Oklahoma State Winner

Mollie Schoenhals
Laverne, OK
Laverne High School
Public
12th Grade

In the movie, Beyond the Gates of Splendor, a unique view of the American lifestyle is given through the eyes of an Auca Indian. He tells stories to his tribe of driving up to an opening in a house, and they hand food out to the people waiting, and it is still hot. There is no hunting; people go to big food houses and get all the food they want. Then all someone has to do is smile really big at a person at the front of the store, and they let you walk out. The missionary who was with the Indians said it wasn't exactly that way; people paid for the food with a credit card. The Indians still didn't understand because that card was given right back to the customer.

America has a lifestyle that is foreign to some people and common to others. To be an American is to be privileged, but that does not mean the American way of life is the best way. The average American knows what an air conditioner is and that a television is a form of entertainment. People in third world countries cannot begin to imagine the technology and intelligence that is in the world today.

America is one of the leading countries in technology and intelligence in the world. Planes and automobiles are a common way of travel for everyone living in America. Traveling by foot is not unheard of in America but seldom used for traveling several miles. People in Africa walk on foot to destinations that can be miles away. Houses with walls and shingled roofs are considered a home. Tribes living in the jungle live under the shelter of crude huts don't think about insulation and electricity.

An American has a way of life that gives them the opportunity to live in comfort. Americans have a chance to go to school and earn their education. Scholarships allow them to go to colleges, and then they go on to get jobs and earn money. An American's goal is to reach the top by getting a promotion, a raise, and to be the wealthiest person on the block. A futile vision in some cases and this goal can even cost people their lives because of greed. Isolated Indian tribes have no concept of money; their goal is to live from day to day. In some ways, it could be a very full filling life. Being an American does not mean that a person is better than anyone else or that they have better lives than other people. It just means that they have different values and ideals than others.

To be an American is to want to be at the top of the business world, the richest of all, and some might say to be at the top of the world. Technology and intelligence give the country an edge over other countries in these aspects, but not necessarily a better life. An American looks to be the best, but should they be looking to more important values or goals? To be an American is to be gifted with comforts in life, and given the choice to be the top dog, or to be a blessed person who realizes what the most important things in life are.