Congressman Paul Hodes (left) and Stonyfield Farm's president and
CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg with essay contest winners Laura Coughlin,
Morgan Holland and Ethan LaFrance
Winning Essays for Fair Elections Action Week Contest
Congressman Paul Hodes (left) and Stonyfield Farm's president and
CE-Yo
Gary Hirshberg with essay contest winners Laura Coughlin,
Morgan Holland and Ethan LaFrance
Laura Coughlin | Morgan Holland | Ethan LaFrance
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Presidency
By Laura Coughlin
There are many things necessary to a good leader, one of the most fundamental of which is a deep understanding of those they lead. It is a leader's duty to protect their nation from harm, both militarily and economically. Today, our economy is failing. We rely heavily on foreign oil and cheap foreign labor. Unemployment rates in America are rising, and the middle class is shrinking.
It's impossible for our government to meet the needs of the entire nation if all of our leaders have the same background. The ideas amongst those who hold offices of power should be as diverse as the ideas of the general population. That cannot be achieved if only the wealthy, the powerful, and the famous can have hope of being elected.
If I was elected president, I would work to save our economy from falling to ruins. By reducing our reliance on foreign oil and labor, we could hinder the flow of money from our country. By diminishing our consumption of foreign oil, we would reduce carbon emissions, and potentially help to end the violent struggles in the Middle East. By employing American workers instead of foreign ones, we would drastically shorten the unemployment lists. The nations with small or nonexistent minimum wages would then be forced to recognize the danger of their shrinking middle classes.
To move the public to support these ideas, a leader must be able to bridge the gap between themselves and the public. They need to make it clear that they will use their power to improve peoples' everyday lives, by improving school systems, fixing social security, and defending the peoples' rights. They need to prove that the issues they address hold a deep meaning for them.
Our nation has the potential to be a forerunner in green technology, pave the way in work place standards, and have a thriving economy. All we need is a set goal and motivation to get us there. It is strong leadership that we need, to arouse that motivation, bring the people together in one common direction, and show our nation what it is capable of.
What I Would Do As President
By Morgan Holland
The president has become one of the most important people in the US. The president's ideas and beliefs usually become or influence laws. Based on what the president thinks, we go to war, or spend more or less money on certain things. The president can change many lives with their immense power. Yet, if only the wealthy have the money to run for president, you take out the voice of the poor. When I think of what to do if I were president, several things come to mind.
One of the strongest things is to fix, or at least start, on the poverty situation in the US. Quite honestly, I think it is a great thing to help those less fortunate than the majority in the US, but it is also very important to fight poverty in our backyards. Fixing the world's poverty situation starts with fixing the US's poverty situation.
The next thing I would do as president would be to cut the US's dependency on oil and work towards slowing down or stopping global warming. Global warming means many bad things, animals going extinct, rising waters and temperatures. None of these are good and should all be stopped.
I believe that everyone young and old in the US should have the chance to get health care. I think that it is sad that bills such as SCHIP haven't been passed; it's terrible that some of the children who will be leading the nation in several years don't have health care now.
In conclusion, I would fight poverty in America, cut our dependency on oil and help slow down or stop global warming, and improve health care for all Americans. The dream of becoming president shouldn't be banished because of your class, anyone with the ability to lead should.
Climbing the Ladder:
Promoting Upward Mobility in America
By Ethan LaFrance
There is a crisis in America. A widening chasm of economic inequality and disparity is polarizing our country. No single issue is behind the growing burden, rather a dynamic combination that erodes the great dream of upward mobility for all. The number of Americans who describe our country as divided between the "haves" and the "have-nots" has leaped 22 percent, those describing themselves as part of the "have-nots" have increased 17 percent.1 America's identity is based on our relentless optimism, but the plight of the average American is cracking at that core value.
My grandparents embodied the American dream. They grew from poor childhoods to raising families, living comfortably and sending their kids to college. How can we promote upward mobility for my generation? I would make investment in green technology a national priority therefore restoring the dwindling well-paying manufacturing jobs swallowed up by globalization. As President I would establish universal healthcare, lifting a financial burden that prevents families from moving up the economic ladder due to medical debt. 2 Education is the vehicle that propels upward mobility. By instituting a national scholarship program aimed at helping those struggling with the cost of college, more Americans would be enabled to expand their education. As Commander in Chief, I would execute these three policies to preserve and protect the land of opportunity: American.
We need a President who understands the difficulties facing all Americans, not just the wealthy. Only if we have leaders compassionate about the average Americans' challenges will solutions come forth. As the cost of a presidential campaign skyrockets3, money's political infestation will cause our presidents to be removed from the average American and susceptible to corruption.
Promoting America's genuine upward mobility is essential to protecting the pathway to the American dream and putting truth to the idea anyone can become President.