2010 Peace Essay Contest
High School Winning Entries
First Place: Raymundo Gomez, gr. 12, York High School, (York Co.)
In "Letters from An American Farmer," Crevecouer defines America as an ideal meritocracy. In this land opportunity, individuals achieve social motility and success through hard work and dedication. He depicts American society as an egalitarian melting pot: it lacks a class hierarchy or repressive social structure, and allows its citizens the freedom of religion and choice. Crevecouer's image of the possibilities afforded to immigrants has inspired generations of people searching for a land of prosperity for themselves and their families.
For example, my father came here from Mexico; for him, the United States represented a land of increased possibility, a world in which upward mobility was possible with hard work. Mexico did not afford him opportunities for success; his possibilities were limited, so he chose to immigrate. In my own visits to Mexico, the abject poverty and squalor reminded me of the opportunities and comforts enjoyed here in America by its citizens. However, with these opportunities and possibilities come requirements, commitments my father failed to uphold and which ultimately led to his deportation. As a United States citizen, I am aware of both the legal and the moral obligations that accompany being part of a community. To maintain the statues and the prosperity that American citizens enjoy, each member of the community must strive to fulfill his or her responsibilities. It is this sense of responsibility that can unite people of different creeds.
One of the ways to create unity is through shared goals, such as the pursuit of education. The framers of the United States Constitution borrowed much from the ancient Greeks, a culture which highly valued knowledge and education; for the sophists, arête or excellence in oratory was not an innate feature, but rather a techne or art that could be taught and learned. Therefore, many citizens attended schools designed to teach rhetoric, a skill which was essential to democracy. Rhetoric provided an orator with strategies, forms, and approaches to persuade an audience of the correctness of the orator's arguments.
The Greeks had to pay for such opportunities to learn; however, our society offers equitable opportunities for advancement to all citizens. U.S. citizens must take advantage of the opportunities afforded by free and public education. Just like the ancient philosophers, or lovers of wisdom, all people must strive to better themselves and their nation through inquiry and debate. Free and public education enables citizens to not only learn a language of persuasion, but to learn the values and principles of the society in which the discourse occurs. Higher education can be possible through achievement: Crevecouer's meritocracy comes through scholarships afforded to those whose resources cannot make possible college education. It is this education that will make all people able to discourse without prejudice or problems. Education builds respect and tolerance, even where there is significant difference.
Additionally, the diverse populace must learn ethical responsibilities. School begins to inculcate this in its students. Learning about government and its workings, for example, begins to enable students to become good citizens. Topoi, or common topics, for rhetoric included truth and justice. Socrates derided the sophists for believing in the relativism of truth. Today, citizens recognize that values are subjective, and that different groups of people have a varied corpus of beliefs. In schools, students quickly learn about diversity of races and ethnicities, as well as religions and beliefs. By engaging in studies and learning, students ensure that the society will remain the melting pot Crevecouer imagines in his work. However, more than just education, a focus of diversity helps to create a sense of community, and emphasizes the interrelationship of all people. Additionally, many schools have made community service compulsory for graduation. The purpose is clear: to be a citizen of a diverse nation means understanding the interdependence of all members of the community. Addressing these needs and offering assistance is crucial for the survival of the community.
Though the framers of the Constitution noted certain inalienable rights, citizens also have responsibilities to uphold which promote the good of the nation. Though the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are given, all individuals must temper these rights with the pursuit of education and the enactment of legal and ethical obligations. Only by doing so can a stronger individual, and by proxy a stronger community, be forged. An old adage suggests that "you don't know what you've got until it's gone;" I learned this lesson vividly through my father's loss of his U.S. citizenship. It is a right which must be valued and respected. Education, respect for difference, and community service are the means by which peace can be achieved. Only then can the benefits of belonging to a truly diverse community be reaped.
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2nd Place: Avery Nelson, gr. 11, Grassfield HS (Chesapeake)
America contains hundreds of millions of people who hail from all corners of the globe. Our country is a unique mix of diverse religions, ethnicities, skin colors, and cultures. Here, the idea that no matter who you are, you can become whatever you like, has always been popular and has attracted an array of peoples for centuries. Now, more than ever, the different "vegetables" in the salad bowl must coexist peacefully. People need to learn to embrace diversity. People need to utilize their resources, abilities and power to influence to build understanding, build respect, and heal divisions in this diverse country.
