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Wisconsin State Winner

Calvin Freiburger
Fond du Lac, WI
Fond du Lac High School
Public
12th Grade

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Those whose signatures endorsed these words risked everything for truly revolutionary principles of free government. Recognizing power higher than mortal man or institutions and emphasizing the individual over the state have made America great. I believe that to be an American is to understand the principles behind our nation and our roles as individuals under such a government.

First we must recognize the source of our rights. The Declaration of Independence clearly states that our rights come from our Creator. But that is just the beginning. Throughout our forefathers' writings, almost no theme is more common than faith's societal importance. James Madison once expressed a sentiment echoed by all the Founding Fathers: "We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God." Despite what today's secular activists would say, our forefathers understood that only something higher than man's word could grant the law its necessary legitimacy and meaning. They knew that religion promoted morality and civility in the people's hearts and minds. As Benjamin Franklin asked, "If men are wicked with religion, what would they be without it?" We have the right to believe anything or nothing, but I believe that to be an American is to recognize that our rights come from something greater, higher than ourselves, meaning we have a moral responsibility to be virtuous, law-abiding citizens.

In our forefathers' view, government was to protect the lives and rights of its citizens, and apart from that it was to stay out of our private affairs. Understanding where government responsibility ends and personal responsibility begins is the second half of what it means to be an American. In the America our forefathers envisioned, the government wouldn't put people in any predetermined social classes or regulate their lives. While today our large government and numerous social programs may fall short of that ideal, we as individuals can still live it. America's beauty lies in the fact that we have equality of opportunity, not result. History shows that when governments try to enforce fairness and balance among the people, they only stifle freedom. Winston Churchill once noted of socialism, "Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." In contrast, we Americans are free to soar or sink on our own merits, and our dreams are hindered only by our own level of commitment. To be an American is to live life looking for what you can do to achieve your dreams, not what your neighbor or your society owes you; to learn from your neighbor's success, not to resent it.

Ultimately, to be an American is to live as an individual whose God-given rights are honored and who honors his neighbors' God-given rights. To be an American is to face life working toward your own dreams rather than envying those whose dreams have already come true. To be an American is to constantly seek your fullest potential without tearing down your neighbors' potential.