We The People by The Daily Star

We the People The Daily Starâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2016 Constitution Essay Contest Submissions

A Special Supplement to: The Daily Star, Wednesday, December 28; The Cooperstown Crier, Thursday, December 29 and The Weekly Star, Friday, December 30, 2016.

We would like to thank all of the students, teachers, parents and members of the community who participated in our 2016 Constitution Essay Contest. We are delighted to present these essay submissions to our readers in this special section, We the People.

SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Ronald Hickling Edmeston Central School Justice for all Our country’s famous Constitution means absolutely everything to me. I am very much honored to live in a country that has fought so hard, written so many documents, and gave its everything to gain independence for our United States of America. This particular document though, is perhaps the most important. The part of this document that I find the most incredible is the very beginning, “We the people of the United States”. I find this specific part so incredible because it tells that this document was not written by any king or royalty, it was written by the people, the people of the United States of America. These people wanted a new nation, a nation with independence, which they eventually got, but they had to fight and work harder than anyone ever had to finally gain it. Now I obviously was not able to help America achieve what it did during their fight for freedom and independence, but I am very much honored to live in the country where it happened. I and most likely every American citizen who lives now or will eventually live in this country will cherish this very important document for years to come and for as long as they all shall live. With all the feelings I have for America, I am definitely not to happy and joyful for the people of Great Britain who lived at the time of the American Revolution because I feel that no country nor continent that that country belongs to should have total control over another, and I believe that all countries in this world

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should have independence and the only people that should be able to control that country, are the people who actually live in it. If people want to be able to keep their freedom and independence, they need to be intelligent about the things they do to themselves and other people. If you shoot someone or cause another person to die or cause yourself to die, you just lost not only your own freedom and independence, but you took away somebody else’s. If you drink and drive, if you overdose on drugs, if you do not properly treat yourself, you are taking away your own freedom and independence. These are the reasons why, even though I do love having my own freedom, myself and the millions upon millions of other citizens of America will, and should be aware and cautious about how we do use our freedom, and realize that freedom, is nowhere near being free. That said, we should appreciate the freedom that we really have that we gained by defeating Great Britain in the war for our country’s independence, and use it very wisely, so we have a very small chance to ruin it for

