New Jersey State Winner

Ben DeMarzo
Brunswick, NJ
East Brunswick High School
Public
12th Grade

Americans are, and always will be, the most courageous and inspirational people in the world. To be an American, one must recognize the blood spilled by our forefathers was not in the name of an intimidated, politically-correct society, but rather a nation of proud, industrious patriots.

Being an American is based on the capitalistic goal of the American Dream. Americans are hard working, with the hope of providing for their family and making their children's lives better than their own. The pilgrims originally came to the new world with the intention of escaping primogeniture and creating a new life. This was also evident throughout the late 1800s and the 1920s, when immigrants from Europe came to this country at any cost. America was the land of opportunity and hope in a world growing dark with a cloud of communism and bigotry. My grandfather arrived in America poor, knowing very little English; yet he served America in World War II and worked hard so that his sons could go to college. He had no welfare and he had no affirmative action. He was a true American. Today, Americans support other working men and women by creating small businesses that provide jobs, or shopping at local stores instead of large mega-marts.

To truly be an American, it is also vital to oppose factions and organizations that wish to undermine our country. Since 1920, the American Civil Liberties Union has tried to stop the Pledge of Allegiance, protect terrorist rights, ban holiday decorations, and allow the sacred flag of the United States to be burned. Americans are appalled by organizations and judges 'interpreting' the Constitution and Bill of Rights as anti-God, anti-security documents. Americans understand that our moral values should be held higher than the opinion of nine unelected judges sitting on a bench, who can not possibly speak for an entire nation.

Americans love the civil liberties granted by the Constitution, and appreciate that for the past two hundred years, we have been the shining beacon of hope for the rest of the world. Americans appreciate our soldiers, who, as the Korean War Memorial states, "answered their country's call to defend a country they did not know and a people they never met." In every corner of the globe, American blood has been spilled in the name of liberty, to build a more democratic world, and work towards peace. Our soldiers fight to give future generations in foreign countries hope, and to remind us that the freedoms we take for granted are not recognized in every country.

Being an American means more then simply enjoying the benefits of our society; Americans understand and appreciate the origins of these freedoms. The Bill of Rights does not stand on the shoulders of the ACLU and activist judges, it survives because soldiers fight for it and the working class sweats for it. True Americans pledge allegiance to the flag, pay taxes, and of course, will love and defend their country from any threat, domestic or international. Atrocities like Pearl Harbor and September 11th unite this nation and remind us why we must remain optimistic about the future. Ronald Reagan once explained, "While I take inspiration from the past, like most Americans, I live for the future."