[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 775-777]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        VERMONT ESSAY FINALISTS

 Mr. SANDERS. Madam President, I ask to have printed in the 
Record finalist essays written by Vermont High School students as part 
of the Fifth Annual ``What is the State of the Union'' Essay contest 
conducted by my office. These 20 finalists were selected from over 400 
entries.
  The essays follow:


             Sam Anglum, Burr And Burton Academy (Finalist)

       We marched along for roughly 5 miles, part of which was 
     right through Times Square. While holding up our signs and 
     chanting what we wanted to see change in our government's 
     priorities, I looked to my left and gazed at the skyline full 
     of skyscrapers atop the canopy of Central Park.
       My class and I were marching alongside 400,000 New Yorkers, 
     Americans, and globally aware citizens at the 2014 NYC 
     Climate March. Climate change is a very serious issue that 
     not many people are sensitive enough about. My hopes going 
     into the march were to be a part of bringing global awareness 
     to the massive shift in attitude I feel is going to save the 
     Earth from its imminent doom.
       After participating in such a momentous event, I want my 
     voice to echo further than the streets of Manhattan. I want 
     the United States government to consider helping by promoting 
     climate education in schools across the nation so that this 
     kind of action becomes a part of the everyday agenda. As a 
     high school student in Vermont, I urge my very own state 
     senators including Governor Shumlin to consider spreading 
     this type of education across the State of Vermont. I imagine 
     the future generations as the key components to setting goals 
     and battling for solutions to the problems that people are 
     fighting against today.
       Not everyone will be an activist, or even care nearly as 
     much as they should, but as long as more of the youth is 
     aware of these pressing global issues, the amount of people 
     that will create change will no doubt be multiplied. Our 
     world's economic foundation is based on the over-extraction 
     of fossil fuels, and because of this one in four carbon 
     emissions comes from humans. I am aware that Vermont has a 
     goal of making restrictions on fossil fuels and ultimately 
     becoming 90 percent renewable by 2050. Every student in 
     Vermont should be aware of this goal. I strongly urge the 
     United States government to contribute to that further by 
     promoting this kind of discussion within classrooms.
       New York City Councilman Donovan Richards, a man on the 
     panel for 350.org, spoke to us the night before the march, 
     and his words stuck with me. ``Rulership does not coincide 
     with leadership.'' The streets of Manhattan were full of 
     leaders on Sunday, September 21, and our desire was to 
     influence our rulers. However, if our voice is transmitted to 
     our ``rulers'' such as yourself, our governments can ``lead'' 
     us into a more sustainable and renewable world.


    Caroline Arthaud, Champlain Valley Union High School (Finalist)

       Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, and 
     fellow Americans:
       Theodore Roosevelt once said, ``This country will not be a 
     good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good 
     place for all of us to live in.'' At this time, it is my duty 
     to lead this country towards such a place. I stand here today 
     to address our successes, but also our deficits. Although 
     Americans have many reasons to be proud of our 
     accomplishments, it is unrealistic and inaccurate to declare 
     ourselves flawless. We must muster the courage to confront 
     the issues that hold us back.
       Although the unemployment rate has decreased from 9.7 
     percent in 2010 to 5.8 percent in November of 2014, there are 
     still 9 million Americans without jobs. This is not 
     acceptable.
       Beyond this, our precious environment is deteriorating. 
     What many seem to struggle to understand is that the gradual 
     warming of the earth is not an issue affecting only polar 
     bears and penguins, but a growing danger to humans, as well.
       To begin to address issues of unemployment and environment, 
     it is important that we, the American people, do our part to 
     raise awareness and call for action. America needs to 
     initiate large-scale production of renewable energy sources. 
     This will help us in two ways: it will expand employment and 
     create new jobs, and it will also transition this country 
     from dependence on pollution-causing energy sources to 
     cleaner solutions. We can sleep easier knowing that we have 
     stopped engaging in a process sure to leave our children and 
     grandchildren with a world too far gone to rehabilitate.
       Yet, another issue has escalated severely in recent years. 
     It is one that has resulted in the violent deaths of 20 
     innocent six-year-olds in 2012, and that continues to take 
     the lives of an average of 289 Americans daily. Many of us 
     don't want to look at the problem of gun violence, but it has 
     become something we can no longer ignore. We must formulate 
     legislation that demands the renewal of gun permits on a 
     regular basis, and work to improve the quality of mental 
     health treatment. We must insist upon implementing stricter 
     background checks on anyone wishing to bear weapons.
       Change is difficult. It's difficult on an individual basis, 
     and vastly more difficult on a national one. However, I 
     believe that the ability to change is a big part of what has 
     made this nation so great. Americans are resilient and 
     creative, and I believe that if we set our minds to it, we 
     can improve the state of our union. I call upon you, all of 
     you, to help continue the legacy of this remarkable country 
     by working with me to better the lives of all Americans. 
     Unemployment, environmental degradation, and gun violence are 
     a lot to take on; however, we live in a country capable of 
     anything.
       Thank you. God bless you, and God bless the United States 
     of America.


