Student Patriots > Essay
Essays | Submit Essay | |  | Veterans Day
John Caylor - 8th Grade - February 12, 2007 |
| My name is John Caylor. I'm fourteen and a student at Brandon Middle School. I have an understanding of patriotism that most kids my age and some adults don't have.
My grandfather and I have made several trips to Washington, D.C. in the "Run for The Wall Ride" that goes on every year in May. On our trips we stopped at several places, including schools in Virginia.
In these schools kids from third grade and up met the riders and put on shows. These kids knew what a Veteran was and what POW (Prisoner Of War) and MIA (Missing In Action) stood for . . . Not just that but had an understanding of it almost as well as I do.
Now the question is why our schools don't teach like the schools in Virginia do? I have asked some of my classmates what a veteran is and a lot of them replied, "Someone who doctors my pet." The bad thing is some teachers don't even know what a veteran is or the meaning of POW/MIA stands for.
I'm not prejudice, but I don't understand how we are allowed to get out of school for Martin Luther King Jr. birthday . . . but can't get out for Veterans Day. If I recall, Veterans Day is also a national holiday. Martin Luther King Jr. did a lot for this country, but if it were not for our Vets we would not have a country.
Now, I 'm not necessarily writing this to ask that we get out of classes just to get out . . . but for that day to be a day for honoring the men and women of our military past and present. We also need to get the schools more involved in Veterans Day, if possible.
If the schools could teach more about what a veteran is and what they have sacrificed for our country . . . that would be just as good to me and others as getting our of school. Really I would rather see something done in the schools than get out of class.
I have tried to go to the class representatives of my school and talk to them one on one but they don't seem to fill the same about this topic as I do. It seems people have forgotten that men and women have fought and died for this country and for the freedoms, rights, and most recently the protection we all have.
Now, all I'm asking is to try and do whatever you can to not let our veterans be forgotten on Veterans Day in our schools, especially those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Remember, all gave some and some gave all . . . We can't forget that! | John Caylor
8th Grade
Copyright 2007 Comment on this essay in Patriotic Thoughts!
Essays | Submit Essay for Student Patriots | Student Patriots |
| Use Notice... Student Patriots' creative work cannot be used outside of USA Patriotism! without permission from the respective student, who is the copyright owner. And permission can only be requested if an email address is associated with a student's creative work. (Please do not contact USA Patriotism! for permission, as it will not respond to the request.) | |
|
|
