[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4735]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING LUKE MOFFETT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 26, 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.
  Luke Moffett attends Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas. The 
essay topic is: in your opinion, what role should government play in 
our lives?

       An organized and intentional government is essential for 
     any country to thrive and run efficiently. However, in my 
     opinion, the government can easily overstep its bounds and 
     become a catalyst for persecution and oppression. It is clear 
     that the founding fathers were very skeptical of--after years 
     of debate--creating a centralized government. They realized 
     that the very thing they fought and died to rid themselves of 
     can easily creep back into the delicate balance of true 
     democracy, actively nullifying their painful sacrifices. When 
     they finally had the chance to establish their vision of a 
     perfect government, they immediately focused on the concept 
     of a small central government to give the power back to the 
     people. With the terror of absolute rule fresh on their 
     minds, knowing the potential of a sovereign government, these 
     men realized what government's role truly should be. Because 
     of this, the founding fathers are the most influential 
     figures in my view towards the government's role in my life 
     and the lives of those around me. I believe that the 
     subsidies and programs that accompany a large and powerful 
     government are far outweighed by its potential to take all 
     those things away in an instant. If we allow the government 
     to provide everything for us, then we truly have no freedom 
     because we are ultimately bound to the large government that 
     provides everything we need. Although this is extreme, it 
     accurately portrays the dangers of a large central 
     government. Therefore, I firmly believe that local and state 
     governments should adopt a larger role in the lives of the 
     citizens within their jurisdiction, coupled with a central 
     government that focuses on foreign affairs and large 
     international issues. On the contrary, the necessity of a 
     central government can easily be witnessed throughout history 
     and, therefore, cannot be overlooked. In the United States' 
     establishment, the absence of a central government led to 
     turmoil, violence, and an obvious lack of organization. The 
     balance between local, state, and federal government is 
     fragile and difficult to set, yet it is vital to the well-
     being of a nation. Therefore, I believe that although 
     governments may have good intentions, ultimately governments 
     lose sight of true freedom, and because of that reason, a 
     government should never have the ability to micromanage my 
     life or limit my Constitutional freedoms.

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