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Show JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL WINNING ESSAY m m m mmm a "Why I Am Glad I'm an American" by Yukio Ishimaisui, 8th Grade I who can be said to be born under two flags, can gratefully say, "I'm an American citizen." I have more advantages and greater gre-ater opportunity to become what I would really like to be such would not be the case if I had chosen my parents' homeland citizenship. I realize deeply that I have made a better choice in selection of my citizenship rights a selection I shall and will never nev-er regret. I am given a more than liberal education to help me in my future. fu-ture. This would not be if I were not an American. Instead I would be placed in a school where I would be taught to fight. Instead of being taught something useful, use-ful, I would be taught the destructions de-structions of war. I would have had to train rigidly for a future, not of hope, but a future of darkness dark-ness and ruin. My life would not be my own to use to guide, my blood, not my own blood. No freedom of speech, but an inner soul filled with heartaches. Nothing to gain, everything to lose gone would be my dreams, my hopes, my ambitions. That historic day of 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed will always stand out as the most important day in the history of our nation, because it was a beginning of our nation. Had it not been for the courage of the signers of the Declaration there might be no United States of America. Instead, we might still be only subjects to a king. And so I say when we discuss our most cherished possessions, that mine is the liberty which our statesmen forefathers declared declar-ed theirs in 1776. I feel proiicl and joyous to read about men who fought and died to preserve our liberty giving each of us a rich heritage of liberty and hope. That liberty bestowed upon me through my citizenship, and will always al-ways be mine so long as 1 obey the laws of my country. It is more than a relief to know that the "land of the free" is not under the rulership of some grasping, gras-ping, military men who condemn con-demn free speech, and freedom of the press. We can smile that we have a government controlled by the people, for the people. A government which promotes scout movements, youth education, and better citizenship training. A place where we can take part in the building of our government through votes of our own choice. Laws and bills made by us to help keep our country, home, and loved ones safe. I am also grateful for the training train-ing of individual thoughts: such thoughts which have resulted in all our modern home and school conveniences. My country has a higher standard stan-dard of living and a higher code in life. A symbol, where youth is the hope of tomorrow, not the (Continued On Page 4) ing materials. I give thankii,-all thankii,-all these and more, also for ? love, .friendship, and loyalty t? are given so freely. Truly Jt ?v land of great future ' So again I say, I'm an American citizen where 5 flag, the Stars and Stripes, always wave over "the land' the free" undaunted throj wars and other disasters the same opportunities as the next man, I feel with conviction that America is the land for me. A place where everyone can help keep the staunchness, justice, and reliability from changing with each year's fashions. A place where I can enjoy a home, comfort, com-fort, peace, radio unmolested. My pride is great wnen I think of America's lofty mountains; clear waters; fertile grounds yielding large amounts of good things to eat; vast territories of ores; and the plentiness of cloth- PRIZE WINNING ! ESSAY PUBLISHED (Continued From Page 1) As my final reason for my preference pre-ference of this country to any other as the land to which I would like to pledge my allegi-j ance, I point out its isolation from . all world powers which mi;ht seek to do it harm. A ecording to i men prominent for their know-1 ledge of military tactics, it would be virtually impossible for a European Eu-ropean power to attack us before we had time 1o rc completely prepared for it, unless it were to establish a base in the Western Hemisphere, which it couldn't do very well under our present watching wat-ching over the Panama Canal and South America. So, with my civil liberties, with plenty of sources for food, clothing, invigorating sports, and healthful climates, with the best knowledge of the day at my disposal, dis-posal, with a feeling of security 1 from outside nations, and with |