized vision of the youth of America.
       Afterwards, the response from the public was astounding. 
     Kent State photojournalism student John Filo captured a 
     fourteen-year old runaway, Mary Ann Vecchio, screaming over 
     the body of the dead student, Jeffrey Miller, who had been 
     brutally shot in the mouth. The photograph earned a Pulitzer.
       The public seemed to interpret the photograph as a symbol 
     of the broken faith, cupped in the hands of America's future 
     generation, as they desperately scrambled for some humanity. 
     The event may have seemed small in casualties, but it, in the 
     end, was a ripple, causing a tremendous effect on the 
     public's opinion over the role of government in the Vietnam 
     War.
       The shootings represented that America was not only 
     fighting a war in Vietnam, but a war with itself. It caused 
     people to question the roles and responsibilities of the 
     government. The impact it has left on the people of America 
     can be seen with the public's notions about the government 
     now. The protests against big business seem to be lumped in 
     with protests against how the government represses or does 
     not pay attention to the people.
       I may not fully understand the impact brought to the public 
     from all these different events more than fifty years ago, 
     but I do understand what it is like to be frustrated when 
     your voice is not only unheard, but also gunned down. This is 
     why I feel the Kent State Shootings are so significant to me. 
     It showed how the people felt violated by the government, yet 
     also taught us authority that abuses control, or senseless 
     violence against protesters, will result in repercussions. We 
     all have the power of voice. If our whispers are swiftly cut, 
     we will swiftly scream for justice.
       Today's government understands the role of expression and 
     how wrong it is to rashly repress it. Perhaps Vietnam was The 
     War We Couldn't Win, but we had victories in voice.

  Stephanie Tsai is a senior at Foster High School in Fort Bend County, 
Texas. Her essay topic is: Select an important event that has occurred 
in the past 50 years and explain how that event has changed our 
country. Stephanie chose Apollo 11's Moon landing.

       Below his feet, he felt the fine-grained dust that coated 
     the surface of the moon. Stepping forward, Neil Armstrong 
     uttered some of the most famous words in human history: 
     ``That's one small step for man, one giant leap for 
     mankind.'' In 1969, the Apollo 11 moon landing brought 
     American exploration and technological capability to new 
     heights, both figuratively and literally. This major 
     achievement was a testimony to our nation's unwavering 
     perseverance in the face of adversity.
       For years, humans dreamt of walking on the moon, yet such a 
     task seemed impossible. To many, a moon landing was little 
     more than a dream. But America is and has always been a 
     nation of dreamers. With President Kennedy's challenge to 
     ``[land] a man on the moon and [return] him back safely'' 
     before the end of the decade, a goal which he correctly 
     described as ``important for the long-range exploration of 
     space,'' brought America closer to the realization of a 
     centuries-long ambition. In all human history, there had 
     never been an accomplishment quite like this. The moon 
     landing was the first time human beings had set foot outside 
     the planet earth, and it paved the way for future space 
     exploration.
       Americans who witnessed the moon landing undoubtedly rank 
     it among their most unforgettable memories. One of the 
     proudest moments in American history, the moon landing spoke 
     to the tenacity of the American people. It reminded people 
     around the world of America's immense capabilities and the 
     power of American resolve. The moon landing was the product 
     of the cooperation of determined Americans to accomplish the

[[Page 7480]]

     impossible. It was a triumph for technological innovation and 
     the foundation for countless scientific advancements. To 
     millions, it brought hope for a future in space exploration, 
     for landing a man on the moon proved that there are no limits 
     on the reaches of human imagination. Indeed, Armstrong spoke 
     prophetically about this ``giant leap for mankind.'' The moon 
     landing forever changed our outlook on the world and the 
     possibilities it holds.
       The members of the Apollo 11 mission were pioneers, brave 
     people who dared to push the frontiers of human knowledge and 
     existence. The same adventurous spirit that resulted in the 
     discovery of America, a new world, over five hundred years 
     ago carried American explorers to the moon. In history, 
     Americans have always taken the initiative to boldly navigate 
     the unknown. Today, we look back at the moon landing and 
     marvel at where our dreams were able to take us. In five 
     hundred years, who knows what more we will have accomplished? 
     The possibilities are endless.
       So, what does the moon landing mean for America now? 
     Recently, Time magazine reported that over six thousand 
     applications for the next astronaut class were submitted, 
     ``the most since 1978.'' Clearly, American interest in space 
     exploration is as enthusiastic as ever. In today's age of 
     rapid technological improvements, America's continued 
     leadership in space is certainly possible. Together, let's 
     look forward to a future of turning dreams into realities.

  Madison Weaver is a senior at Clements High School in Fort Bend 
County, Texas. His essay topic is: In your opinion, what role should 
government play in our lives?

       Government is defined as the political direction and 
     control exercised over the actions of the members, citizens, 
     or inhabitants of communities, societies, and states. In 
     other words, the government is the ultimate source of 
     authority in our country. However, I believe that this power 
     should be used with restraint. I also believe that government 
     should focus on protecting the people, instead of controlling 
     the people.
       Helping secure jobs and keeping companies in business is 
     something the U.S. government has been promoting heavily in 
     the past few years. With the passing of the `bail-out' bill, 
     numerous corporations, that would have otherwise failed, were 
     saved by the government's decision to give them enough money 
     in order to stay afloat. Consequently, millions of people 
     were able to keep their jobs. But what does that say about 
     our government? Is it humanitarian that our government reacts 
     in order to save those companies and jobs? No, in fact this 
     shows that our government is pushing forth its own agenda of 
     what will be produced in America. The fine line between 
     government protecting and controlling is the difference in 
     outcome. Protecting, will ultimately promote a healthier 
     economy; while controlling, will produce quicker results, yet 
     negative, long-term effects. For instance, by giving money to 
     banks that made numerous bad loans, was essentially saying 
     that it was `ok' to make bad business decisions. Also, by 
     giving money to the auto industry, was essentially saying 
     that it was `ok' to make products that people didn't want. 
     Yes, the government was able to save many businesses, and 
     countless jobs; but do we want failed businesses to operate 
     in America? The answer is, `no'!
       Instead of looking at every business failure as a sign of 
     weakness of the government, we need to see to the failures 
     and embrace them too. Without the fear of failure, there is 
     no drive for success. Therefore, we need to have failures, 
     recessions, and yes, even job losses in order to drive people 
     to succeed and make our country better. I believe that the 
     government has done us more harm than good in attempting to 
     control the recession. By stepping back and letting the 
     business cycle run its course, only then can government truly 
     guide our country to a more productive America.

                          ____________________