[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 680-682]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        VERMONT ESSAY FINALISTS

 Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask to have printed in the 
Record copies of some of the finalist essays written by Vermont High 
School students as part of the sixth annual ``What is the State of the 
Union'' essay contest conducted by my office. These finalists were 
selected from nearly 800 entries.
  The material follows:


       FARYAL AFSAR, MOUNT MANSFIELD UNION HIGH SCHOOL (FINALIST)

       ''Whoever kills an innocent person it is as if he has 
     killed all humanity''--Quran 5:32.
       Being a Muslim girl in the world, I hear many bad things 
     about my religion or my country. Sometimes when people come 
     to know that I'm a Muslim girl they may think that I'm a 
     terrorist, yet I wonder how only 0.03% extremists can 
     represent 1.6 billion people of the world. As a child, I grew 
     up in a loving Muslim family. My parents didn't even permit 
     us to kill a spider or an ant. I was never told to spread 
     violence in the world. I was never taught in my school or 
     house to be an extremist. In my reading of our holy book, I 
     only found words of wisdom and peace so then why are the 
     extremists labeled as Muslims? How can we say they belong to 
     a certain religious group if they kill innocent people?
       As an exchange student from Pakistan coming to Vermont, I 
     was first afraid of coming to a country that may see me as a 
     terrorist since I am a Muslim. I thought I may be bullied or 
     someone would call me a terrorist in school but the love I 
     have received from people here is what I had never imagined. 
     But still when I hear negative news about Muslims or my 
     country on TV or the internet, it hurts me. I want to help 
     people understand Islam and my country. A month ago after the 
     ISIS attacks in Paris, this topic was raised again and 
     political leaders started saying that Muslims shouldn't be 
     allowed to enter the U.S. I ask, is this really the solution 
     to the terrorist problem? How is it that I have been welcomed 
     so warmly through this exchange program and yet there are 
     those who generalize and state that Muslims are not welcome 
     here?
       Each year hundreds of exchange students from the Muslim 
     world come to the U.S. and the students and their host 
     families form a special bond. These relationships form strong 
     connections and the memories live forever. Our country's 
     leaders should look at what we are doing; young people can 
     play

[[Page 681]]

     just as an important role as our current leaders. We are not 
     spreading any violence; we are trying to know each other. We 
     are humans and we care about each other. It's not because 
     we're from the same background or religion. What matters the 
     most is how strongly we are bonded to each other.
       The problem of terrorism is not a problem for one country 
     but for the whole world, and the solution to it is not 
     blaming each other and closing boundaries but rather knowing 
     and helping each other. I believe that if people open 
     themselves to new experiences and start knowing each other, 
     the world would be a good place.


          MEGAN BROMLEY, MILTON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL (FINALIST)

       My fellow Americans, sometimes overlooked are the basic 
     human rights and needs of the people. While this may entail 
     many topics, I would like to focus on a major issue that has 
     slid under the radar for far too long. The epidemic of rape 
     and sexual assault runs rampant through our country and not 
     much has been done to change this continuing tragedy. Steps 
     may be taken. The first step must address the unprocessed 
     rape kits. Throughout our country there are over 20,000 
     unprocessed rape kits. Add to this the estimate that 68% of 
     rapes or sexual assaults that occur go unreported. Imagine 
     how large the number of unanalyzed kits there would then be 
     if even 50% more were to be reported. This is a challenging 
     issue and it cannot be solved overnight, however there are 
     steps to take in the right direction aside from moral and 
     ethical obligations.
       One solution that could be enforced is a quota, by this I 
     imply that every city must meet a certain number of kits 
     processed in order to get the number of prosecutors facing 
     jail time or other capital punishment inclining. Too many 
     cases go without investigation even after the kit has been 
     used and the victim has been tested, this crime is not fading 
     away and must be faced head on not shied away from due to 
     technical complications that can be entirely avoided. The 
     federal government should follow through with a funded 
     mandate to state and city law enforcement to help them 
     process the kits and create additional lab facilities.
       Now, as I have just said the number of people who have 
     committed a sexual assault crime in prison would increase due 
     to the processing of more rape kits, this leads into my next 
     point of discussion--incarceration rates and funding for 
     prisons. 12.7% of inmates are made up of those who are 
     serving time for drug violations and marijuana expenses. We 
     are pouring millions of dollars into our state and federal 
     prison systems and too much of that is going towards people 
     for up to twenty years for marijuana possession. However I 
     propose to use the funding instead to evaluate something such 
     as unprocessed rape kits and begin to treat minor drug use in 
     a proactive manner. Marijuana possession should be removed as 
     a state and federal crime and result in no jail time. 
     Instead, as a nation we should implement counseling after a 
     three strike policy or enter the convicted into a 
     rehabilitation program if the drug use worsens. Many other 
     countries decriminalized the use and/or possession of 
     marijuana and they have some of the lowest rates regarding 
     drug use and misdemeanor crimes. Just by reducing 
     incarceration of people convicted of misdemeanor drug crimes, 
     there would be an inclination of money to put forth on other 
     issues at hand, not just processing rape kits. Taking one 
     step at a time towards the issues that are more manageable 
     such as the two I have just discussed is how America can move 
     forward, it doesn't need to be a leap of faith and a tackle 
     at a major issue, one objective at a time culminates for a 
     strong, prosperous country.


