What freedom means to me
By Malachai Willey
Grade 6
Every night on the news we watch how other countries fight for freedom, while we have ours. America didn’t start out with the freedom, we fought and worked hard for it.
Although freedom is amazing, it comes at a price. People like Paul Wilbur, the gentleman that I interviewed at Cole’s Land Transportation Museum, pay that price. This World War II veteran was shot down by an AK47. The bullet hit him right in the back. He survived. He was shot down in Amanta, off the coast of Japan. He said there was a good 100 meters of sand, until the trees, so Paul said a quick prayer, and crawled as fast as he could.
Now that doesn’t mean other countries don’t work hard for freedom too. A teenager from Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai, who is 17 years old, worked for freedom, so hard she was shot in the face. She recently won the Nobel Peace Prize. The reason she fought was so that girls like her could go to school. Now think about that, that’s incredible.
Some people think we shouldn’t have freedom, that everyone should have a leader who make all the rules. But thanks to freedom we outvoted those people, and now help other countries like Nigeria and other African countries that have Ebola and other issues. We also donate to India and other poor countries.
Do you know what makes me really sad, that all countries can’t have freedom. Why can’t we all get along as one world. We are all equal, now why can’t we act like it. We are all born the same way, we all start the same way, so why aren’t we the same?
More people should act like Malala or Paul Wilbur — they stood up for what’s right. These two people and many others know what freedom means and they made it happen.
So now when you hear the word ‘freedom,’ I hope you have a new perspective, just as I do.
What freedom means to me
By Cullin Caverhill
What freedom means to me is being able to wake up every morning in my own bed knowing there are people in other parts of the world fighting not just for me, but for all of the people in America.
It means being able to take warm showers, eat good food, and the most important thing is being able to vote for our president.
Now I want to go away from what freedom means for just a second and talk about those who are fighting for our freedom. I want to say thank you for those who have fought in the Revolutionary War, WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and also those who are fighting right now in Afghanistan. When you get a chance take a minute of silence for those who did not make it back home to their families and loved ones.
What freedom means to me is being able to look at the American flag and see all 50 stars for 50 states and 13 stripes for 13 colonies. The reasons all those stars and stripes are on our flag are because of all those men and women who have fought, lived and died, for the freedom of our country. Again I want to say thank you!
What freedom means to me
By Riley Bouchard
When I think of freedom I think of things as simple as having the right of saying what you want to say or living where you want to live. As a sixth grader I already know about all of the choices ahead of me, where I want to go, what I want to do for a job because of the men and women who risk their lives for our safety. Then thinking of a family who has a dad or mom in war, it must be scary for them. I take it for granted that my mom and dad are home every morning and night and it’s the opposite for some kids. This fall I got to meet a veteran for an hour and in that little time he told me about some of his near death experiences so I realized without his help and many other people I might not have any of the stuff I have now.
What does freedom mean to me?
By Alya Theriault
Grade 7
What does freedom mean to me? It sure has changed since I interviewed Tom Kelly at the Cole’s Transportation Museum in Bangor, Maine. He told us what it was like to serve for our country and who the real heroes of our country are.
He taught us that the real heroes are the people who have died fighting for our country’s freedom. Mr. Kelly also told us that freedom is our right to speak and say what we want to say and also to be able to vote for our leaders.
Tom Kelly knew very well what it was like to fight for the freedom of our country. He went into the Navy at 21 and served two tours in Vietnam and at the age of 67 he served one year in Iraq as a security specialist.
Tom truly inspired me to do as much as I can to serve our country and to make a difference in our community. Not only did my outlook on freedom change but my thoughts about veterans did as well. He really put into perspective what these amazing people put on the line to protect the freedom of our country. These extraordinary veterans left their families and their friends to serve this marvelous nation. Tom left behind his wife and two sons. The effects of war not only take a toll on the veteran himself but it also takes a toll on the veteran’s family as well.
Tom explained to us that his wife had to take on the role of the husband and the wife while he was gone, which wasn’t easy. Not only did the Kelly family have to go through this, many other families did as well.
After learning about Tom Kelly’s history, the instructor asked for a raise of hands, if we had a grandparent or family member that was a veteran. Almost everyone raised their hand. This really made me think that there are so many people who have been touched in the same way. Everyone in one way or another knows someone who is a veteran.
