My Vision for America - Award Winning Essay and Speech on Memorial Day

MY VISION FOR AMERICA
By Daniel Coppinger
Simsbury, CT

Many Americans today feel that our country stands at a crossroads. As America faces worsening economic problems, spiraling national debt, the threat of domestic and foreign terrorism, and diminishing prestige around the world, many at home and abroad have asked if America can ever be the great nation she once was.
It might surprise people that Ronald Reagan asked Americans this same question 35 years ago. In a 1980 speech he said, “For the first time in our memory many Americans are asking: does history still have a place for America, for her people, for her great ideals?”

History does have a way of repeating itself. Americans were also fearful of our nation’s future during the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Great Depression, two World Wars, and during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Each generation had its own obstacles to overcome, and each generation did just that.
Just before his death in 1979, John Wayne said “Just give the American people a good cause, and there's nothing they can't lick." He believed in the American spirit, in our courage and in our ability to overcome adversity. In other words, he believed that Americans weren’t quitters. After September 11th 2001 when the World Trade Towers were destroyed, many found it hard to be optimistic about our future, but America did not cave to tyranny. She sharpened her talons and took the fight to those that attacked us on our own soil. This is the fighting spirit that John Wayne was talking about.

We must remember, that compared to many countries in the world, ours is a young nation. Some cultures see Americans as arrogant, but that may be because they do not understand us. Americans have a great deal of pride. We hold our heads up high. We cherish our democracy, and our flag. When we say the Pledge of Allegiance we place our hand over our heart signifying our love for our country. We fight for freedom, for ourselves and for people in other countries so that they too may live free. We bow down to no other nation.

Therefore, my vision for America’s future is not one of despair but of hope. It is of an America returning to her self sufficiency by stopping the outsourcing of our manufacturing and technical jobs overseas, a practice that has left thousands of Americans without work. It is of teachers and parents who encourage students to strive for academic achievement in math and the sciences which will help America lead the world in technological innovations.

My vision sees America reducing its dependency on energy imports, especially foreign oil, for this is a dependency that draws us into senseless wars and incites terrorist attacks. Instead, we will use renewable energy resources such as wind and solar power to put us back on the path to self reliance. This path will also reduce air pollution, greenhouse gasses and global warming. America’s future requires a holistic approach towards the stewardship of the earth, using science, ethics, and spiritual awareness to help save our planet and her precious resources.

In the future, where the dividing lines between friend and foe are less clearly drawn, the world will still need to depend on our military to help maintain global stability. My father is a retired veteran who was sent overseas to help fight the war against terrorism. He felt it was his duty and an honor to serve his country. Because of the prolonged separation from their families and the difficulties of war, some veterans suffer combat related mental and physical health issues and economic hardships. In my vision, veterans will receive the respect and gratitude from our government for all they have sacrificed for the American people. It is one of financial support for our active military and one that pays honor to its returning warriors.

Presently we are a nation divided by ideology and partisanship. Therefore, my vision requires politicians with the courage to serve the American people and not their own political agendas. Attempts at reducing our deficit, funding social security, and methods to control our ever increasing gun violence have deadlocked Congress as political parties bicker. America’s future requires senators and congressmen with the ability to work together in bipartisanship.
I think President John F. Kennedy said it best when he stated…“I look forward to a great future for America - a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose.”

It may seem now as though we are a nation out of control. But what I see is a young country that has yet to awaken to her full potential, her great power. A country founded on religious ideals, “one nation under God”, and that God has not forsaken us. This is my vision for America. A powerful nation, filled with hope and opportunity that will survive the coming storms.