The path to understanding is through knowledge. Knowledge may be-obtain in multiple ways, most effectively school and conversation. School is overflowing with all sorts of opportunities to gain knowledge and understanding about different groups. Schools in Chesapeake, Virginia promote African American Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Week, and Women's History Month, provide a World Religions class at the Foreign Language Appreciation Day. On an individual, personal level, people discuss their different opinions on religion, politics, culture, and current issues, and ask one another about each other's perspective. A huge portion of people's understanding and knowledge of the world is shaped through daily interaction with others and what they learned in school.
The best way for people to build respect for one another is by respecting themselves, treating one another as equals, and understanding one another_ One example is the Kenneth Clark doll study. Kenneth Clark, a sociologist, had a few brown dolls made at a time when nearly all dolls had white skin, and traveled around to different schools asking children a series of questions about the different colored dolls: Which doll is going to have a better life when it grows up? Which doll is going to have difficulties? Overwhelmingly, the study showed that dark-skinned children felt 4ow selfesteem and realized that having white skin made life somewhat easier. Throughout their lives, non-whites in that era were not treated as equals. They felt low self-esteem and low self-respect. If they had been treated as equals, they would have had more self-confidence and in turn received more respect. In a positive move toward this ideal, the desegregation of schools began.
Another way for people to build self respect - and respect for others - is to ignore typical media stereotypes and find good role models they identify with that do not subscribe to the stereotypes. The media could also help by showing less biased subject matter, and could include a more even distribution of positive news events related to certain groups and not discriminate or limit diversity in TV shows. An example of misunderstanding leading to disrespect would be interactions between Native Americans and Europeans in the "New World." Europeans lived in a completely different society than the Native Americans. They did not try to understand the Indian culture and instead exploited them. It was disrespect at its worst. Had the Europeans at least tried to learn more about the inhabitants of the American continents, they would have recognized the strengths of their societies, learned new skills and perspectives from them, and respected them, instead of denouncing them as "savages." Respect comes from understanding, positive examples, and self-respect.
When there are divisions between different groups in a diverse area, the people in the targeted groups are the ones that need to take action and fix the problem. People who feel as if their constitutional rights have been violated can appeal to the Supreme Court.
One famous example is the 1954 Brown v. the Board of Education Supreme Court Case. Because a group of people stood up for themselves, the country realized that the old system of "separate but equal" was a lie, and that the only way to help African Americans and other minorities was to integrate educational institutions. Brown won the case because of the work of Kenneth Clark and because the judges were able to look at the situation from multiple perspective. They realized the importance of treating African Americans as equals. The division was resolved through understanding, respect, and deft use of the legal system.
What does embracing diversity mean? It means recognizing and respecting every different religion, ethnicity, culture, skin color, sexual orientation, or political group. It means realizing that, yes, everyone is different, and we can't expect everyone to get along because many people are selfish, self-serving, and stubborn. Conflict is going to occur. However, hope is not lost. Individual people and whole communities have the ability to overcome adversity to promote understanding and respect for diversity by utilizing all the freedoms and opportunities America has to offer. Through understanding and respect, divisions and inequalities between different groups are mostly reparable.
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3rd Place (tie): Allie Buff, gr. 10, Deep Run HS (Henrico Co.)
We can build respect and understanding among our peers by learning to listen to others. Many of us get caught up in our own lives and don't take the time to think about opinions other than our own. For example, just the other day the people at our lunch table had a heated political debate about healthcare in America. The majority of the table represented one view, and two others had very different opinions. We each debated and shared our opinions with one another. Surprisingly, when someone spoke, everyone listened. It was interesting to see how respectful everyone was to each other at our table. We are such good friends that we have learned to respect and understand one another. Perhaps, if the rest of the world could learn to understand one another there would not be so much division between cultures. I think the difficulty is that if people are in unfamiliar situations they often become frightened or intimidated by the unknown. Finding ways to bring cultures together and to get people talking to one another in a non threatening environment, like a lunch table, would teach us all to become more tolerant. I wish there was a way to bring the entire world to my lunch table at my cafeteria. I think the conversation would be about inclusion not exclusion.