               HAR WA BI, Winooski High School (Finalist)

       ``There is a lot that happens around the world we cannot 
     control. We cannot stop earthquakes, we cannot prevent 
     droughts, and we cannot prevent all conflict, but when we 
     know where the hungry, the homeless and the sick exist, then 
     we can help,'' says Jan Schakowsky, the U.S. Representative 
     from Illinois. We can't help what nature creates, but being 
     homeless is not nature. It is produced by humans and only 
     humans can erase it. It is our nation's fault for letting 
     people become homeless and live in poverty. We

[[Page 776]]

     need to help the homeless and not let the poor become 
     homeless.
       According to studentsagainsthunger.org in United States, 
     each year more than 3.5 million people become homeless. They 
     are forced to sleep in parks, under bridges, in shelters or 
     cars. In fact, 35 percent of the homeless population are 
     families with children, which is the fastest growing segment 
     of the homeless population. And, 25 percent of the homeless 
     population suffer from some form of mental illness. According 
     to the feedingamerica.org, 45.3 percent of the people lived 
     in poverty in 2013. This included 26.4 million people ages 18 
     to 64, 4.7 million children under the age of 18, and 4.2 
     million seniors 65 and older.
       I believe poverty happens in the United States because 
     housing and hospital bills are too expensive. Lower-income 
     workers cannot afford food and shelter. After we pay for 
     housing, nothing is left for us. We don't have a higher 
     income, we have food stamps which are low because the 
     government cut it off, including for my family. And, my mom 
     is the only one who works. According to homeaid.org, some 
     part of the homelessness is caused by the loss of loved ones, 
     job loss, domestic violence, divorce and family disputes. 
     Other impairments such as depression, untreated mental 
     illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and physical 
     disabilities are also responsible for a large portion of the 
     homeless. I want government to help those people who need and 
     try to stop it from happening, and to make our nation become 
     better.
       I believe only government can decrease homelessness and 
     help to increase the income, which all poor people need. We 
     need to decrease the cost of hospitals or anything that costs 
     a lot. Please help us poor and homeless because the 
     government is our only hope. We will be waiting for the 
     results of our government's actions.


         Peter Camardo, South Burlington High School (Finalist)

