[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4203]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO KANIKA DRAKSHARAM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 24, 2015

  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 them with my House colleagues.
  Kanika Draksharam attends Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas. 
The essay topic is: in your opinion, what role should the government 
play in our lives?

       In my opinion, the role of the government in our lives 
     should be to protect and help the people of the country when 
     they are not able to do those things themselves.
       The topmost priority for a government should be the safety 
     of the people living in that country. If the people are not 
     safe, then the country will fall apart. Providing safety for 
     the people includes a police force, military, a fire 
     department or emergency response team, and an emergency 
     medical system. Without a working police force, society would 
     not be stable, as there would be large amounts of crime. This 
     should be provided from a local government. A military is 
     vital to a country's protection. A government must ensure 
     that the borders of a country are protected. Federal 
     protection is necessary in order to maintain the safety and 
     well being of the people. The military should be provided 
     from a federal level however. Federal and local law 
     enforcement must be enforced. If a country did not have a 
     fire department or emergency medical system, the safety of 
     people would be threatened, and lives would be lost and 
     endangered. It is the responsibility of the government to 
     ensure that people are safe.
       Another role the government must play in people's lives is 
     to provide basic necessities such as education and 
     infrastructure. It should be prioritized, that the citizens 
     of a country are educated and are able to support themselves 
     and benefit to the country. Providing education should be one 
     of the roles of a state or local government to determine the 
     standards of. Providing infrastructure lies in the role of 
     the government, because water, roads, waste collection and 
     electricity are needed. These things are required for a 
     country to be functioning and to ensure the well being of the 
     people. An equal priority, of the government should be to 
     provide a democratic federal justice system. If an individual 
     violates a law, the role of the government is to make sure 
     this person is brought to justice.
       In conclusion, when we consider the role of the government 
     in our lives today, my opinion is the role should be to 
     provide defense, protection, infrastructure facilities, 
     quality education, and a democratic justice system. These 
     things all benefit the people themselves, but at the same 
     time, do not have complete control over them.

                          ____________________