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ourselves and everyone else around us. George Washington, the “Father of Our Country”, once said, “The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon”. I very much agree with this statement and I believe that no American citizen should ever abandon the Constitution, for the Constitution is a document that played a huge part in America finally gaining the freedom and independence that it always deserved from the country that tried to keep it away, Great Britain. Our amazing country would not have the same rights or maybe as many rights as we have in the present, if it were not for the Constitution. For all we know, without the brave Patriots who gave their lives for our country and without the Constitution, this huge war for independence that was already finished over 200 years ago could still be going on today. Europe could still be controlling America right now, if it were not for our brave Patriots and our country’s Constitution. In conclusion, I am honored to live in a country which gave everything that it had to gain independence from Great Britain’s immense empire, and I am grateful for the American citizens who went out of their way and even died for our country, and I am grateful for the men who wrote and contributed to our Constitution, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, James Madison, and many more. This document gave us our rights as American citizens, our branches of government, and so many other things that helped shape America, and, give justice for all. WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Lacey Eckert South Kortright Central School Everyone knows the Constitution, but few understand it. Basically the Constitution describes our national government. The Constitution makes the government equal, balanced, and fair. The Constitution gives each branch some power and responsibilities, but also makes sure that one branch doesn’t have too much power. Each paragraph in the Constitution describes a little part of the government. Each of these paragraphs are rules for the government to follow. I think of all the government being like a house. The Constitution would be the foundation. You must follow the foundation floor plan or your house will fall. All of the bedrooms in the house represent the Executive Branch or the Presidents. All the items in that room are the President’s achievements and dreams. The dining room represents the Legislative Branch or Congress. Congress is broken into two branches, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate has two members from each state, so this would be like the two chairs at each end of the table, where the mom and the dad would sit. The House of Representatives get a certain number of people based on population. This would be like all of the little kids sitting along the sides of the table. The Judicial Branch would be the frame, posts, and the walls of the house. If everything is not done, put together, and followed correctly there will be bad consequences. To me the Constitution made us a country. It keeps us united together as a whole. Without it we would separate and not be the country we are today. The Constitution is like the glue for our country. Alone we fall, together we stand tall. Without the Constitution, we would still have the Articles of Confederation. This government lacked in keeping our country united. The Articles of Confederation gave almost all power to the states, which resulted in a weak national bond. The central government had the power to maintain armed forces, coin money, and make treaties and alliances. What the central government needed was the ability to levy taxes. Congress was also the last resort on national debates. Our founding fathers created the Constitution. This had the same general purpose as the Articles of Confederation, but made a stronger central government. The founding fathers realized that the central government needed power but not too much. Each branch checks the others to make sure that they don’t possess too much power. Congress makes a bill that they vote on to become a law. The President either signs the bill to make it a law or vetoes it. If Congress gets enough votes they can override the President. The citizens then must follow the law. If anyone finds this law unfair they take it to court. If the judge finds the law unfair, Congress must remake their law. The Constitution also includes the Bill of Rights. These are rules that the government cannot change must follow. The Bill of Rights is just the original ten amendments. These were created to give and protect citizen’s rights. The First Amendment is freedom of speech, the press and religion. The Second Amendment is the right to own guns. The Third Amendment is that a soldier cannot stay at a house without the owner’s permission. The Fourth Amendment is that a person, house, or object cannot be searched without probable cause and a warrant. The Fifth Amendment is that you may not be a witness for yourself and that you are innocent until proven guilty. The Sixth Amendment is that all crimes must be takes to court, and that there is a witness against the person, one for the person, and the person must have assistance from the counsel in his defense. The Seventh Amendment says that all citizens are promised a

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WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

trial when accused of a crime. The Eight Amendment says that excessive bails, fines and punishments are not acceptable. The Ninth Amendment says that no new says that no new amendment can cancel an original amendment. The Tenth Amendment states that power that is not given to the government per the Constitution is given to the states or the people. Sometimes we as Americans deny the Constitution, but this is unacceptable. We must follow, but not just follow, we must appreciate the Constitution. As said by Helen Keller “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” The Constitution was created to make our country not just good, but great. By following the Constitution we can keep our country great.

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Jack Gustafson Oneonta Central School

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The U.S Constitution is a document created by the founding fathers to help me live in a country where the rule of law protects me. The document was handwritten by Jacob Shallus in September 15,1787. The founding fathers called themselves the Framers of the Constitution at the time, and it included fifty-five men.That’s a lot of people. In total there were over seven-teen drafts and a total of a whopping fifty-seven days. That’s crazy! In some weekends Jacob would write over 4,000 words. That averages about 2,000 words a day, for 55 days. Even though there were fifty-five framers,only thirtyfive of them and only twelve out of thirteen states originally signed it. Regardless,two days later.the U.S Constitution was ratified on September 17,1787. One of the sections included in this invaluable precious document is The Bill of Rights.The Bill of Rights states the rights of the people and their posterity. Now what does this mean to do with us? Well it allows us to have a guideline of what we can and can’t do, which is very important because you live in this country and you have to obey the laws regardless of your feelings of it. Now you do have some power though. If you are not happy with the way the federal government is running things you may think you just have to go with it. Wrong. Living in America we have the right to speak freely and you are granted the option of protesting and you might even have something changed or enacted. Some of you reading this probably have some sort of belief system i’m assuming.Well what if depending on the current president you were not only forced to give up your beliefs but forced to adopt the religion chosen by our president. It would probably be a hard life and would kind of settle in rig the voting system.But you have the Constitution to thank for that never being a possibility.The Constitution also protect the right to remain silent and vote.The Constitution goes to great lengths to protect our rights and gives the right to have a fair trial. The U.S constitution is such an invaluable document. Without it, we would be nobodies. With no rights our opinions, thoughts, wishes, dreams and our political views would be worthless and we would be no different than robots, designed to do tasks for the government regardless of our consent. The government would view and judge us as a whole by labor and obedience. But fortunately the Constitution protects us and allows us to be somebodies, who’s thoughts and opinions mattered. It is because of its existence, that we are not viewed as robots, but people. People who are allowed to vote for and choose their leader and judge the government and decide for ourselves if the government meets the criteria to be successful. Because we are a tranquil domestic nation, and the Constitution proves it. DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Lena Greene Edmeston School United We Stand