       A democracy is a government ruled by the people. In a 
     democracy, the citizens hold the responsibility of making 
     decisions. This is why United States of America has been 
     successful throughout history. A democracy is the most 
     productive way to run society when its citizens are engaged, 
     but it loses its superiority when the population is plagued 
     by ignorance.
       In my lifetime, Americans have been fortunate to live on 
     our homeland without major threat to our national security. 
     We have grown accustomed to lives of guaranteed safety. 
     Unfortunately with this privilege, we have begun to feel 
     entitled and to neglect our responsibility as American 
     citizens. Issues of great concern are being ignored by the 
     American population as if they mean nothing. Americans are 
     sitting back and waiting for others to take action while 
     grave matters are left undebated by the American public. I 
     think back to President Kennedy's inaugural speech, and when 
     he said the famous words, ``Ask not what your country can do 
     for you--ask what you can do for your country.'' It is 
     important that we American citizens remind ourselves of these 
     words in everything we do, and to remember that our 
     government is built upon the strong, independent voices that 
     make up a democracy.
       I don't believe there is one significant issue concerning 
     the United States that is more urgent than the rest. Each 
     issue we face is vital for our nation to address 
     appropriately. Regardless of which issue we undertake at 
     which time, the first step to solving it is to become 
     educated, and to stop ignoring problems just because they are 
     not affecting us directly. All the members of a democracy 
     must understand a conflict before it can be solved. In an age 
     where people have infinite information at their fingertips, 
     it can be easy to lose sight of important information. We 
     must be educated before we can solve our issues of today.
       The responsibility to educate the public lies with the 
     elected members of our government. It is important for our 
     government to be straightforward and honest. It is important 
     that when there are protests and movements the voices of the 
     American people are heard and represented. Most importantly, 
     the United States Congress should set an example for 
     leadership and communication, and should inspire the people 
     of the United States through proactive legislation and 
     positive inter-party communication.
       We are the greatest nation on earth. We are far too 
     experienced and wise to get caught up in a bipartisan 
     conflict. When we get caught up in a battle with ourselves, 
     it dejects us. The reason why the citizens of America have 
     lost a sense of American pride is because our leaders seem to 
     have lost a sense of purpose. The objective of our government 
     is to, ``Establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, 
     provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, 
     and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our 
     posterity,'' and the government should put aside their 
     personal beliefs in an effort to make that happen.


     Taylor Devaney, Missisquoi Valley Union High School (Finalist)

       President Obama once said that, ``The nation cannot prosper 
     long when it favors only the prosperous'', and as a young 
     Vermonter, I agree with this statement. I am concerned with 
     the state of our union due to the ever-growing, unequal 
     wealth distribution. As the rich get richer, the poor get 
     poorer, and in many situations wealth distribution gets 
     ignored. The middle class population used to be the backbone 
     of the nation, but every year it gets harder to make ends 
     meet, as they slide lower down the economic class scale. 
     America leads the world in the widest gap between the have 
     and have nots, making the idea of America being the land of 
     opportunity seem more of an unlikely dream.
       The most recent studies from the Federal Reserve show that 
     a mere 3 percent of American families own 54 percent of the 
     wealth in the United States. The unbalanced wealth 
     distribution is dangerous for the nation as a whole. 
     Economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman state that in 
     their research that the wealth distribution has grown to the 
     same levels as in the 1920's. The top 1 percent owns upwards 
     of 40 percent of the wealth in the United States. As a 
     nation, we have experienced the disastrous effects of an 
     economic crash during the Great Depression, due to unbalanced 
     wealth. We as a nation have failed to learn from our mistakes 
     and are continuing down a dangerous path. The middle class is 
     still at risk for being hurt the most, as they are left to 
     clean up the mess of the high rollers. An unfair task when 
     their wages remain stagnant, as the profits and wages soar 
     for those at the top of the corrupted corporate ladder. The 
     hard working American people do not deserve to struggle and 
     something must be done.
       The mega-rich are not paying appropriate amount of taxes 
     for their wealth, making the middle and lower class make up 
     for the difference. Many of the people who control the tax 
     rates are also the ones who make the most. Members of 
     Congress are creating laws to benefit themselves. Big money 
     and government fit together well, for politicians look for 
     the wealthy to support them financially.
       We can no longer only provide for wealthy men and women who 
     indirectly control our government. Creating a scaled taxation 
     system will help balance the wealth in the nation. Making 
     sure the wealthy are paying their fair share is key to 
     balancing out our nation's prosperity. The U.S. can take note 
     from the most famous, and down to Earth business from 
     Vermont, Ben & Jerry's. This company had a system of a pay 
     ratio between the highest paid employee and the lowest paid 
     employee of 5 to 1 in its early years. These numbers are 
     relatively small, but scaling them could make an impact on 
     businesses today. Unequal wealth distribution benefits only a 
     small portion of the country and will be the cause of a 
     failed economy.