Finding ways to prevent division among groups can be challenging. When I look around the cafeteria I don't necessarily see the unity and diversity that we have at my table. I see some tables separated by race, culture, class, and gender. I am sure some of those people like eating lunch with familiar friends, but I am also hopeful that people would also like to branch out and meet more diverse friends. I think it would be a good idea to challenge students by switching lunch tables for a day and mixing it up a bit. I think it would be a great way to meet new people and break social and racial barriers. I actually think a lot of us would enjoy it. We would all probably see that we have so much more in common.
I had a difficult time trying to figure out what I was going to write about in this essay because respect and understanding are the norm in my circle of friends and family. I was not sure what advice I could offer about building respect and understanding among Americans of different backgrounds, but then I thought about my friends. I especially thought about my friends at my lunch table and the whole cafeteria situation. The cafeteria set up kind of reminds me of how people in our world interact with each other and how they don't. I sit at lunch every day and observe all kinds of interaction between students of many different backgrounds. Some interaction requires a teacher to step in but much of the interaction that takes place at the tables goes unnoticed, and I think it is the kind of interaction that we all could learn from!
I would like to tell you about my friends and how we interact with each other because we are quite a diverse bunch. My group of friends consists of people from different races and backgrounds. Some of my closest friends have relatives from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. We often talk about our religious backgrounds which include Catholic, Judaism, Episcopalian, and Muslim. We all have very different views on the world, but we seem to respect and understand each other's beliefs and customs. I also think we can learn a lot by simply talking to one other, asking questions, and sharing beliefs. I remember one conversation in particular after winter break. We discussed how we celebrated the holidays, what foods we ate, and our special traditions. Some people traveled far to visit relatives while others stayed home. I found it enlightening to hear how people exchange gifts and attend different religious services. I learned that the word "tradition" has a very different meaning for every family around the world. Perhaps, if we all had more opportunity to experience traditions outside our own we could become more tolerant of other people and their beliefs.
When I think about the cafeteria at my high school it reminds me of the diverse world that we live in. I just wish we could find a way to unite everyone at one big table. Learning to be respectful and understanding of the diversity around us teaches us very important life lessons. It teaches us to be good communicators and listeners. These qualities also teach us about acceptance and tolerance. Most importantly, respect and understanding can make us more compassionate individuals. As a country and a community it is our responsibility to treat each other with respect and understanding no matter what our differences are. On this planet we are all equal.
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3rd Place (tie): Danielle Zuccaro, gr. 10, St. Gertrude HS (Catholic Diocese of Richmond)
Traveling Towards Peace
Toucans perch in a nearby tree. Down below, two children ride a bike barefoot and helmetless on the dirt road. In the open-air house, wafts of chicken, black beans, and rice fill the air. The tiny and secluded town called Ubatuba, Brazil, where the mountains frame the sandy coastline, welcomed my extended family and me for my uncle's wedding in August of 2003. In hindsight, I learned much about what Brazilians value: their music, their food, the beauty of the land and people, their religion, the language, and their customs. I have learned to appreciate their culture because of what I experienced firsthand. Brazil is a lot more than just a third world country. By traveling there, I realized that differences in economies and societies, backgrounds and traditions should not separate Americans from unknown areas of the world; rather, our differences should be embraced and accepted to promote a mutual understanding of the world in which we live.
Misconceptions and rumors control much of what we Americans know about many foreign countries. In order to erase the separation and judgment of other cultures, however, I believe one should travel abroad to personally experience what other ethnic groups have to offer to the global community. Traveling increases knowledge about foreign people, religions, ethnicity, and ways of life, and can be used as an effective means for instilling a sense of understanding of other cultures in our community. After all, we are all the same underneath, but too many delusions cover up the truth and reality of human nature. The benefits to traveling reveal what society may not understand or realize about a nation. By being open to our surroundings, traveling gives us Americans the ability to learn about our own backgrounds as well as other countries, while applying what we have learned to our lives to achieve a peaceful America.
Some people think the French are conceited and do not like Americans, but from my own experiences, I can conclude that they are very welcoming and friendly. I was recently invited to spend three weeks in France with a friend's family who lives there. They wanted me to come and experience the beauty of their country by partaking in their daily French life. This kind offer made me realize how generous the French are, despite what some Americans may think. Travel opens new horizons and avenues for people to communicate and get to know other cultures. Discussing and making compromises are effective ways of bonding divisions that erupt in America, too. The sharing of different views can be modeled from visiting a country and learning what they believe about morals, religion, or politics. By being open minded to other countries, we Americans can become open to discussing the differences that occur right in our own neighborhoods.