The Constitution is very important to the way we live today. I think of our citizens of this country as a circle. In this circle is every person who lives in America. We are all bunched up and not separated by any barriers. The Constitution by itself is just a few lines. Without the people to control there is no reason to have a government. But together the Constitution and the citizens fit perfectly together. With the lines and the circle combined they make a peace sign. The Constitution to me means peace. I don’t think about the Constitution much but when I heard this question I thought about other countries. We are very privileged to have a great Constitution. Some countries don’t have the privileges we have. Most countries don’t have as great of a Constitution as us. Those countries have to deal with violence every day. Some people in other

countries can’t walk out of their door with the risk of getting hurt by another person. That is not peace. Once Terri Guillement said “If only Peace were the surname of all mankind.”. This shows that some countries are peaceful and some aren’t. Luckily our country is a peaceful country. Some people look at our country as not peaceful. We have acts of rebellion where some acts of terrorism try to break our country. Are we broken? We are certainly not. Will we ever break? Not now, we might fifty years from now, but not now. That is what makes our country peaceful. Other countries can try to break us but United we will stand and United we will stay. The Constitution has dealt with the many and deadly acts of terrorism or rebellion and came back with a way to deal with it and come back better than ever. Sometimes you need some sort of motivation to make your country better so you actually do it. All countries go through attacks. Our country is peaceful because we know how to deal with these attacks. Every downfall is followed

by a high. Or else you don’t have any foundation to build off of. The United States of America is not a perfect country. We give some countries a run for their money though. We were the first country to break free from a king. We set the trend for other countries. We first started with The Articles of the Confederation which had too many cons and very few pros. The people and the leaders then united and created The Constitution to fit the needs of the people. The Constitution was created by the people to make a government that is good for a country without a king and was created by the rebellion to a king. The reason we are a free country is because the Patriots were sick of a king and Parliament. They tried and persevered to rebel. Our country’s patriots successfully broke free from the king. In Summary, our country is peaceful. The Constitution has dealt with the many and deadly acts of terrorism or rebellion and came back with a way to deal with it and come back better than ever. That is trying to make peace and they are succeeding.

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Xander VanCott Oneonta Middle School The U.S. Constitution is a document drafted by the founding fathers of the U.S. it goes along with the Bill of Rights and guaranteed all people of the U.S. to certain rights, such as Freedom of speech and expression, as well as freedom of religion. Freedom of speech means that you may express any of your thoughts and ideas that you have, meaning that I could go to the roof of a building and shout through a mega phone anything that I want about the Government, school, people or even other countries, as long as I am on U.S. soil. The Bill of Rights also guarantees that I have the right to buy and own property that is not allowed to be search by anyone without a warrant and also free from being invaded and used by the military. There are also several rights that are under pressure right now, I am speaking of course of the birth right, which means that any child born in America shall become a U.S. citizen and receive a birth certificate, but some wish to abolish this right. Of the Many rights guaranteed in the Constitution, one of the most important is freedom of religion, this very important right is part of the very first amendment in the Bill of right. It declares that Congress shall not pass any law which impedes religion or beliefs of the people of the United States. There are many other rights displayed in the Bill of rights a very prominent and important right to many people, it is in the second amendment and it states that there will be no laws that prohibit people from buying and using weapons There have been many more rights that have been drafted into the Bill of rights that are too numerous to mention here, but they are all important in ensure that us and those who come after us can live in a free country.

