Editor’s note: This month we turn over our editorial page to the winners
of the St. Anthony Park Library Association’s annual 4th of July Essay Contest.
By Christine Courtney
I am pleased and proud to share the essays from the winners of this year’s contest. We expanded the scope this year, which means there are essays from both fifth graders and eighth graders this time.
This year marks 250 years from the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Our prompts came from the preamble: “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.”
In the two and a half centuries since the declaration was signed, many elements of society have changed, including how we think of the signers. We know they were all white male property owners. We know that their definition of “suffrage” was far from universal. Yet it is easy, in today’s America, to forget that they knew that in signing, they may have been signing their own death warrants.
They risked their lives for an enlightened idea of what government should be. It was an act of bravery to assert that we all have unalienable rights, and to demand that those rights be respected. It was the planting of the seeds of our democracy.
And the democracy grew: through the Jacksonian Era’s elimination of property requirements for voting; through the post-
Civil War expansion of citizenship; through the 19th Amendment; through the Civil Rights Movement. All that time, our democracy was tended by those who held these truths to be no less self-evident than Thomas Jefferson himself.
Our essayists this year grapple with the importance of democracy and representation in government, and the importance of protecting the rights of the people of that democracy. Our essayists—children of our community—know exactly what our community has endured in the last year. They articulate in their essays something that we, as adults, already know: that democracy is important, and that democracy does not always protect everyone’s unalienable rights.
It has been 250 years since the seeds were planted—a nation formed on an idea. Many people died encamped at Valley Forge, charging the stone wall at Fredericksburg, storming the beaches of Normandy and registering voters in the Deep South to bring forth and nurture our democracy. These Americans died not knowing whether they would succeed, because they knew: even if you do not win, sometimes you fight for what is right simply because it is right.
We can love our country and at the same time work to improve it. We have been doing that for 250 years, and that—more than anything else—makes us Americans. I am proud to introduce our winning essayists, who join in that cry.
Christine Courtney chairs the SAPBLA 4th of July Essay Committee.
Fifth Grade Essay Winner
Finley Casper
Prompt: The Declaration of Independence states that “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.” What does “the pursuit of happiness” mean to you in your life, now and when you think of your future?
The promise of the pursuit of happiness has not been fulfilled. The founding fathers did not intend for that promise to apply to everyone. We know today that that was wrong and that a right, to have meaning, has to be given to everyone. If that right can be taken from some people, it is not unalienable.
The right of the pursuit of happiness is the promise by society to protect and ensure the safety of everyone. It is a promise of everyone to work together to make society stronger.
Last winter, I know my friends were afraid, and I was afraid, that they would be taken, and I would never see them again. The federal government created that fear. I believe the federal government broke the promise of that inalienable right. At the same time I got to see people in my community standing up for what was right. I saw people working to make others feel safe.
The founding fathers were going to have it read “life, liberty, and owning property,” but they changed it. The pursuit of happiness isn’t about owning stuff. The pursuit of happiness is about making choices for my life with the support of community.
When I started this essay, I joked with my friend that the pursuit of happiness meant getting an ice cream cone. I was very wrong. I see the pursuit of happiness as a promise of good education; safe, clean environments; great healthcare; and the chance to get a job. I’m only 11 but I’ve seen government break its promise of the right to the pursuit of happiness. I want the government to make things right. I want a recommitment from government to the pursuit of happiness, which was never fulfilled for everyone in America. I want a future where the right to the pursuit of happiness is given to everyone.
Eighth Grade Essay Winner
Ksenija Cantrell
Prompt: The Declaration of Independence states that “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.” Why are those rights important to you, and how does democracy help protect them?
Red White and Blue Lies
When I was born
my rights to live here were handed to my parents in the form of a piece of paper
BIRTH CERTIFICATE
This piece of paper had an animal with wings greater than our governments ability to give mercy and a waving piece of cloth
Colored with reds as dark as blood, blues as blue the ocean and as whites as white as each of our 46 presidents
Each color so bright and proud as if you were to never know any other color existed.
THE AMERICAN FLAG
These drawings were printed over a name that was considered not American enough and a gender that was decided to be not strong enough.
FEMALE
As soon as I found my voice they had captured me
SOCIETY
Placing my hand on my heart I said words that were said to promise me
security,
“With liberty and justice for all” my mouth moved with confidence
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
And as my eyes traced my history books reading words I couldn’t quite understand
“Inalienable Rights, what’s that?” I questioned my teacher with the skin of chocolate
And eyes of a willow tree
LIFE
“It means a promise you’ll have rights to do anything anyone else can” she said with a smile but her eyes flickered with resentment as she turned to face the red white and blue that perched hauntingly in the corner of every classroom I’ve ever known.
THE AMERICAN FLAG
Then one day, I was no longer safe because of the melanin in my skin.
My inalienable rights were now lost?
But they promised they wouldn’t be taken.
ALIENABLE
Is this the happiness we were promised?
children that would give anything off their back for the rest of the food I don’t finish and snacks they’ve never knew existed,
HUNGER
women who must cover their body with dark clothes not knowing what education is because if they even dare
to open a book they might as well plan their own funeral,
SEXISM
men of color killed for speaking truth while white men who rape children and commit unforgivable crimes are put in power
RACISM
That is not the definition of happiness Noah Webster describes in his dictionary.
