Voice of Democracy essay winner recognized

Sarah Freese, daughter of Dave and Kate Freese, was recently recognized by the Alta VFW and Ladies Auxiliary as the local winner in the Voice of Democracy writing contest. The writing will now compete at the district level.

This year's theme was, "Does America Still Have Heroes?"

Sarah is a sophomore. Following is the essay she wrote.

Does America Still Have Heroes?

Does America still have heroes? This is a question that many people are asking God in their prayers these days. With the economy in trouble and all the brave men and women giving their lives in the war, it is hard to have faith. But no matter how difficult our lives may become, what we fail to realize is there are people walking among us, the everyday heroes.

When we see the reports on the news, and it seems that every other story is about the country losing money, a parent abusing their child, or a young woman barely 19, being killed in a roadside bomb in Iraq, we lose our hope. We forget that somewhere people, who have sacrificed everything, are putting us first and shelving their fears for the greater good of the American people.

A fire fighter walks into a burning building to save an elderly woman trapped in her third floor apartment. A police officer rescues a terrified and shaking Golden Retriever who was chained in a damp, dark basement. A surgeon puts his reputation and career on the line to save a young mother's legs after her car flipped over. A 10-year-old Boy scout leads a man in a wheelchair across a busy street.

And every minute of every day a person gets out of their cot, dresses and braving extreme conditions, with their weapon in their hands, marches into the war zone. They leave their lives behind. They leave their children, their partner and in a complete act of selflessness, go where they know they might never return, but they persevere. They grit their teeth and holding their heads high, an air of dignity and integrity surrounding them, they go to work.

In their camouflage and combat boots they protect and serve. They die and they kill. They relive the horrors in their dreams every night. Lying in bed, some nights, they do not sleep at all. But even in pain they walk tall. They do what haas to be done and shed their tears silently, invisible to all but their own hearts.

We take for granted what these extraordinary human beings sacrifice everyday. We do not see and do not understand what these modern day patriots do but we can never forget. For even though they are no longer marching across foreign soil with weapons strapped to their chests, they, the veterans, are miracles, the survivors. And now they are a new kind of hero. They are the scholars, teachers to the world. They remind us that even though there is cruelty and hate, there is also love, faith, righteousness and a sense of patriotism. The veterans amaze us with their stories of places they have seen. They educate us with values every decent human should possess; every value that they live by. They watched their friends and brothers die. And many were injured to the degree where they will never be the same again. But as if by a miracle, these men and women can draw strength from their families and friends. They will never be the same again but for the majority, they have a better understanding of the value of life and never wasting a moment in which you could tell someone you know just how much you love them. From their horrific experiences they teach us that terrible things will happen, but if we rise above, we will live on - better because we found the strength to be heroes ourselves.

Walking down the street we never think about who the person walking next to us really is. We only see the face in he crowd. So next time when we are out walking around, they are there. They do not wear capes and they can not fly, but they are our own brand of super heroes. They are the keepers of the American ideals and the protectors of humanity.