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SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Carleen Erbe Edmeston Central School

Nicolas Walkden Edmeston Central School

The Constitution is the foundation of our country and for me that means a lot.The constitution has been around since 1787, it is the laws and principles by which our country is governed. The Bill of Rights was a later document to go along with the Constitution. The Bill of Rights is about our rights as fellow Americans have. One right this document gives us it the right to freedom of speech, religion and the press. This is also amendment one. The freedom of speech means that I have the right to express my options without other people or the government giving me issues. The freedom of religion means that I have the right to believe and practice my religion. The freedom of press means that I have the right to write in the newspaper or any other type of press. Another right is equal rights. This right means that one group of people cannot and will not have anymore rights than another it also means that we can be us, we can be whoever we wanna be whether that is a girl or boy, we can be that. This right means a lot to me because you hear people making fun of people for being themselves and it makes me sad. Another impotent right is the right to bear arms this means we have the right to have guns and defend yourself with them if needed. If we didn’t have this right we wouldn’t be able to defend yourself and other people in our country or community. There are many more rights we have these are just some. Without these rights America would not be so special and as free. We as Americans should be thankful for the freedom we have because some people in other countries do not have the freedom we have in America. Overall the Constitution is an impotent document that we should be thankful for. That’s what the Constitution means to me.

The Constitution means everything to me. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to do the things we want. We would all be slaves and we would only have 13 states. So I say “Thank goodness we have the Constitution”. Here is the reason I say this very inspiring statement. As an American, I am very thankful that we are a free country and that we have 50 states. Before, the United States were made up of only 13 states. But, as the preamble to the Constitution says, “in order to make a more perfect Union, we the people established Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America”. So basically, when the U.S. was only made up of 13 states, all the people took a stand and said “We need a better Union”. So the government tried to form a more perfect Union and we the people established justice. We even ensured domestic tranquility to make equality between everyone. We provided defense to those who were weak. We promoted the general welfare. And to top all of that off, we secured the blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity, meaning we ensured that everyone had an equal amount of Liberty and freedom. The freedom that is most important to me is the freedom of speech because if no one had the ability to talk, we wouldn’t be able to tell people that a fire has started in a building or when an old lady’s purse has been stolen. Also, I think that the freedom to bare arms is important because if we weren’t able to use our arms, we wouldn’t be able to defend ourselves.

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Jocelyn Miller Edmeston Central School Liberty for All When I think about the Constitution I think that as American citizens we are lucky to have the Constitution. I think that we are lucky to have this because we have freedom of religion, speech, and we also have rights. The reason why I think of religion because one of the major reasons for immigration back then was because they had to believe what their countries leaders religion was and they didn’t have the right back then to make the choice if they were going to practice a religion or what religion they were going to believe in. A reason why I think of speech is we as Americans have the right to speak up for what we believe and we have the right to speak against what we don’t believe in. While in other countries people don’t have the right to speak up for laws they don’t believe or laws they think they should have but don’t have. Another thing that comes to mind when I think ConWE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

stitution is the quote “in the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved” this quotes was said by Franklin D Roosevelt. This quote comes to mind because after we won our independence from England we tried different types of laws but we sat down and came up with the Constitution. The rights we are lucky to have is the right to go to school. The right to go to school is important because we have the opportunity to make a successful future. Now every child has to go school and get an education while back in before the Constitution only wealthy children could go to school and mostly boys. Another right we have is freedom. Freedom is an important right because as Americans we don’t have to wear certain clothing or do certain job we have the right to be who we want to be and do what we like to do while in other countries women and men have certain countries and have a certain place in the countries culture. Another importance of the Constitution is we have the ability to choose our leaders. This is an important right because we fought for the right to have the ability to choose leaders and not have a king rule, and with the ability to