             Connor Drown, Winooski High School (Finalist)

       America. Home of the brave and land of the free. It is at 
     its heart known as a free country, with opportunity just 
     waiting for someone to snatch it up for themselves. It is a 
     land where one desires the ``American Dream.'' Unfortunately, 
     this is not remotely possible, and many citizens of the 
     United States have difficulties living in this country. The 
     United States of America is a great country to live in, if 
     not the best, but is also far from perfect.
       Everything in America could be improved in one way or the 
     other. Education and health care are huge government issues 
     that need improvement in order to make the United States of 
     America a more suitable place to live.
       Firstly, education in America is one of if not the most 
     important factors to a successful career and life for US 
     citizens. Getting a high school diploma is still very 
     important, but it is now becoming more and more of a 
     necessity to attend college and get a degree. According to 
     usnews.com, the value of a college degree is greater than it 
     has been in nearly half a century, at least when compared to 
     the prospect of not getting a degree. Among millennials ages 
     25 to 32, median annual earnings for fulltime working college 
     degree holders are $17,500 greater than for those with high 
     school diplomas only. The only problem is that college has 
     increasingly become less and less affordable.
       According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition 
     and fees for the 2013-2014 academic year was $30,094 at 
     private colleges, $8,893 for state residents at public 
     colleges, and $22,203 for out-of-state residents attending 
     public universities. Most Americans don't even consider 
     public schools, which are most often referred to as the least 
     expensive, affordable. According to the Huffington Post, 62 
     percent said they believe most people are not able to afford 
     the cost of a public college education. If the majority of 
     America could afford college to achieve their career goals, 
     America will be a better and more successful country. If 
     something such as raising taxes benefits colleges in that it 
     will be more affordable, America will have more opportunity 
     to strive for success.
       Health care is another issue that I feel should be 
     mentioned. It is said that President Obama and the United 
     States in general wants to make healthcare more affordable to 
     everyone. Government run health care systems, such as 
     Obamacare, are free and low-cost government run programs that 
     result in higher costs and everyone receiving the same poor 
     quality health care. Health care should remain privatized so 
     that the people who

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     may need better health care and can also afford it without a 
     huge deductible may receive it.
       In conclusion, ensuring that health care remains the same 
     and reducing the cost of education will undeniably improve 
     America.


         Spencer Eckert, Woodstock Union High School (Finalist)

       Remember when you got your first job? I'm sure it was an 
     exciting and proud moment. It could be that you weren't even 
     concerned about your hourly pay, but as time went by, I'm 
     certain that changed and you realized that you work hard and 
     want to be compensated for that. In today's society, it can 
     be hard to earn a good living wage from a ``decent'' job. But 
     for many people, they don't get good pay even when they 
     should. The low minimum wage today makes it difficult for 
     people to survive and make a living.
       There are a number of compelling reasons to increase the 
     minimum wage. Let's begin with the economy. It's simple; 
     raising the minimum wage would have a positive effect on the 
     economy by giving workers more money to spend. It would be 
     good to raise the minimum wage to $15 because there would be 
     more money being pumped into the economy. If workers get paid 
     more, then they are happier and with a better mood they will 
     want to spend more. It gives people the confidence to spend 
     more and when they spend more they are fueling the economy. 
     ``A raise for minimum wage earners will put more money in 
     more families' pockets, which will be spent on goods and 
     services, stimulating economic growth locally and 
     nationally,'' according to the ``Minimum Wage Mythbusters.''
       Increasing minimum wage has a positive impact on the 
     working family. It helps them to make ends meet, and at the 
     same time enables them to spend some money. When they spend 
     money, they are fueling the economy.
       Raising the minimum wage would not cause any job loss or 
     unemployment, and most work places would not go out of 
     business if they were to raise the minimum wage. In fact 
     there would probably be less turnover. Therefore, companies 
     would reduce the amount of money they spend on training. If 
     companies compensate their employees with better wages than 
     those employees are happier and more committed to that 
     company. So raising the minimum wage can have a positive 
     effect on companies. ``Raising the minimum wage would be good 
     for our economy. A higher minimum wage not only increases 
     workers' incomes--which is sorely needed to boost demand and 
     get the economy going--but it also reduces turnover, cuts the 
     costs that low-paid employers impose on taxpayers, and pushes 
     businesses toward a high-road, high-human-capital model.'' 
     (Said T. William Lester, David Madland, and Jackie Odum, in 
     their article Raising the Minimum Wage Would Help, Not Hurt, 
     Our Economy)
       One reason why the minimum wage should be increased to $15 
     is because it would help a lot of people get out of the 
     poverty level. Too many people in the country who work at 
     minimum wage jobs currently depend on the government for 
     other help. People subscribe to government programs such as 
     food stamps and school breakfast and lunch programs, just to 
     name a few. ``According to a Michigan survey shows that 
     families who work at fast food businesses are much more 
     likely to enroll in safety net programs than the workforce as 
     a whole, such as food stamps.''
       Another reason why the minimum wage should be increased to 
     $15 is because of the positive psychological benefits. It 
     would raise people's self-esteem and self-worth and would 
     also allow children in these poverty-level homes to have 
     better opportunities in the future. If these children are 
     able to improve their performance in school, then they are 
     likely to continue education which would allow them to pursue 
     better paying jobs in the future. If they have better paying 
     jobs, they are no longer on government programs and they have 
     the opportunity and confidence to spend money which fuel the 
     economy. It is a positive cycle. ``A raise in the minimum 
     wage would not only help many families escape or avoid 
     poverty, but could also significantly boost their children's 
     academic performance and future adult earnings,'' said Yannet 
     M. Lathrop, a Policy Analyst who has conducted studies on 
     raising the minimum wage.
       There really is no downside to raising the minimum wage. 
     Raising the minimum wage to $15 would be good for employers, 
     workers, families, and the economy. Raising the minimum wage 
     would lead to these dramatic outcomes: getting families out 
     of poverty, giving children a better education and future, 
     giving employers committed workers, putting more money into 
     the economy, giving people the confidence to spend more and 
     making people happy.


