Student’s Freedom Essay Tops State

    Editor’s Note: Davidson, a junior at Britton-Hecla, recently won first place in the District Americanism Essay Contest organized by the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 80. His essay will now be submitted to the national contest. The theme this year for the essay contest was ““What does freedom mean to me?” Davidson’s winning essay is reprinted below. 
    Freedom means a lot to me, and I will never take it for granted. It took me a long time to figure out just what freedom means to me. I used to think that because I must go to school every day, I am not free. I used to think that my parents were not free because they had to go to work every day. I used to think that because I had to follow the speed limit that I was not free. I did not realize how privileged and sheltered of an opinion this was until I learned more about the world.
    In our social studies class this year, we got to meet a few individuals from the CIA and other intelligence agencies. What stuck out to me the most was the stories the main speaker shared about his missions around the world. In these stories, he described some truly dystopian places. He told stories of kids and families who couldn’t eat because their food supplies were damaged by war. He told stories about families who couldn’t afford housing because of their weak or unorganized government. Lastly, he told stories of countries where people are born to do nothing but serve their government relentlessly. After hearing what he had to say about the world outside of America, I started to realize why freedom is such a big blessing.
    I am forever grateful that I wake up and I get to worry about getting my schoolwork done and getting to sports practice on time. I get to worry about if my phone will run out of battery before I get home. Kids my age around the world may wake up and worry about bomb strikes. There are teenagers in the world who work long harsh hours for their military without compensation. 
    My dad comes home from work and worries about if his favorite NFL team will be on the channels he gets. Other men around the world worry if their country’s economy will survive the next regime change. Other men around the world may work long grueling hours for their tyrannical government’s military.
    Once I realized the importance of my freedom, I have been eternally grateful for our great country and the people who fought and died for what we have here today. I will never allow another American to take their freedom for granted the way I once did. The gravity of our problems just doesn’t pull like it does for some people around the world. It is a privilege to have an education or a stable job and not something that takes away from my freedom. Instead, it is now the very basis of what freedom means to me. 
    Besides Dashel Davidson’s first place essay, other local placers were also named at the District American Legion Auxiliary American writing contest. In Class 6 Lillian Kay Good-Morrell got second place in the essay contest. In Class 3, Amelia Ingvalson got third place, and in the poetry contest in Class 2, Alayah Krutsinger got second. The local contest was sponsored by ALA Unit 80. The writings of each of the students will be featured in the Journal at a later date.