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Published: October 12th 2007
“Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.” JFK
Here is part of a journal entry that I wrote while on Semester at Sea, this is a pretty good explanation of one of the main reasons why I choose to join Americorps.
“I think I want to join the armed services. I don’t know. I would fight for our country. For the freedoms that everybody takes for granted back home. They cry when a president that they don’t like is elected but at least we have a president. At least we have order and aren’t living in chaos day after day. We are free to do whatever we want, whenever we want. I will fight for my freedom of speech, being able to talk to whomever I want whenever I want without the government interfering and imprisoning me for saying something that I believe. I would fight for the freedom of religion. The freedom to worship God, to worship my God, the God I believe in. And I’ll fight for the god you believe in too if it’s different than my god, because in America we can choose who we want to worship, whether we our god is right or wrong that is for us to choose not the government. We can go to church, temple or mosque freely. We can carry around bibles and sing Christian songs without persecution. I would fight for that. We can go to restaurants and not be monitored by security cameras. We can talk on the phone and send emails without the government watching and listening to us. We don’t have to live in fear in America. Yeah, our government might have its flaws and you might not like the leader but we have it together. Out of all of the countries I’ve been to ours is the only one with enforced traffic laws, garbage collection, wealth, order. I would fight for that. I really think I would. Heck I would even die for it so that my kids and/or grandchildren could live in America and not have to grow up in a state of utter chaos like a majority of other countries in this world. I will fight for laws to reduce pollution so we can breathe freely without pain. So we don’t get sick from every breath of air we breathe in. I'm proud to be an American. I am thankful to be an American. I love being an American. And those who aren’t proud, thankful and love this country don’t deserve to be here. There are many people around the globe who would die to take their place. They would be grateful and appreciative…
…I hate when people complain about our government. I HATE IT SO MUCH! In spite of what I said earlier about fighting, I have been thinking about it constantly and I’ve come to a new conclusion. I don’t think that I could ever kill someone. I don’t think that I could go over to a different country and open fire or drop bombs on villages. I don’t think I could take someone’s life away from them, or watch as my comrades lives are taken from them. I want to fight, but I don’t think that I can. I want to be active, I want to participate, I have to find another way than fighting for our rights.”
Americorps is my way of giving back to the country that I am a citizen of.
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Aunt Bonnie
non-member comment
WOW!!
Very powerful Nicki. I couldnt agree with you more. Thank you for making a postitive differnce in our world. Luv Ya Aunt Bonnie