Learning about others' backgrounds as well as our own stimulates a culture of appreciation and acceptance. For example, when I traveled to Ireland, I learned all about the roots of my family before they came to America. If all Americans could acknowledge the backgrounds of others, America would be peace filled. However, some disagreements occur when one group or race refuses to accept another's roots that are grounded in tradition. Americans who recognize a nation's background accept the culture of the people. This builds an understanding of the basis of people, and explains why they act and believe the way they do. The disputes that commonly come about in America could be prevented in advance if people of differing opinions and beliefs understood each other's backgrounds. Traveling brings people with similar backgrounds together, while emphasizing that people with different beliefs may be of different walks of life; however, it is this mutual understanding that creates a peaceful acceptance of our neighbors.
Although not all people have the resources to travel, opportunities do arise in local areas that stimulate cultural assimilation. For example, the Richmond Folk Festival, the Lebanese Food Festival, and VCU's French Film Festival offer a glimpse into many different cultures that are represented, not only in the global community, but also in America itself. Open-mindedness becomes the inspiration to learn the most about different cultures while staying in America, if one does not have the means to travel. By simply experiencing a new and different event such as the few listed above, one can learn so much about a people based on the recognition of background and culture.
Indeed, it is important to learn about other cultures, nations, and people, but it also becomes our responsibility to teach the youth of today about acceptance and peace through service. Children are the leaders of tomorrow; if we encourage them to look inside of others instead of judging from how others look or speak, we will promote a generation of peaceful leadership. By volunteering for service organizations in our own communities, one meets all kinds of people of different ethnicities. Service to the less fortunate makes up an important part of our communal responsibilities and by doing so, we open doors to the lives of those with whom we volunteer and those we help. When we come together to share our resources with others, we connect with humanity, while disregarding our differences.
The nations' flags blow overhead in the nighttime breeze. Each nation's representatives hold their flags and beam with proud hearts. Cameras flash and all in attendance take in the wonder of a united world at that very moment. The whole world looks on as the Olympic torch is lit at the Opening Ceremony to signal the start of the games. In an event such as the Olympics, all the countries of the whole world come together despite any differences or rivalries among them to celebrate what they have in common. Hopefulness of peace is all around; we must seek and work for it. Travel and open-mindedness result in acceptance and respect for the lives of our neighbors. When our efforts of understanding bind the divisions in our community, global unity will be achieved.
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Honorable Mention: Rose Bono, gr. 12, Midlothian HS (Chesterfield Co.)
Peace
Peace: very few words can hold as many meanings as this five-letter term does. To so many people, the simple idea of peace possesses a world of meaning. This thought stirs in us the desire to become one with all humanity. Founding a new world of diversity is top priority when one wishes to establish this world family. However, six billion people inhabit one planet. Six billion people who differ in race, religion, thoughts, and belief are all bound together in the sharing of our Earth. And all six billion people must learn to work together to create a world of beauty and of diversity, of understanding and of peace.
Like siblings on a long car trip, we each find ourselves fighting each other at some point. Unconsciously or not, every human holds a certain degree of prejudice against those different than him- or herself. Psychological research has shown that unconscious and unintentional racism and sexism still exist, and this is a problem. In order to correct this unfortunate obstacle, we must raise awareness of current problems. Too often, people are unwilling to admit that they are prejudiced in some way, and thus they ignore the problem altogether. Making people aware of their own discrimination is the first step in this, because most people do not wish to hurt others. Most people are inherently good, and will try hard to eliminate their own prejudice, so long as they are aware of it.
One solution towards making divisions among groups of people less prominent is to promote understanding at an early age. This delves into the political arena. Voting and schooling districts are divided geographically, but these boundaries are not often intuitive. In fact, politicians use the divisions to gain or maintain votes, making sure that the greatest number of voting districts contains a majority of supporters. Schools are, unfortunately, divided similarly. Similar people are grouped together, meaning that public school divisions contain people who are often all of the same race or economic status. When children go to public schools and only learn about people akin to them, they do not learn the value of diversity. By only being exposed to people of the same background, children learn to only associate with like people and do not develop the mindset that everyone is worthy of respect. Therefore, school districts ought to be redefined somewhat. So as not to interfere with monetary constraints, the districting should not change drastically, but should seek to provide more diversity within each school. Furthermore, exchange programs, even within Virginia, should be undertaken. What a difference it could make for a child from Northern Virginia to experience school in Southwest Virginia, or a child from Chesapeake to experience school in Richmond!
