Autumn Salo

Patriot’s Pen

I believe that everyone has a voice. Small or big, old or young, we all have the option to voice our opinions and feelings to get our ideas out there. From something as small as the student council all the way to the presidential election, your voice has an impact. No matter what you say, it is being taken into account. That’s why everyone should speak up and fight for what they believe in.

The word democracy was derived from the Greek word “demokratia.” The word itself is made up of two separate parts “demo,” which means people, and “krater” meaning rule. Word for word it means people rule. That is not the men and women who were voted into office. That is me and you. That is the people who choose to take a stand for what they believe in, just without the label. Those people fight for their voice to be heard, and they deserve it just as much as others. Not everyone gets the privilege of running for office and getting that automatic voice.

There are hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. government. Yet, so many individuals still feel unheard or even silenced. Why is that? This is because we feel we aren’t meant or supposed to share our feelings on these subjects. We feel we aren’t high enough in the ranks to be heard. That is so far from the truth. Every voice matters. Democracy means power from the people. The people as in your everyday parent, teacher, coach, etc. We are given many opportunities to share our voices. Voting in elections is getting your opinion included. Board assemblies, township meetings and even events for the student council. Any way that you can get involved and share your voice matters.

In Minnesota, we have 134 members present in the house of representatives. 134 people representing the voice of 5.7 million. That is equal to 0.00002 percent of our population. Those people are the determining forces of ours and our kids’ futures. They are handed the responsibility of the entirety of our state. For this reason, we the people need to step up and make our voices heard. No person is too young or too small to be heard.

Shauna Geiser

Patriot’s Pen

Those of you that know me may know that I am not a very loud person, but as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. It is up to me to use my actions to be a voice in America’s democracy.

One of the most obvious ways I can show my voice in democracy is by exercising my right to vote. Even though I am not of voting age yet, I am never too young to start preparing to vote. The best voter is a well informed voter. I. Can prepare myself to vote by studying candidates and their parties and understanding their ideas and beliefs. I can already start comparing these candidates to my own beliefs and ideas so I am prepared to vote when I am old enough. It’s important that I already start looking at political issues so I can better understand how the candidates align with my ideas.

Another way that my actions can be a voice of democracy is though my daily living. I can promote the great opportunities America has to offer. I can defend our country when people try to slander it. I can exercise my freedoms by going to school, attending church, and being able to go where I want to go.

Living in a democracy means having the opportunity to have a voice. Not everyone is as fortunate as me with the option to use my voice as freely as I can. Having a voice means I can share my thoughts and feelings with others without the feat of consequences. Starting to share my voice as a younger adult will encourage others to use their voices.

America is a great country because it is a democracy. I encourage everyone to exercise their own voice or actions to keep it this way!

Sydney Jorgenson

Patriot’s Pen

What is democracy? How am I affected by democracy? How do I affect democracy? These are questions that I’ve been asking. I’ll answer all of these questions in this essay, but first, we need some definitions.

American Democracy: “An American democracy allows people to wield equal political power by electing free institutions that represent their will.” I found this definition on USCIS.gov. That means we elect a government that can create rules, and make limitations. I am affected by American democracy because of rules, laws, and limitations. For example, I can’t steal objects from stores without paying because it’s agains the laws and rules. Many people think American democracy doesn’t affect me much now because I’m young. But rules, laws, and limitations do affect me. They affect everyone, from babies to kids, teenagers to adults to grandparents. Rules and laws keep us safe and other people safe.

I could affect American democracy by making good or bad decisions. I could affect it by voting. I could affect American democracy by making a protest. These are reason I could affect American democracy, but how do I affect it now? I affect it by not liking a president, a governor, or a mayor, or liking one. What I think about American democracy is that it’s great that we can vote for someone we think is good, helpful, or a good person. In most countries, you can’t vote for who you want to be in charge. Some counties have horrible people in charge, and can’t do anything about it. Most times, it’s the person who’s related to the last kind or queen who becomes in charge. I am very glad that when I’m older, I can vote for who I think is the right person for the job. When I turn 35, I could even run for president! Or I could be president in my job, even before I turn 35! My family always votes for who they think is right for the job, and we always were the “I Voted!” stickers. After that, we watch who’s winning, try to guess who’s going to win, and have a contest. We take it very seriously! My family likes American Democracy, and so do I. In conclusion, my voice in American democracy is I take it seriously, I like it, and I understand American democracy.