Excellent Ethics Essays. :)

So I wrote an essay on ethics for a class assignment, and entered it into a competition, also according to a class assignment, and overall did not expect anything but a grade on the assignment.

Turned out I won the competition, and will receive a $500 dollar cash prize.

HOLY GOD. I love my life. :)))

Because I want to share, and I'm kinda curious of your opinion, I'm posting it here. This is not a post that will happen often, but I just kinda feel like posting it somewhere. Like, a trophy. :)

DISCLAIMER: I really don't care that much about your political views. I'm not posting this to engage you in a 50-comment-long argument over whether I'm right or not, and I'm certainly not posting this to challenge or look down on your political or ethical views. I'm posting this because I feel like posting my money-winning essay on MY PERSONAL BLOG. I'm also not trying to be rude with this disclaimer, but I really want to make my point: I'm not directing this at you, I'm doing this purely for myself.

And without further ado....

To protest a governmental policy, a group of people gather in the middle of a street, raise picket signs, shout about their grievances, and rally other standers by into supporting their cause. After a few hours, and a large crowd has gathered, the leader of the protest decides to (to show the government ‘who’s boss’) burn the American flag. And, because of the Supreme Court case of Texas v. Johnson, this near-treasonous act is considered ‘free speech’, as it is an expression of beliefs, and is therefore protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.

The American flag is a symbol of our country, the United States of America. This flag represents all of the American people, all of the immigrants who came to America looking for a better life, all of the soldiers fighting for our great country, and all of the lives—the fathers, mothers, daughters and sons that have given their lives to keep that flag flying high.

These protesters that burn the flag think that the flag is just a ‘piece of fabric’ and it’s ‘just a symbol’ of America, it’s not that important. But it is much more important than they know. Soldiers stand in its shadow as they are about to fly off to war. Veterans fly the Old Glory high from their homes, showing their love and support for their country in the only way they still can. A folded flag is all that is left of a fallen soldier, to be presented to wives, mothers, children, after their loved one has died for the country—his blood keeping those red stripes bright. It is my Grandfather’s coffin, and the last I ever saw of him.

In one of my classes, we held a debate on whether or not flag burning was wrong. I was shocked to find that only three people in my class, including myself, thought that burning a flag was wrong. Nearly all of my peers named the flag as ‘only a symbol’, and ‘just some fabric’ and asked ‘why is it that important?’, while myself and only two other classmates fought against the verbal onslaught, saying ‘No, the flag is important. It is not just a piece of fabric. This is the flag of our country, and it is important.’.

It is hard to explain patriotism to someone. It is difficult to inform someone of how it feels to see your strong, brave mother crying over this ‘piece of fabric’ that my Grandfather was to be buried in, because of his love for this country he fought for. It is difficult to describe the feeling in your heart as the flag is lowered to half-mast in times of trouble, and raised, flying high and proud, in the times that we are strong and fighting.

So I’ll write this essay, and I’ll jump up on a soapbox and shout words of love for this country. I’ll donate a dollar to the people at my school collecting money to send care packages to the soldiers fighting for their country and their families. I’ll write to my Senator, or the President, or anyone who might listen if I have a problem with my government. And I will never, ever burn a flag. Because by burning a flag, a person is burning more than just some thread and dye. They are burning hopes. They are burning dreams. They are burning the souls of the soldiers that have died fighting for our beautiful country. They are burning the memory of my grandfather, and the memory of a hundred others that died loving this country as much as he did. So stand up and help pass a law against burning flags. Before the whole country goes to ashes.