      Jacob Gallow, Missisquoi Valley Union High School (Finalist)

       Jean-Jacques Rousseau stated, ``A man is born free, but 
     everywhere we are in chains.'' Freedom is something everyone 
     seeks, but most will never experience it. Given more power, 
     the government becomes a wolf among sheep. People flock to 
     the sight of freedom, only to see that even something so 
     great has its limits. Governments tend to give more things to 
     the people, things to give them a sense of security, a place 
     to sleep, somewhere to work, to do as they wish. Those things 
     come at a price, the price of freedom. The more the people 
     receive, especially on the topic of security, the more 
     liberties are contracted.
       Are we truly free? America sits in the shadow of threats 
     every day, for there will always be some person who despises 
     the place we call home. Security is something we, as 
     Americans, take for granted. While we sit in the shadows, not 
     even aware of it, brave men and women risk their lives and 
     die every day for the security of their homeland, wishing for 
     a safe place for their friends and family to live. Yet, here 
     we sit in the symbolic country of freedom, with someone 
     always looking over our shoulder. That security we take for 
     granted tends to take away the liberties and freedoms we were 
     given many years ago. The more of a grip the government has 
     on its people, the more the people are caged.
       Our troops are out fighting for our government, and our 
     government's wishes, but have we ever stopped to think of 
     what our own troops went through? According to Veteran's 
     Inc., around 529,000 and 840,000 veterans are homeless each 
     year, one in ten veterans are disabled related to war 
     injuries. According to CNN, 22 veterans take their own lives 
     each and every day, some resulting from PTSD, a disorder 
     soldiers get after experiencing the horrors of war. Veteran 
     unemployment rate is another issue among all of these. What 
     can we, as Americans, do to help our Veterans. We surely are 
     not doing enough, and those numbers keep climbing. What about 
     those families of soldiers, what do they have to go through 
     each and every day with a spouse, parent, or sibling off at 
     war, fighting people because our governments wants to be 
     ``involved.''
       We don't need to be caught in everyone else's business, 
     unless it becomes our business, and if we do get involved, we 
     need to back up our soldiers first. Our country had to solve 
     our own problems in 1861-1865, let others do the same.
       Freedom isn't really free. Here in America, we are promised 
     freedom, but the securities we receive and the democracy we 
     spread binds us in chains, not allowing us to roam free. Sure 
     there needs to be laws enforced, yes there needs to be 
     security, but we need freedom too. Our government needs to 
     focus on our country. Will we as Americans allow the 
     anaconda, known as the government, to strangle us, the 
     people, as mice?

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