vote adds a choice the reregister voters could make. We also have different three different branches of government which allows the government to have limited power so we a still are a free country which was one of the most importance of our countries this is also a reason why people fought and gave their lives in the revolutionary war. The three branches of government are the Executive Branch, Judicial branch, and Legislative Branch each one of these branches have a different jobs with in America’s government. The Judicial branch has the job of deciding if the laws are constitutional and are appointed by the president. The legislative branch makes laws has two senators from each state. The executive branch signs laws and pardons people. Having three branches of government allows our government to not get too powerful to feel like we are under a king’s rule. In conclusion when I think of the Constitution think about how lucky as Americans we are to live in a country that is free and that we are allowed to have rights and make decisions for yourself. DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Bailey Roy Edmeston Central School

Caitlin Brislin Edmeston Central School

What does the Constitution mean to me? The Constitution is an important document that made America a freedom country. A country where women and African Americans could have the same rights as a white man. We are all equal. We Americans had also had the freedom of speech where we can speak our mind and not be put down for our wonderful ideas. We had the freedom to believe in what we believe in and not others beliefs. My favorite part of the Constitution is the 9th and 10th. The amendment talks about the equal rights. For example women and men have the same rights as each other in America. A now recent part of that amendment is now men can marry men and woman can marry woman. The reason why this is my favorite amendment is because woman had no rights. They were not even able to vote, own land, or sometimes not even chose who they marry. As a girl in America I have a lot of freedom and I respect that because in some countries women don’t have the sames rights as men. Lelia Khaled once said “I have learned that a woman can be a fighter, a freedom fighter, a political activist, and that she can fall in love and be loved. She can be married, have children, be a mother. Revolution must mean life also; every aspects of it.” My second favorite part of the Constitution is the part of first amendment. The first amendment is freedom of religion. Meaning you can believe in Christianity, Judaism, buddhism, etc. Before the constitution they believed that you could only believe in a certain religion and if you didn’t you could have been killed for it. That changed straight away. Americans could believe in anything they wanted to. Freedom of religion is important to me because I can believe in what I really want to believe in. My third favorite part of the Constitution is the freedom of speech from also the first amendment. Not only was first amendment about freedom of religion it was also about freedom of speech. Freedom of speech means that we could speak out what we think and we would not be punished. There was one rule about freedom of speech, you could not yell fire in a crowded area when there is no fire because it may cause harm. For example someone could be trampled and they could be injured or even killed.Freedom of speech is important to me because I can speak out loud my ideas and I won’t be punished. So what does the Constitution mean to me? The Constitution is very important to me and without it we would not have freedom like freedom of religion, the freedom of speech and the equal rights. The Constitution is very important to me.

Our Constitution is one of the greatest documents in the world and it means a lot to me. America is one of the freest countries in the world and it’s all because of the Constitution that written so many years ago. The Constitution gives us so many freedoms such as the freedom of speech (except for yelling FIRE!!, in a crowded space which would induce widespread panic and quite possibly get you thrown in jail) and the freedom to practice any religion. One of my favorite things about the Constitution is that it gives people the right to speak their minds. Of course you shouldn’t abuse this privilege by saying things that can hurt or kill someone (like falsely yelling FIRE!!), the Constitution just says you have the right to. This also means that you can criticize the government without being killed or brutally mutilated as you would in other countries. This Amendment also applies to the reporters and photographers. The media can say whatever they want and not be killed. Another thing I like about the Constitution is that everyone (except illegal immigrants) have equal rights. Everyone has the right to vote, practice any religion, marry any gender, and say any thing they want (as talked about earlier). Now this idea of equal rights isn’t one place in the Constitution, but throughout the document and an idea people get after reading it. Equal rights weren’t always for everyone though. All through history people have had to struggle to get the rights they deserve. Women had to struggle for the right to vote, black people and native Americans had ti struggle to be treated the same as white people, and very recently the struggle ended for gay people who now have the right to marry in any state. Finally, another one of my favorite things about the Constitution is the balance of powers. If the president wants to make a law he or she has to go through Congress to get the law approved and vice-versa. Also, the Congress can’t make any laws against race, religion, or speech. The president cannot just say “I’m the president now, all bow down to me!” he or she must be elected fairly. Those are some of the reasons I love the Constitution and America. To me the Constitution means freedom and justice. In many cases it also protects people who can’t protect themselves. That is what the Constitution means to me.

