The America I Believe In by Olivia Heimer

    America. When you hear that word, what do you see? I see a nation with independence, equality, and justice. I believe that we have always been a great nation, but must work to maintain it. This is the America I believe in.
    
     America, a land of hope and freedom. A place to start over, for a new life. In the early 1600’s, the pilgrims came to America in hope of freedom from the English monarchy. Here, in the new land, they found what they were looking for. Then, in the 1700’s, that idea was finalized when Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. The men who signed it had a vision of freedom and hope to all people. They believed they could make a better world. This vision has been passed on from generation to generation. But, the true meaning has slowly been changed and lost. The vision that once was the livelihood of our nation has been altered to fit the ideas of different people, no longer what our founding fathers imagined. We, at the people, need to take a step-back.  
   
​     Independence: one that is not bound or definitively committed to a political party. That is one definition of the word independence. In 1776, 51 men came together to sign the United States Declaration of Independence, a legal document that stated Americans are free. To most people America is a beacon of hope. We as Americans are privileged and independent individuals that were given a chance for an amazing life, full of possibilities and potential.

     When a father or mother, or sister or brother goes off to war, what is the sacrifice that so many loved ones go through each day? The family members stay behind, waiting, and wondering whether or not that person will make it out alive. That sacrifice is such a great price, and, they do it for one main reason. Even when people risk their lives for people they don’t know, they do it for the America they believe in.  
   
​     America is a great and wondrous place, no matter what price was paid. When I hear the word America, I see an image of an honorable and free land. What is the price that so many people paid and who for? They paid it for a place they love. That is that America I believe in.