The Importance Of My Responsibility To America

My Responsibility to America
“Where were you on 9/11?” Every American twenty and older could answer that question. Having been less than two years old at the time, I don’t remember that day very clearly. I, along with my peers, had to learn about the heinous attacks from parents, teachers, and news articles. I didn’t know until I was about ten years old that among the stories of death and despair were tales of American bravery unlike any before.
Take Welles Crowther for example. Instead of saving himself from the damaged building, he went back again and again to bring dozens of people to safety. Crowther went inside the building to help more, but never came back out. Welles Crowther showed everyone what it means to be a responsible American. He didn’t wait for someone to tell him what to do; he took the initiative. That’s what
responsibility is. It’s a personal choice to do something for the good of the whole. It means doing more than expected. Even if that means giving your time and maybe even your life. Voluntarily helping my countrymen, and respecting those who defend it, is my responsibility to America.
When people are struggling in school, my moral obligation is to help them understand, because the better educated people are, the better off America is. I respect teachers, because they are able to help young people, who will in turn help America. Teachers dedicate their lives to the future of this country. Often-times I see and hear kids disrespecting their teachers, because kids don’t understand that educators influence the future of our country. Everytime I walk into a classroom, it is my
Leiszler 2 responsibility to respect the instructor, regardless of my opinion of the subject material, because they fight a war everyday: not on the field, but in the classroom.
It is my responsibility to America to preserve this country for the generations to come. People before me paved the way to a great American life, and it is every one of our responsibilities to keep it that way. My responsibility to America is to be an informed voter, knowing what candidates for public office think, and using my own moral judgment to vote for the best choice. I’m not yet old enough to vote, but I still know what’s going on in the elections, because it is my responsibility to elect leaders who will keep our country safe.
My highest responsibility, however, is to respect war veterans. People in the armed forces show bravery, even in the face of adversity. They dedicate their lives for the safety of this country and should never be ignored or forgotten. Everyone should salute the flag and honor veterans. We don’t always think about what it takes to keep our country safe. But there’s always men and women fighting for the rights of every
American.
In the end, I could write pages about my responsibilities to America. But that won’t help anyone or change anything unless it moves them to action. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes... and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.” Like Welles Crowther, my responsibility is to leave a legacy shown through actions. By helping my fellow countrymen, voting wisely, and saluting the flag and all veterans, I am fulfilling my responsibility to America.