So when you ask me how does the democracy help protect these rights
I will shrug
Because I can not tell you something I’ve never known just like I can not read a language I have never learnt.
THE UNKNOWN
So I will protect these rights as the people in power can not and will not.
so when I am born again these rights will be my friend and not the rainy cloud that follows me around until my end.
DEMOCRACY
Fifth grade – Second place
Live a happy life
By Ivette L. Moody
Pursuit: the act of striving. Happiness: enjoying, displaying or characterized by pleasure or joy. Pursuit of happiness: the act of striving to possess pleasure or joy. But that’s the dictionary definition. Two-hundred and fifty years ago, when Thomas Jefferson wrote the preamble, he wrote it believing that it was up to each individual to determine what brought them fulfillment, since their life was no longer dictated by the English government.
If I were asked what the pursuit of happiness means to me, my immediate answer would be making arrangements to have the time and money that you need in order to do more of what you love. Currently for me, that would mean eating ice cream, hammocking with my friends, reading, spending time outside, having dance parties, hiking and… eating more ice cream. But if I think about it deeper, I believe it is making your world a better place to live a happy life, to smile more, to move on from that little annoying thing your sister said, to be grateful and to enjoy the things that you have without asking for more
If I then thought about my future, my thinking would change, but only slightly. It’s the same idea, just with different things happening around me. So, I won’t stop smiling, and I’ll use my money on things that I need, not want (unless I just need vacation sometimes).
I hope to do well in school and keep up with theater, but also to try new things, like maybe one day I’ll get really good at walking the tightrope, and then maybe I’ll be able to juggle while walking on the tightrope. Definitely not going to happen but, possibilities are everywhere.
In a combination of the two ideas, to me pursuit of happiness means trying to do more of what you like and enjoy it, because you don’t know when you’ll have time to do it again. Do things that you love, not things that make you grumpy, unless it’s chores. 😉
Eighth grade – third place
By Isaac Hakanson
As this country has now been around for 250 years, we get a chance to reflect on who and what has shaped this country. Although our country has certainly been much less than perfect over the years, the building blocks that our founding fathers set have allowed us to grow in leadership, kindness, and success.
The Declaration of Independence laid out basic but very important rights. The words, “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,” truly speak to the freedom and unity of the country. These rights have been protected by democracy and are extremely important to us today and over the past 250 years of our country.
One of the most important parts of the Declaration of Independence is how it allows people to interpret it in different ways. The founding fathers made the declaration with the knowledge that things would change in the future, so it was broad and allowed changes to laws and the constitution. The constitution allows people to believe what they want, as well as being able to express themselves.
The wording has also been used in history to argue for equality, like different movements, strikes and protests, bringing change for the better. The declaration helped many groups of people gain more rights, such as voting, equal wages and fewer restrictions.
The importance of the Declaration of Independence has been kept alive by democracy. Democracy makes it so that all have equal rights, as said in the declaration. It has protected rights of many, as well as allowed more rights to be put in place.
Without democracy not everyone would get a say, and things would be unfair, due to a person’s race, culture, gender, etc. Democracy has kept our rights the main priority, meaning no one should be above the law or have fewer opportunities than others. Due to our democracy, we can enforce these rights and be who we are without limitations.
In the declaration it states that everyone should be able to pursue happiness. It means that you should be able to do what you want with your life, whether that be becoming a doctor, going to college, traveling the world or anything your heart desires. It allows us to follow our own dreams, and pave our own path. These words show that you can be who you are without neglectance, and think outside of the box about what the future holds for you, your community and your nation.
All in all, the founding fathers set this country and its people up for success, freedom and change. Through the 250 years the rights have been not only kept but broadened, so that not just all men, or not just all Christians, or not just all whites have the freedom, but all people can dream big and live freely in this country. This nation has not been perfect and isn’t currently, but with everyone working together, we can all make a change for the better.
The pursuit of happiness to me
By Ila Carlson, 5th Grade
The pursuit of happiness may be different for everyone but I think it is best described in the
following five ways.
The first way is self happiness. Making sure that you love your body and knowing that all your
emotions are amazing and accepting who you truly are on the inside and out. Being able to
open up to yourself and others. Setting goals for yourself to even if you don’t achieve them and
being able to forgive others and yourself.
The second way of pursuing happiness is connecting with others. Finding your people and
never taking them for granted. Making friends and interacting with your peers. Finding someone
that will be there for you even if you are in a situation that you can’t handle on your own. Finding
people that understand you for you.
The third way of pursuing happiness is experiences. Being able to have some adventure in your
life and try new things, taste different things, smell new things even if they aren’t good things.
Exploring different backgrounds and cultures and experiences. Exploring new places and
perspectives and learning new skills.
The fourth way to pursue happiness is physical happiness. Taking the time to look at yourself
and saying am I happy with myself or do I want to make some changes to help me in the future
or just to make me feel comfortable. Also getting physical affection from others like a hug or just
a kiss on the cheek.
The final fifth pursuit of happiness is making other people feel happy. Maybe just a simple
compliment or a good deed. Making them feel like they belong and included. Making other
people feel how you would love to feel or just making them feel special. Make them smile or
make their day and just being kind is great.
These 5 ways of pursuing happiness are the best description for happiness I’ve ever heard then
they could change the world someday if that doesn’t sound too corny.