Our state could greatly benefit from a practice such as this. However, even on a smaller level, programs should be instituted within each school to promote friendships with different people. Sitting at lunch in school, we can already see the divisions forming. Internationally themed programs, clubs, and activities could be created to encourage children to make new friends and reach out to those different from them. As an individual, I myself can and will try to make new friends. Just the simple act of talking to another person waiting in the lunch line with me makes all the difference in the world in changing my own worldview. Because of the importance of bridging the differences that exist between us as people, I try to make my circle of friends as unique as possible. It is only by exposing people to diversity as children and teens that we can truly change the Weltanschauung of the next generation, providing for a more just and beautiful world tomorrow.
As a nation, we have far to go in building respect between difference races, ethnicities, cultures and religions. From the last presidential election, we have unfortunately seen the darkest parts of America: racism truly came out of the woodwork. Open racism abounded, and those more conscientious of us wept for the future. However, there is hope. Slowly we can change the domestic legislature to provide equal rights for everyone, regardless of economic stature, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or national origin. Also, national community service programs can be created to bring people of different backgrounds together over common causes. One contemporary problem with which we all must deal is that of the environmental damage we do every day. By instituting national programs in which everyone shares the responsibility of saving our common community of Earth together, we can bridge the gaps that still exist. Very few things bring people together more than a common goal, and community service can provide us with that common goal. With this, we can promote understanding and establish a peaceful future for humanity.
As with any goal, achieving true understanding through diversity will take much effort - we must all be willing to live and work together on this Earth. However, this is a noble and achievable ideal, and by learning to understand each other, we can make our world of harmony and peace a reality. The ability to love one another is humankind's greatest gift and our greatest responsibility - we must learn to wield it well.
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Honorable Mention: Julia Faett, gr. 10, St. Gertrude HS (Catholic Diocese of Richmond)
Living in Our Ever-Changing World
As I started to think about all of the different kinds of people in our world, I couldn't think about anything that I had witnessed where there was prejudice or judging of other people. But as I thought about this topic more deeply, I realized that there was a time in my own life where I judged someone else on the way that she looked.
The person that I judged goes by Jessie, and she is very different from me. I consider myself to be a typical "girly girl;" she, on the other hand, is not. For example, when I first met her at school, she was wearing tight, black skinny jeans, a ripped black t-shirt, gobs of make-up, and a spiked belt. I hate to admit this now, but I was afraid of her, because she was so completely different from me. I realize today that I was judging her on her appearance, and if she had been wearing a pink dress, I probably would have been very friendly towards her.
Jessie and I became friends after spending time together at our mother-daughter book club that we were both in. Our club consisted of about six other mothers and daughters, and in the beginning, I mainly stayed near the other girls, not being mean, but not being friendly either. But slowly over time, I began getting to know Jessie little by little, and I realized that she wasn't so bad after all. She was very nice and also very funny. I learned that she was dressing in her crazy clothes and make-up because she was angry with her parents, so she was "acting out" like this to get attention.
We both really connected when we shared our love for various activities, like cooking and reading. In talking about these different things, we truly did form a bond, and I then realized that we weren't as different as I thought we were. Getting to know her really helped me to look past the looks of others, and because of this, I have been able to form many wonderful friendships. I think that it is extremely important not to "judge a book by its cover" because it prevents you from starting friendships and from meeting new and unique people.
It is very easy to judge others in the world that we live in, mostly because of all of the different cultures, races, religions, backgrounds, and appearances, so 1 know that everyone has judged someone in his or her life. Maybe you look at someone and say, "Oh, he must be poor because of the clothes he wears" or "that girl must be shy if she wears a veil on her head." Without even realizing it, we have made judgments that these people are different than us and therefore unapproachable, which should not be the case.
To "bridge the gap" between different groups of people, I think we should do our very best not to judge others and to meet people with an open mind. And, when we do judge, I think that we should acknowledge the fact that we are judging, and then clear our minds of the negative thoughts towards the person and meet them without having any prejudices towards them.