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Gwendolyn Hilson Edmeston Central School The Constitution is a very important document in our nation’s history. It is the basis of our laws and our rights. Our founding fathers made it to try to free us from England and make America its own country. I am very glad that they succeeded, because now we have freedom, equal rights, and a government where no one branch of the government has too much power. One of the things the Constitution gives us is freedom. The first amendment gives us the freedom of speech,

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

letting us say whatever we want (except for “FIRE!!!” in a crowded place when there is none). There is also freedom of the press, letting any newspaper, magazine, TV show, or radio station to say what they want ( Hooray! No crown issued propaganda!). All citizens also have the freedom to practice any religion and believe whatever they want. The Constitution also gives us equal rights. The 19th amendment gives women the right to vote, even if it took them long enough to make it happen. All citizens also have equal protection under the law, including people of all different races, religions, and backgrounds, according to the 14th amendment. This ended segregation and gave

same-gender couples the right to get married. The Constitution (not the Bill of Rights this time) makes sure that none of the three government branches has too much power. The three branches are the Legislative (congress), Executive (president), and Judicial (supreme court). There is a system of checks and balances, for instance, if the president wants to make a law, he has to get it approved, ex. (I’ve heard it’s a VERY long process.) America is an amazing free country, with an effective government, equality, and freedom. I am so lucky that I can grow up in a place where I can vote, and be friends with whoever I want. Basically, America is awesome! WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Valerie Larocca Oneonta Middle School The Constitution is a document, created to help me live in a country where the rules of law can protect me. I have picked three Amendments that are really important to the Constitution, Speech, Religion, and the Press. The Founding Fathers wanted to form a United Country with peace and justice, for themselves and other people of the future. The Founding Fathers want to make sure the rights aren’t abused. They just didn’t want there to be any trouble.

With the freedom of speech, you can say whats on your mind or your ideas, even if that means disagreeing with the Government. You can say how you feel with their ideas and adjust them. You can say what you want with no charge. What I’m trying to say is that you can say what you want with the freedom of speech. The next topic I’m going to discuss is religion. Freedom of Religion, is very important to a lot of people. With freedom of religion, people who have a religion can practice just about where ever they want to. You can also believe whatever religion you desire to with out anyone judging you. No matter what your religion is, you should

be able to believe what you want to believe in. The Press, you can tell the world what you think is right, even if they don’t agree with. People should have the right to say what they want, but we can do that because of the first Amendment. Even if its your opinion you can say what you want. If your at a conference and everyone is saying there opinions, you can to! thanks to the freedom of speech. If we didn’t have the Constitution, there would be no laws and the world would be a mess. So thanks to the Bill of Rights, The Constitution, and all the Amendments, This world is under good hands!