       MIKAYLA CLARKE, BELLOWS FALLS UNION HIGH SCHOOL (FINALIST)

       There are many different issues that the U.S. is facing 
     right now, but one of the most beneficial actions the U.S. 
     could do right now is to legalize marijuana. By legalizing 
     marijuana for recreational and medical uses the country would 
     benefit in many different ways. The crime rate would 
     dramatically decrease, the use of prescription drugs would 
     decrease and the economy would greatly improve.
       The economy is not in a great place in the U.S., as we are 
     $18.7 trillion in debt, and counting. In 2014 the Washington 
     Post wrote that Colorado made $700 million off of medical and 
     recreational marijuana in the first year it was legal. By 
     legalizing marijuana, many more job opportunities would open 
     and a whole new industry is created. The amount that the 
     whole country would make would be in the billions.
       The use of prescription drugs such as painkillers and 
     sleeping pills is greatly increasing. Those pills become 
     addictive and many people use them to get high because 
     they're legal and easy to obtain. Children are given those 
     pills, and they may become addicted at a young age. While 
     there is the ability to overdose on those pills, marijuana is 
     almost impossible to overdose on and brings better relief 
     than prescription drugs. Overdose deaths from prescription 
     pills were significantly reduced in the 23 states that allow 
     medical marijuana. By legalizing marijuana the dispensaries 
     get different strains of marijuana to help people sleep or 
     deal with pain. If it's being used in the medical form the 
     THC can be extracted and the CBD's can be used for the pain. 
     There are many different ways to consume marijuana, such as 
     oils, creams, foods, and smokable. In the U.S. there are over 
     one million people using medical marijuana, yet, it's still 
     not legal in all states.
       People all over the country are getting in legal trouble 
     for using and possessing marijuana. Young people are getting 
     criminal records for a non-violent civil offense, and as a 
     result will potentially be not allowed to gain federal 
     student loans or jobs. With our limited police and jail 
     resources, there are more important and harmful substances to 
     focus on. In April of 2014 MSNBC wrote an article, Study: 
     Marijuana Legalization Doesn't Increase Crime, ``Even after 
     Colorado legalized the sale of small amounts of marijuana for 
     recreational use on Jan. 1 of this year, violent and property 
     crime rates in the city are actually falling.'' Since the 
     government is regulating the marijuana, it will be safer. 
     There won't be strands that are laced with other harmful 
     drugs, such as heroin or cocaine. By legalizing marijuana, 
     less people will get arrested for the use and possession.
       As a country we should legalize marijuana. First we should 
     start with medical, because medical patients are more 
     important. Then as a country it should be decriminalized. 
     Then, we should legalize recreational. By legalizing 
     marijuana not only will marijuana users benefit, even non-
     users will benefit.


