The Fleet Reserve Association Branch 294 held their Americanism Essay Contest. The theme this year was The Bill of Rights and Me. North Cumberland Elementary School 8th grader Destiny Harris took first place with the winning essay. She was awarded a certificate of recognition as well as a $150 cash reward for a job well done.

Here is the essay Harris submitted:

“The Bill of Rights gives me rights that keep me safe from the worry of biased treatment.  The first amendment gives us the freedom to speak, believe, petition, assemble, and to publish articles. This amendment gives me the power to persuade myself and other people to believe in certain things. The second amendment gives us the right to have guns. With my guns, I can protect myself and others from danger. The third amendment keeps troops of the military from entering private homes. In this, I have privacy in my home. The fourth amendment protects us from being searched unreasonably. This gives me privacy as well as the third amendment. The fifth amendment gives us the right not to be punished without evidence. This would keep me safe from being wrongly accused of a crime that I may have or haven’t committed. The sixth amendment guarantees a fair trial. This would give me the right to a fast  trial so the convicted/innocent may be let loose from state custody. The seventh amendment guarantees the right to a jury trial for civil cases tried in federal courts. The eighth amendment prohibits excessive bail and unusual punishments for crime. This keeps me safe from unfair punishments. The ninth amendment gives us rights that are not mentioned in the Constitution. This would mean I have the right to drive with a license and things that we do in our everyday lives. The tenth amendment gives the citizens of America power that the government does not have. This means to me that I can protest things the government does. The Bill of Rights gives the people of the United States and me the opportunity to do, say, and represent the way I believe is right.  My rights mean the world to me because people way before me didn’t have them. My rights mean the world to me because without them the place I live wouldn’t’ feel safe. My life is the way it is because of the things I’m allowed to do and say. Because of my rights.”

(Pictured are Jack Fogel, FRA Branch 294 Past President and FRA Southeast Regional Vice President, Destiny Harris, 8th grader at North Cumberland Elementary School and Peter Dellarco, President Branch 294)