At school, I often see various "cliques," especially at lunch. For example, one group of friends sits at their own table, and another group sits at another, each of them never noticing the other group. To rectify this, I believe that these groups of friends should try meeting other people, by sitting at another lunch table, choosing a different partner than usual for a project, and by introducing yourself to people at school who you are not familiar with. I think that these small tasks can help to end the prejudice between various groups, because it pushes them to meet different types of people and respect others' opinions and ideas.
In our country, I believe that this should be done in schools everywhere, as well as meeting new people in church, at various activities, and at other functions that involve meeting others. And, it is of the upmost importance that everyone respects other people's ideas, opinions, and thoughts, because when we do this, we begin to accept that people are different, and that not one person is the same.
In taking these actions, our world would be a much better place to live because it would cause the end of discrimination against various groups or cultures of people in our world. I feel that this issue needs to be dealt with immediately, because if it isn't, many people on our planet will feel belittled and worthless because of the discrimination that is pointed towards them. I hope that these actions will be taken, and when they are, our world will be a much more peaceful place.
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Honorable Mention: Tyler Meacham, gr. 10, Deep Run HS (Henrico Co.)
Peace
In a world of over six billion and counting, there are hundreds of races, cultures, religions, and ethnicities. The world is a massive place, but in a society where it seems each individual person has their own little world, it is very easy to put minorities aside and focus only on what you see. For example, in my own little world, my friends are probably seventy-five to eighty percent white, with a few exceptions. Adding on to that, most of my friends are Christians, and we all live in a semi-perfect suburban world known as central Virginia. I live only twenty minutes away from complete diversity. Why has it become so easy to ignore the problems people are facing outside of my own little world? I believe the key to peace is simply paying attention, caring about the world around you, and making a difference, even if it's the smallest thing you can do.
America is the crossroads of cultures and ethnicities. It's the melting pot of people. For decades, though, there has been diversity between groups. First it was the white settlers and the Native Americans in the early days of our country. Then it was the black slaves and the white settlers, and this division lasted for around 100 years. Today, it's all of these things and more. Because we all have our own little world of people like ourselves, it is so incredibly easy to lose respect for all of the other people that aren't like us. The easiest way to overcome this is to remember that every single person has had struggles of their own that got them where they are now, and every single person still faces these struggles.
White Americans struggled to establish this country. Black Americans struggled to gain their freedom. Native Americans struggled to maintain their lands and keep their cultures alive, and still struggle to do this today. Hispanic and Latino Americans have struggled to come from countries of oppression to this country of freedom, out of love for their families who longed for something better than poverty. Still today, these people fight against the stereotypes that turn many individuals to believe they are all living in the US illegally. Asian Americans came to America in the 19 th century in search of work, as their home countries were suffering economically. They arrived to a growing fear from the other people of America, and were excluded from the rest of the country by the Asian Exclusion Act and the Chinese Exclusion Act. These acts split up families into "War Relocation Centers". In addition, all of the other hundreds of races and ethnicities that inhabit the United States today had to fight to become citizens of this country, whether it was by bringing their families to freedom through Immigration Centers such as Ellis Island in the early 1900s, or coming for freedom in more recent years.
When all of these factual struggles are put together, a new perspective is put on peace in America. It's a lot easier to see that every people group has faced the same struggle for freedom at one time or another. Not only has every race struggled for freedom, but every race was victorious in this struggle. Why should one victor be better than the next? If everyone has pretty much been fighting the same fight for liberty for all of these hundreds of years, why isn't there unity and alliance between all of these people groups? It doesn't seem to make sense. It's like having a common goal, but no one can seem to agree on how to reach it.
If everyone could hear and understand this message that we truly are all equal, peace could be achieved. What we must do is tell everyone. Whose fault is it that a country made to be of peace and happiness struggles to even understand what peace is and how to reach it? It is the fault of everyone who chooses to be silent rather than proactive. I am guilty of being silent myself, and it pains me to know that every waking second of my life, I have the opportunity to make a difference, and I end up wasting that time all too often. It's not just the things you and I say and believe in, but it's the actions that you and I do. Our country is called the United States of America. The first and most important word in this name is "united". Are we really united with these cultural, ethnic, religious, and racial divisions? Are we really united when we're separated from those that are different from us?
