COURTESY PHOTO
MEEKER | Kallie McCain, daughter of Dawn Pozorski and Ryan McCain, was a top five finalist in the Voice of Democracy essay contest this weekend in Greeley, Colo.
McCain was the first place winner from the Meeker VFW Post and Auxiliary 5843 and advanced to the District 9 competition where she was chosen as a first place winner to advance to the department (or state) competition. McCain was one of the top five contestants to be chosen and received an invitation to the department banquet in Greeley which included a day of festivities and reading her essay at the banquet. The first place winner will advance to the national competition/scholarship which is held in Washington, D.C., this spring. More than 500 students statewide competed in this essay contest.
Meeker VFW and Auxiliary are proud to announce that McCain took fourth place at the state competition in Greeley this past weekend where she was presented with a plaque and a $300 scholarship from the Department Commander, Steve Kjonaas, and Department Auxiliary President, Shelly Schlieman. McCain was joined by her mother, Dawn Pozorski and VFW Auxiliary 5843 President Vicki Crawford and husband Stanley. VFW Post and Auxiliary 5843 would like to extend their heartfelt congratulations to McCain for a job well done.
McCain’s essay is below.
“Why My Vote Matters”
By KALLIE McCAIN
In North Korea, citizens cannot vote. In Azerbaijan, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan—citizens cannot vote for their leaders. In Laos, Iran, Cuba, China, Belarus, Bahrain, Syria, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates—men, women—citizens of these countries cannot put a mark on a paper, flip a lever or do anything that makes their opinion heard in an official vote.
Yet soon—I will be able to vote. The next presidential election, here, in the United States of America, I will take my ballot out of the envelop and I will darken the bubbles of the issues I care about, of the leaders who inspire me and I will vote.
I will vote because my voice and opinion matters. My opinion can sway an election to make a leader worthy of their position. I can use my beliefs and core values to fight for what I want, whether it is for a law or something that can severely affect my future.
I will vote because this nation was created on equality and freedom. It is my freedom to vote, to share my opinion with my leaders, and fight for my every freedom with voting. It is my privilege to vote that many citizens in countries such as Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Swaziland cannot. I will vote because I get the privilege to tell my country what I would like.
Along with Benjamin Franklin, James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights with help from citizens just like all of us. Madison and Jefferson wrote the Bill of Rights to give every citizen individual rights by limiting the power of Congress. I will vote because even if it was dangerous, James Madison wrote and fought for individual freedoms. I will vote because my Founding Fathers have done everything in their power to make a good future for citizens yet to come.
I will vote because our veterans and ongoing military officers have fought and have died to give us this right. Over a million people—1,196,554 people have died in war fighting for our freedoms in the United States. They gave their lives to protect these rights. I will vote because thousands of people have given their lives so that I can choose what I want my future to look like because I am safe and protected. Veterans have given up their time with their families, they have stopped their dreams, and paused their lives to protect every single one of us and that is why I will vote. I will vote because of the Veterans who have passed—fought, and are fighting for my rights and my life.
To protect the rights of the minority, I will vote. As stated in the Declaration of Independence, we broke away from England because of a tyrant king. I will vote because I refuse to except a leader who turns his head from the necessities of the people. I refuse to accept a leader who uses fear to control his people or imposes taxes without consent, intimidates them with military force, or takes their property, just because he wants to. I refuse to accept a king, therefore I will vote.
In June 1775, General George Washington lead the American army to war against the British to fight for our rights and ability to give our opinion on how the country is being run. The Revolutionary War was to fight for citizens rights and by doing that, we broke away and founded the United States of America on July 4, 1776. With George Washington’s leadership, he became President by being chosen by the people. I will vote because George Washington did not lead our army into the Revolutionary War to get a tyrant leader once more. He lead our army to give citizens a chance. He lead our army to give citizens more power than he did the government and this is why I will vote.
The American Dream was created with this country. The American Dream was fought for, for years so that every citizen will have an equal opportunity to use hard work and determination to earn success. I will vote because voting is the American Dream and it is an honor to be able to have it.
Finally, I will vote because women in Saudi Arabia cannot. In Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uganda, Kenya, Oman, Qatar, Egypt, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Zanzibar and too many other countries to list in a five minute presentation still cannot vote. I will vote because women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony put everything on the line—so I can stand up and vote. I will vote because our democracy cannot survive without it.
Special to the Herald Times