     MADDIE COLLINS, CHAMPLAIN VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL (FINALIST)

       The 2008 financial crisis should have paved the way for a 
     new era of banking, for real reform and regulation, for much 
     needed change. The 2008 financial crisis should have forged 
     the path for breaking up the nation's largest banks, but 
     instead the crisis has taken a back seat to other, more 
     heavily broadcasted issues. This back seat position has 
     allowed the same Wall Street bankers who are to blame for the 
     greatest recession since the Great Depression, to yet again 
     be gambling with taxpayer money. In my opinion, it is of 
     utmost importance to regulate our financial institutions in 
     order to hinder their increasing ability to damage the global 
     economy. We must understand that our country and the world as 
     a whole would be devastated if another large bank were to go 
     bankrupt.
       In our country there are four banks that hold assets of 
     more than $1 trillion dollars. The largest, JP Morgan Chase 
     and Company, holds $1.8 trillion dollars in total assets, the 
     equivalent of 14% of all total assets held by U.S. commercial 
     banks. Comparatively, in 2001, the top asset holder was Bank 
     of America with $552 billion dollars. This increase is 
     substantial, and will only continue to rise.
       The problem with these large banks is that if they were to 
     go unexpectedly bankrupt it would cause rippling effects on 
     the economy, similar to what the world witnessed in 2008 with 
     the bankruptcy of the Lehman Brothers. To give this some 
     perspective, the Lehman Brothers' total assets were $600 
     billion dollars, only one third of JP Morgan Chase and 
     Company's current assets. These banks pose a real threat to 
     the security of our financial system. As described by William 
     C. Dudley, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New 
     York, there are two big problems with these ``too big to 
     fail'' banks. First, to combat the threat that they pose, the 
     government intervenes and gives large banks a funding 
     advantage over smaller banks, thus creating an unfair playing 
     field. Secondly, this funding advantage creates incentives 
     for financial firms to become larger and more complex. As the 
     banking system becomes more and more complex, the risks 
     dramatically increase, only furthering the problem.
       In a time where our government officials are advocating for 
     the creation of more jobs and placing greater value on small 
     businesses, we need to be more aware of what is best for this 
     type of business. We need smaller, community banks to serve 
     small businesses for they do a better job of fulfilling their 
     credit needs. Unlike with large institutions, community banks 
     allow businesses to receive loans based on their reputation 
     and reliability within the community that they serve, rather 
     than basing it solely on their credit scores.
       With a clear perspective and a shift in focus, it is 
     certainly achievable to break up our nation's largest banks 
     and ensure that greed and selfishness are no longer the 
     ruling forces that drive our financial institutions.


             OLIVIER ENWA, WINOOSKI HIGH SCHOOL (FINALIST)

       The country that you and I live in is fantastic and I am 
     really proud of the things we are doing. I would like to 
     address two problems, which are racism and prejudice. 
     Specifically, there are people who are being judged by their 
     skin color or their religion in the United States.
       More people of color are being sent to jail than white 
     people. More people of color are also being killed by the 
     police and executed by the judicial system. Bryan Stevenson, 
     a social justice activist, said ``I think that every human 
     being falters sometime; no one is perfect. Our mistakes 
     require the mercy and understanding of others, which we can't

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     legitimately expect unless we offer the same to others''. 
     Innocent people are being killed for nothing. ``Why do we 
     want to kill all the broken people?''
       The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights protect 
     people's rights, and we have the right to worship any 
     religion. The First Amendment says that everyone in the 
     United States has the right to worship any god or no religion 
     at all. Over the years many Americans have forgotten the 
     First Amendment when they think about Muslims. Innocent 
     Muslims are blamed for things they didn't do, such as the 
     attack in New York on September 11, 2001.
       One cause of hatred against Muslims is the growth of ISIS, 
     which uses Islam as an excuse to kill people and destroy 
     land. Many Americans think that all Muslims are the same as 
     ISIS, which is not true. I have friends who are Muslims and I 
     definitely don't think they are terrorists. Innocent Muslims 
     are being accused of terrorism and they are sent back to 
     their countries. According to CNN, presidential candidate 
     Donald Trump said that, ``the United States should come to a 
     complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.'' I 
     think that innocent Muslims should be left alone.
       Prejudice still exists in this amazing country because I've 
     experienced it. One day I went to the store near my house 
     with my friends. When we got there the cashier told us to put 
     our backpacks down. As we were getting the stuff we wanted to 
     buy, the manager came up to us and told us to ``get out of my 
     store'' even though we hadn't done anything wrong. I was hurt 
     that he had judged me by my appearance.
       Better education in poor parts of the country and the 
     education of police officers will help improve racism in the 
     U.S. The United States should improve education for poor 
     people. Most of the people being killed and put in jail are 
     undereducated people of color. Speaking as a black man from 
     Mozambique, I believe that if education is improved in poorer 
     parts of the country our country will be a better place. 
     Education is the key to everything.

                          ____________________