Standing Among The Stars by Sophie Hiltner

     What is America? A country, one may answer; but no, America is much, much more. We are a nation of dreamers, of believers; of hopes and aspirations. And as an American citizen, I am one of those dreamers, those believers, and this is the America I believe in. A nation standing as one, honorable and free, our hearts singing in harmony.
    
     America should be seen as a symbol, a symbol of hope, of equality, a phoenix rising from the ashes of an undiscovered world, sparking a flame that will enlighten our world. We are a country built on the shoulders of dreamers, an image of courage and protection. Other nations strive to be like us, standing together, powerful and serene. We do what is right and work to support our allies and our own people, at all times staying true to our beliefs and principles.
    
     As Americans, we should be proud of our history. We are a nation born of strong individuals and we must carry on our visions, not only respecting the sacrifices made by our ancestors, but making our own sacrifices for future generations, America is a country of innovators, constantly developing new technology and bettering our society, making history every day. As citizens of this country, we should create a future we will be proud of, and that our children will be proud of. War, segregation, depression, these are all tragedies that our country has survived, but we still stand strong.
    
     In other parts of the world, people are discriminated against due to their race, gender, beliefs; but in the America I believe in, anyone can be anything and differences are beautiful. No matter our outer appearances, our veins still pump the same blood, red as the stripes on our standard. In this America, we stand together to build a better country. We fight for our rights, of education, of speech, of self-expression. The right to vote, the right to be who we want to be.
    
​     Our government encourages participation and expression in every aspect of life, our country is only as good as our people. Our amendments, our constitution, these are ways we were given the chance to make every beautiful dream a reality, no matter the dreamer. And together, we will build a staircase to the heavens and carry each other up to stand among the stars.

     So what is the America you believe in?

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