[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7732]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING KAYLEIGH FAAS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 23, 2013

  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.
  Kayleigh Faas is a sophomore at Needville High School in Fort Bend 
County, Texas. Her essay topic is: In your opinion, what role should 
government play in our lives?

                    The Positive Power of Government

       What role should government play in our daily lives? In my 
     opinion, government should be a structured framework for our 
     education system, economy, and healthcare programs. In hopes 
     of creating a ``more perfect union'', our founding fathers 
     strived to create a fair and just system to serve Americans.
       We depend on our government to protect its citizens. 
     Government affects all human activity. Some of the important 
     groups are consumers, workers, investors, and the 
     environment. The Constitution was designed to defend our 
     ``lives, liberties and pursuits of happiness''. Only the 
     government has the power to maintain these rights.
       Government itself is valuable and beneficial to Americans. 
     It is a powerful force in forming and maintaining a strong 
     society. Citizens have different relationships with their 
     government whether it be at the federal, state, or local 
     level. In my opinion, people should support their 
     governmental systems and view them as an institution rather 
     than an administration. We may not agree with elected 
     officials on all issues, but should work together with them 
     to better our nation. We are lucky to live in a democratic 
     society where we have a voice and the right to vote for our 
     leaders of choice.
       We should have a positive attitude towards our democratic 
     government. As stated in our Constitution, our forefathers 
     created our government in order to create a more perfect 
     union and to defend and promote the welfare and tranquility 
     of our citizens. These are assurances that most of the 
     world's countries wish they could achieve.
       Government, in my opinion, is valuable and beneficial to 
     all citizens and should continue to positively affect various 
     aspects of our lives on a daily basis. Our government is the 
     only entity that can help us grow together as a strong and 
     healthy nation. It provides the foundation for our economic 
     growth. It also positively impacts our education system and 
     promotes a higher level of competency which results in better 
     lives. Other nations look to our form of government as a 
     model for shaping and bettering their own. Our government has 
     a vital and indispensable role to play in continuing to 
     improve the lives of all Americans. We, as responsible 
     citizens, must support our government system, because after 
     all, WE have created it.

                          ____________________