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Laquoia Hoagland Edmeston Central School

Makenzie Pierce Oneonta Middle School

To me the Constitution means justice, choice, and human rights. Justice because we have the freedom of speech is important. The freedom of speech is important because it means we have the right to say what we want where we want. We also have the right to hang out with who we want. I think being able to hang out with who we want is important because back when we had kings rich people had to hang out with rich people, and poor people had to hang out with poor people. We also have choice. Having choice is important because we get to choose who our leaders are and what we do for a living. Being able to choose our leaders is important because then we get the one we like more. Being able to choose what we do is important because when we had kings most people had to be farmers just so they could pay taxes. We also have the choice in where we live and who we live with. I think it is important to have a choice in where we live and who we live with because if we were made to live with someone we did not like we would most likely get in a lot of a disputes about who does what and when and where they do it. We also have human rights. Human rights is rights for all people. Human right are important because human rights make sure that people are all treated fairly. Being treated fairly is important because if people were not being treated fairly they might start a boycott or more drastically start a war to get their rights. Human rights also protect people from harm and danger. The Constitution also means the foundation of our country. The Constitution is the foundation of our country because it is a symbol of our unity. If we did not have the Constitution our country would not be as great as it is today because the constitution makes sure we have rules and rights but the articles of confederation only gave us rules. The Articles of Confederation only gave us rules because the Articles said that the president /ruler could not collect taxes. It also said that we had no power to enforce laws which meant that if someone did something bad or against the law people couldn’t do anything about it. The Articles also said that we could not have a national government, means that if someone got in big trouble they would be off the hook because we could not enforce the law or send them to court. We also could not enforce peace treaties which means that we could not ensure peace with other countries. If we could not ensure peace how would we be able to live our normal lives without the fear of a war? In conclusion the Constituion means justice, liberty, human rights and the foundation of our country.

The Constitution means many things to me. It means the start of our new country, peace, helpfulness to the people, but most of all, fairness between everyone. Without our Constitution, the United States would not be the place it is today. Men would be in charge of everything. Women would not be allowed to be in the government. Women would not own land or homes. All the women would do is work, clean, and cook. There were many unfair rights between men and women. The Constitution made life fair and equal for all. You might wonder how the Constitution was the start of a new country. Peace, helpfulness to all people and fairness between everyone came from the Constitution. Women didn’t like the unequal rights. Those who tried to speak out were ignored or put down. So when the Constitution helped all people and made things fair, it brought peace between our citizens. When there was peace, the people were happy. When people were happy and worked together and treated each other fairly, it was the start of a new united country. One way I think the Constitution helped women was it gave them the right to vote. Before the Constitution, men had many more rights than women. Men could own property, vote, and play sports. They could do a lot more than women. Voting is a very important right for everyone. But before the Constitution, only men could vote. As you can imagine, women were not happy about this. Women fought and fought for this right. After about a seventy year battle, it finally passed on August 18, 1920. It became the nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution. That was a big day in history. But women still wanted more rights.The idea came from the nineteenth Amendment (women could now vote in America, that was passed in 1920’s), someone proposed an idea that women should have equal rights with men. This was three years later. One amendment that a lot of people liked was the first one. It was the one that gave them the freedom of speech. It let people speak out about things that needed fixing or things that weren’t right. This also means that women could speak out for better rights and better laws. This inspired a lot of people (especially women) to speak out for the right things. Our Constitution is a wonderful piece of our history. It did a lot of great things for our country. It made a lot of people very happy. It brought fairness to our country. A lot of things are better because of it. Without the determination and courage of many people, our country would not be the great place it is today. As Americans we can celebrate our freedom! The Constitution means a lot to me!

WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Jacob Henderson Edmeston Central School

