[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4492]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO RIDA SARWAR

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 25, 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.
  Rida Sarwar attends Pearland High School in Pearland, Texas. The 
essay topic is: In your opinion, what role should government play in 
our lives?

       239 years ago, the thirteen colonies declared independence 
     from Great Britain. Since then, the United States government 
     has always played a large role in the lives of Americans 
     throughout history. The role of the government plays a huge 
     part in society. The government should always cater to the 
     needs of its citizens and provide an organized society.
       In 1776, America declared its complete autonomy from Great 
     Britain by signing the Declaration of Independence. Fifty-six 
     men signed the document that would later become the most 
     important document in American history and a symbol of 
     independence. These men signed the declaration for many 
     reasons. The most well-known reason was because of the 
     absence of representation for the colonies in the British 
     parliament. These universal founding principles of 
     representation and equality have become the basis of American 
     government. Democracy upholds these principles in the 
     government. The government is indirectly ruled by the people 
     through representatives. These representatives are 
     responsible for directly seeing to the needs of the people 
     who live in their specified region. The government's job is 
     to accommodate the needs of the citizens. American government 
     is ``for the people, by the people''. The power of the 
     government is limited by its citizens. This is self-
     government in its truest form.
       The government is also responsible for creating an 
     organized society. People pay taxes to the government so that 
     the government can generate revenue and maintain its 
     operations. In return, the government should be responsible 
     for providing various services to the people. The government 
     should provide fundamental services such as basic 
     infrastructure, security and a stable economy. A country 
     cannot support itself without a solid infrastructure. 
     Therefore, the government should provide adequate facilities 
     for their citizens. They should be responsible for providing 
     urban infrastructure such as water supply, electricity and 
     roads. It is the government's duty to effectively utilize the 
     resources within a country for development. This means that 
     the government should also be able to provide other services. 
     Tax money should be used to create better education, health 
     facilities and social security. The American government has 
     always provided the best safety for its citizens. A 
     government should always protect its citizens, because they 
     should come first. Lastly, the government is responsible for 
     keeping a stable economy. Without a stable economy, the 
     people cannot survive.
       The American government was established to serve the best 
     interests of its people. Its role is to provide for them. It 
     should provide an organized society and a good government. 
     The government's main role is to serve its people.

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