News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

SCA student honored for essay

Last updated Mar 08, 2016 12:0pm0
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Jim Cornelius count

Bill Anttila, Earl Schroeder, and John Miller congratulated Meri Blaser.

Meri Blaser is the recipient of a Patriot's Pen Award from the local chapter of Veterans of Foreign Wars for her essay on the topic "What Freedom Means To Me." (See sidebar for text.)

Bill Anttila, Earl Schroeder, and John Miller of VFW presented the award to the Sisters Christian Academy (SCA) student last week. Anttila noted that this is the first time he had presented the award to a private-school student.

In addition, VFW honored SCA middle school teacher Randy Muir for his teaching of history and citizenship.

VFW District 10 Commander Jack Newcomb was on hand for the presentation, which was held in the gymnasium at Sisters Christian Academy.

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What Freedom Means To Me

Every day people in America take freedom for granted. We often don't realize the fight that was put up for our freedom. There are many days that pass without realizing the sacrifice that men and women made for the citizens of this nation and for me.

When I think of freedom, I realize how blessed I am to express my faith. In some countries Christians are persecuted for spreading the gospel, or even owning a Bible, while others are killed in churches because their country discourages it. The freedom we have in America not only lets us express our faith freely, but it also enables us to choose our own faith. We aren't forced to follow Christianity, or any other religion. Instead we can choose our faith on our own.

During our country's history, many soldiers marched off to fight for our freedom. They sacrificed their lives to ensure that people in America were safe and free. The freedoms that they fought for makes me want to honor and respect them. What they did gave me the right to show my faith, to speak freely, and become a successful citizen.

Freedom also lets me show my character. I don't have to put on a fake face just to live every day. I'm not required to be perfect. I can make mistakes. To me, freedom lets me fail and try again. I'm not forced to act like another person due to rules and regulations that the government has set, but instead I can show my true identity.

Some people take freedom lightly; others don't give it a second thought. To me, freedom is a chance to live in a country where I can express my faith, honor those who fought for it, and show who I am without being afraid. Freedom is a gift that some of us don't even know we've accepted, but for me freedom is a privilege.

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