NORTH ADAMS -- The American Legion Auxiliary sponsors the Americanism Essay Contest for students in grades 3 through 12 every year. This year's essay theme was: "How can I show my patriotism in my community?"
Winners in grade 6 were Dylan Toomey, first, from Sullivan School; Hunter Duncan, second, from Greylock School; and Jerecha Lampiasi, third, from Brayton School.
Winners in grade 7 were Anthony Corbosiero, first, from Sullivan School; Sara Harris, second, from Greylock School; and Sarah Lamarre, third, from Sullivan School. By Dylan Toomey
There are a lot of ways to show patriotism in our community. Patriotism is very important to many people including me. If you show patriotism, you show that you care and love your community. I think people should show patriotism in their community more often. There are a lot of simple ways to show patriotism in our community. Here are some ways I and other people show patriotism in our community.
One way to show patriotism is to hang your flag. You can get a flag holder, put it outside of your house and hang your country's flag. You can see flags on houses mostly in the spring or summer. You can also volunteer to do charity work. You can volunteer at local places. If you don't know where you can volunteer to help ask people or go online.
A common way to show patriotism in our community is to sing the "Pledge of Allegiance." When you say the "Pledge of Allegiance" you
One way to show patriotism is to say what you are thankful for. Sometimes people don't realize what they have to thank. We have a lot to thank for here in The United States of America. We have resources that other places don't. We have a lot of food and some countries don't. Some Americans don't eve realize that we have a lot of this stuff. Some people just use these things unwisely.
One way that I show patriotism in our community is by making cards to the Veterans and the Military people. My father is a Veteran so I look up to all Veterans and the people in the Military. There are a lot of people that go to the Military and become Veterans. I think that is one of the best ways to show patriotism. When I grow up I want to serve in the Military. People give up their lives and/or years of their life to our community and for that I thank them.
I think that joining the Military is great for you and your community. People should be proud that you served in the Military and you should too. It is great that people serve their country. It really shows that they care about their country/community. When I grow up I want to join the Military and others should too.
Another way to show patriotism is to have a job such as a police officer. They do a lot of things for their community. They stop people from doing bad things. They also help people from getting hurt. Nurses or other people that work in the hospital help their community by possibly saving people or making them feel better. They save lives all the time. They also help people that are hurt and help them out. If you work in the hospital, you should be proud of yourself because you are helping people by saving lives and helping wounded people. You should also be proud of yourself if you are a firefighter. You would save people from burning buildings. Firefighters are very brave because they risk their lives to save ours.
Another way that I think is a way to show patriotism for our community is by doing well in school. In school you learn a lot about our community. I think that teachers that teach about our community are doing their job well. Kids should be learning more about their community because not a lot of kids do know a lot about their community. Our community is very important and I think that kids and adults should know more about our community.
There are many ways to show patriotism for our community. I think I show a lot and I know kids and adults that do too. To me patriotism is very important and should be to a lot of kids and adults.
By Hunter Duncan
As a twelve year old boy, how can I show patriotism in my community? How can I show love, support and devotion towards a country, the country of America? I can wave the American flag at a parade. I can wear red, white and blue. I can stand during the National Anthem and work on learning the lyrics so that I can recite them and understand them. I can study the history of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, democracy, and the ins and outs of our government. I can send boxes of needed goods to soldiers overseas. I can focus more on buying items made in America to help our economy. I can be a good citizen by staying in school and setting goals for my future.
There are so many more ways to show patriotism in my community. I can learn about our voting system and each of the presidents who were voted into office. I can also learn about people who made it their purpose in life to make America a more just place to live, such as Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr. I can study the ways that they used peaceful methods, meaningful words, and negotiation to resolve conflicts.
These are ways I can show patriotism in my community and I may inspire friends and family to do one or more of them by talking about my efforts and experiences. Hopefully they would then talk to their family and friends who would spread the news on and that the cycle will keep going.
By Jerecha Lampiasi
First I would like to start by saying that patriotism is the devoted love and pride in ones country but right now we are bringing it down to our community. My community is North Adams yet I like to help with other community's problems. I show patriotism for North Adams by helping clean the streets and helping the children at my school do things like read and write. I also help my community by helping our community centers. On Martin Luther King Jr. day I walked all over town and helped get food for the food pantry. It was snowing and was very cold. My community is very important to me. That is why I like to help. On Valentines Day I went to the hospital and nursing homes and visited everyone there, even ones I don't know. I helped clean up after the little hurricane we got but little goes a long way. I help baby-sit for single parents that have jobs because I feel bad that they have had to raise the child (children) by themselves. Everyone in North Adams knows me because I help so much. I used to help my mom at the nursing home when she worked there. I would help by giving patients medication, making their food and answering the calls. One more thing I would ways do is sit with them and pretend they had grandchildren who cared. My favorite patients were Aggie, Magret and Robert. They were so sweet. I miss them so much. Now let's get back to the topic, my community is super important to me. I take full pride in North Adams it is one of the best and amazing community's ever! When I'm older I want to stay in North Adams and help as much as I can!
