[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7749]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                          HONORING MISHI JAIN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 24, 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.
  Mishi Jain is a junior at Elkins High School in Fort Bend County, 
Texas. Her essay topic is: In your opinion, what role should government 
play in our lives?

       Thomas Jefferson once said ``The care of human life and 
     happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only 
     objective of [a] good government.'' Jefferson is correct when 
     he describes the objectives of a government. A government's 
     role is not to coerce or force citizens, but, rather, a 
     government's roles include guiding, assisting, and taking 
     care of the lives of citizens. A government's primary 
     obligation is to uphold the best interest of the people and 
     to take actions that will enhance societal welfare.
       To begin, the government must function as a mechanism that 
     protects its people from foreign invasions and other threats. 
     In order to fulfill its primary obligation, a government must 
     take all and any actions necessary to protect our nation and 
     its people. It has become evident through past events where 
     the United States was under attack or under threat, and 
     necessary action was taken to preserve the safety and 
     wellbeing of the people. Whether it be against foreign 
     threats or domestic threats, a government must make the 
     nation a safe place to be. Furthermore, governments must also 
     regulate companies and the market to ensure that corruption 
     should not take place. To prevent a situation like that of 
     during the late 1800s where corruption was prominent and big 
     businesses acted as monopolies, a government, like ours 
     today, is needed to ensure that there is a sufficient 
     standard of economic wellbeing and that all businesses are 
     getting a fair chance. Therefore, a major role of the 
     government is to monitor economic practices and place laws to 
     regulate those as well. Finally, a government's obligation is 
     to take care of those who are underprivileged or may not be 
     as lucky as others. It must regulate social security, help 
     out the unemployed, and assist families that are financially 
     unstable. As a government, it is of the utmost importance 
     that it takes into account all of the issues mentioned and 
     ensure that these issues are taken care of. Many people in 
     our country need help, and in order to uphold societal 
     welfare, a government must help out everyone equally.
       In retrospect, a government's main and most important role 
     is to secure the lives of its people. These lives are 
     extremely significant and a government must take all actions 
     necessary in the best interest of the society and its people. 
     Therefore, Jefferson was correct and making the assertion 
     that ``the care of human life and happiness [. . .l is the 
     first [. . .] objective of a government.''

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