In conclusion, peace is easy. It takes the right mindset to realize it, but we're all equal. Let's all decide that when we see a serious division right in front of us, cross the line that's been drawn, and bring the division into union. Let's decide to remember that everyone deserves acceptance. It bothers me to see people in my school alone and made fun of because of the way they act or what they wear. What's worse is that some of these people that are by themselves a lot at school are made to be outcasts for what they believe. I have a faith of my own, but that doesn't give me or anyone else the right to put other people down for what they believe in. Because we live in a world where it's okay if there are a few outcasts and divisions, it's only going to get worse as we go through life. Our children and our children's children should have examples sets for them to stand up for peace between people, rather than just let divisions grow wider and wider. Let's all just open our eyes, and look outside of the little worlds we have for ourselves. Let's take a stand for peace.
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Honorable Mention: Michael M. Wood, gr. 10, Deep Run HS (Henrico Co.)
Means of Preserving the Positive Aspects of Ethnic, Religious, and Cultural Diversity
The United States, because of it's diversity in all aspects of ethnicity and religion, has begun to forget that, upon humanity's existence, every human descended from a similar area: Northern Africa. While some of the United States' history is characterized by racial annihilation (Native Americans) and enslavement (Africans), progressively, the United States has evolved into a nation that is more and more open to diversity and treats citizenry with equality without regard to race or ethnicity. The amount of effort and lives put into the securing of equality amongst the races is astronomical. This effort will easily be wasted if the current generations in America make no effort to care for the diversity so many have fought for. One's ethnicity should be celebrated and embraced; there is no crime in taking pride in one's ancestors and ethnicity. This being said, respecting another's ethnicity is also important and as well as recognizing that no one ethnicity is dominant to another.
An ongoing debate has been held about the ancient Egyptian race for over a century. The dispute questions the Egyptian race's skin color; many scholars believe the Egyptians were white, while others believe the Egyptian's were black. Because of recent evidence, a new logic has been embraced; parts of the Egyptian community were black while others were white. Scholars are astonished at how little segregation occurred in ancient Egypt because of this diversity. One's status in the ancient Egyptian society, unlike many other ancient and even present day societies, was in no way based on skin color, but upon the contribution each individual made to the economy, society, and country. This equality despite diversity exists as vital evidence of the power generated from equality and diversity. Ancient Egypt existed as a superpower in the ancient world for a span greater than three thousand years, created colossal pyramids with the use of simple mathematics and labor, produced the first written number system, created the first 365 day solar calendar, and even created the first water transport system using tanbours and canals. The success of this culture provides strong evidence of the potency of diversity.
The current generations existing in the United States live upon Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream. Martin Luther King, Jr. Malcom X, Rosa Parks, and millions of other Americans fought for the equality amongst diverse ethnicities current generations experience daily. Those living in America today must, by all means necessary, attempt to preserve the equality diverse ethnicities in the workplace, school place, communities, and societies. For this acceptance of diversity unlocks new doorways of knowledge and understanding of other cultures and religions. Despite the disgustingness of racial slurs and insults, racism, even in the second millennium, is common in most, if not all, schools across America. As a society and community, American generations living today must take action and teach children, at the earliest age possible, about the positive aspects of cultural, religious, and ethnic differences.
In an attempt to foster respect, and at the same time unity, among the various races living in the United States today, the current generations living in America must find new means of destroying the figurative and literal barriers separating the races. An annual holiday set aside for the teaching of similarities and even differences amongst and between ethnicities could successfully push the young and even perhaps older generations of Americans to respect the diversity fundamental to the United States' identity. During this holiday, which could be called "Ethnic Day," Americans across the country would carry items significant to their ethnic background and exchange these items with other Americans of another ethnic background. This exchange would highlight the similarities amongst all religions and cultures and teach young Americans how to respect the differences between religions and cultures.
While Americans living today should remember their ancestry and value their own and others' ethnicity, we must also live by Ernest Istook's "America's strength is not our diversity; our strength is our ability to unite people of different backgrounds around common principles." The United States' power derives from not only its ethnic diversity but also it citizenry's belief in the foundations America stands upon. Despite the multitude of ethnic backgrounds that exist in America's population, the majority of America's citizenry, comprehend and agree with the countries foundations. Upon investigation, one wonders whether, without any ethnic barriers, the United States would become a nation of one, combined race of people.