By Anthony Corbosiero
How can I show patriotism in my country? Well patriotism is the love for ones country. When I hear those words it makes me feel good about the people serving us, giving protection to our country. They're out there day and night through the rain and snow, showing that they care for America. The generous men and women are risking their opportunities to do something big for us.
First of all, I can send cards and show my support saying, "Thank you everybody serving in Iraq, Afghanistan ad many other places." These are the people who protect us and keep us safe from the terrorists trying to invade our country. Everyone out there is missing time with family, friends and even neighbors. They protect us on holidays and even birthdays. Without the soldiers we would be over run and it's just good to say thank you to those risking their lives for us.
Second, there is the thought of helping the needy. I can donate money to charities for people with illnesses, who are homeless, and abused kids all over this country. Donating money could help give kids the proper equipment and attention they need. Also it could give children and their families a house with food, heat, and even warm water. When I donate the money to children that are abused they could get the help they deserve and get put in a new home with new kids and a new family. These children and their families deserve more than what they are getting out of this world.
Another idea I can do to show pride for this country is placing flag outside my house or even around cemeteries. Showing pride means showing love for ones country. Patriotism means: A person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractor. I am willing to do all that. I want people to look up to me and tell friends about how lucky they are to have good soldiers. I want kids -- when I'm older -- to be doing what I'm doing right now, sitting at desk typing about patriotism but when I'm serving in the armed forces.
Then there is the thought of me joining the forces when I'm old enough. I want to protect and serve for our country. People are risking their lives for me and everybody else and I just want to give back. I want to take over and relive the dynasty of everybody in our country. I want to go out there and protect innocent kids, family, and even friends. Going out there will show me how much I should respect our country.
People deserve everything the soldiers are doing for us -- they left their family and friends to get shipped out to protect us.
There are tons of ways of showing support for our country. Sending cards so that they know I care. Next is helping the needy. Another thought is to place flags around the house and cemetery. Then finally is the thought of me joining the military. So those are all the thoughts of how I can show patriotism in my country.
By Sara Harris
The flag waving peacefully in the breeze like waves washing up on the sand at a beach. Eagles gliding across the sky representing freedom. The American Eagle, the symbol of America and justice. When they fly they reassure they're combatants going into war. They also give their soldier buddies a little reassurance.
I can show my patriotism for my country in many ways. One way is putting my hand over my heart when I hear the National Anthem. This shows respect and shows you care about your country. It is also important to do because you're supporting the people fighting for our country and the soldiers that died protecting our country. Another way you can respect your country is by respecting your flag no matter what. Our flag represents justice and freedom and we are free because of the people fighting for us at war.
Another way I can show my patriotism is by participating in the National Anthem. I can sing when I am at a football or baseball game. Anywhere I hear the National Anthem I should participate in singing it. Another way I can show my patriotism is by saying the Pledge of Allegiance. It shows that you care for your country and your religion. The American flag with its 13 colonies and 50 stars. One flag for 50 states.
Another way I can show my patriotism is by respecting the people that fight four our country. My brother, for example, is a marine. I should respect him because without people fighting for us we all would be in distress. Everyone should respect the people that fight for us because if they didn't exist everyone would be miserable then they would want their freedom back. The purpose that they're risking their lives for is for our freedom.
Every living things stops and waits for that one moment where there's no beginning yet no end. That one moment earth is quiet and still. Then it begins. Soldiers run toward their enemies, weapons drawn. Huge tanks roar with competition. Then long time later and victory. Every creature has been waiting and they start to cheer. The American flag is raised with a big grin.
By Sarah Lamarre
The definition of patriotism is the love for one's country and wanting to make it better. There are many ways to show patriotism in your community. You can do things to make your community better or you can show your love for your country by doing certain things. Whatever way you show your patriotism it still makes a difference.
I can show my patriotism by putting a flag outside of my house. This way when people drive by my house they'll remember what the flag stands for, how America started off as 13 small colonies on the Eastern coast and is now this beautiful and independent country. Hopefully this will make them want to put a flag outside of their house. I cannot only put a flag outside my house but on a grave of a person who died who served our country at a time during their life.
Another way of showing patriotism in my community is volunteering my time to help people that need it. There are lots of different charities or places that need help with various things. Helping out places that need it is showing patriotism because it's showing the love you have for your community and country by trying to make it better. Donating time to something like a soup kitchen or being involved with a program to clean up an area are all ways to show patriotism.
If you're at a sporting event or somewhere where they are playing the pledge I can show respect by listening and paying attention. This shows patriotism because I'm honoring the flag and the song of America. If I lead by example then hopefully my friends and then their friends will do the same. But if they don't then I can tell them they are not being very patriotic and are being disrespectful to all the people who served our country.
If you're old enough if you want to you can join the Army or a branch of military. This will show a great deal of patriotism to your community. When someone joins the military from your community, it should make you feel proud. This shows they love their country and want to help it fight a war that has lasted over 10 years. Doing this shows me that they don't care what will happen to them because they want to give back to their country.
All these ways show how people can show patriotism in their community, how they can give back. To me being patriotic is really important because if people don't show love for their country or their community then how will this country full of different people come together and work at once. When people do show their love and want to make their society better then everything works smoothly and there's limited controversy on what the government does.
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