John DiRienzo Edmeston School

A New System Is Born

To me, the Constitution means liberty, human rights, and equality among all people. The Constitution is the very foundation of this country. Without the Constitution our nation would be falling apart. The Constitution explains what our country is in the first lines of the preamble “We the People” which means that we are a democracy. The Constitution is a symbol of The United States of America. Without the Constitution we wouldn’t have our great schools. The Constitution is our country. It was not easy to get the Constitution; we went through years of war and sacrifices, the revolutionary war was our war to gain freedom, and it did not come easy. After the war we had the Articles of Confederation, which wasn’t the best. After the Articles of Confederation our Constitution was written but not everyone was in on it. There were some states that did not immediately sign up; Virginia wanted something more our rights, so the Bill of Rights was written then Virginia signed up. The education system is a result of our Constitution. With the Constitution all children can go to school, because in the old days of before the Constitution kids my age would be going to work for their families. Thanks to the Constitution all people have the power to vote. Before the Constitution there was a scarcity of diversity, African-American’s were look at like slaves, and woman were looked at like lesser, with the Constitution African-Americans are no longer salves and woman are treated as equal. Children don’t have to work, and we can make our own life choices. The Constitution made our branches of government, the legislative branch; it gives us our congress, and senate which gives us 100 elected senators; 2 senates per state, Executive; gives our president, and vice president, it carries out the laws made by the legislative branch and the judicial branch approves them. Without a Constitution we would have no judicial branch because the judicial branch needs the Constitution to approve laws and see if there Constitutional or not. The preamble is the beginning of the Constitution it explains what our country is, a democracy of the people we vote on a president, we don’t have a king, we have our rights, the king doesn’t rule us, we were the first to break free from the king, we set an example for other nations to break free from there king and have independence, the original copy of the Constitution has not degraded even after all these years, and it on display in the in the National Archives Building Museum. It’s amazing how after over hundreds of years it still has not degraded. It’s awesome how the Constitution is still the foundation of our country, it’s amazing how it has not failed us yet, and we haven’t written a new document, now here are some quotes taken from people who supported the Constitution, “I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of Constitutional power.” — Thomas Jefferson, Letters of Thomas Jefferson. We are very grateful for our Constitution and we are very thankful for our ancestors who fought in the war for us, the people who wrote, and the people who supported it.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to from a more perfect Union, establish Justice../’ this is the start of the Constitution, the paper that formed our country. It was a new system, one that promised freedom and liberty for all. The constitution is new, something exciting. Something that’s different, a system that’s been shaken from its routines of kings, queens and royalty. A system where people choose the leaders, not royalty. A system with balance, a network of checks, versus a king who has unlimited power to make unfair laws. The Constitution The Constitution is a political system consisting of three houses. Each house has its own powers and the ability to limit the power of the other branches to keep them in check. The Legislative makes laws, the Executive carries out laws, and the Judial evaluates laws. With this system of three branches doing a different part of a job, one house can veto an unfair law. The History of the Paper That Established Our Country The British were taxing the people without representation. The people of the U.S. wanted freedom from Britain. So the war began for freedom. 6 years later, the Constitution was signed. 6 years of long hard war. A war for something that they should have been given in the first place. A war for freedom and liberty. Liberty is something that we should not have to fight for, even though hundreds of people died to ensure my freedom. Your freedom. Everyone’s freedom. What the Constitution Means To Me What does the Constitution mean to me? Well, that’s a hard question. To me the Constitution is something that declares my freedom. The Constitution is a system that promised liberty for all. “We The People,” that means everyone, not just a group of people. The Constitution says that we have liberty and freedom to speak our mind, that we can practice our traditions, beliefs, and rights. It also talks about equality, that everyone has the same rights. I also appreciate the fact that after the election everyone comes together, that the people don’t argue that the person they voted didn’t win, but they come together and accept what happened. The Constitution is also about how the people will be protected, that everyone will treated the same, no matter how different. Conclusion The Constitution is a document that declares freedom to all, no matter what race, what beliefs, or what values. The Constitution says that we have the ability to pick the president. We can be free thanks to our founding fathers who wrote the Constitution. And it’s still working. We just elected our next president, so the system has been working and most likely will still work for many years from now. So in conclusion, to me, the Constitution is a great system that has worked for many years and is a new system, while everyone else still uses kings and queens. But really, to me, the Constitution is something that makes us different. Something that allows me to be free.

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Summer Spear Edmeston Central School “The constitution is important to me because it protects individual freedom, and is the fundamental principles of the United States government. The Constitution places the government’s power in the hands of the citizens. It limits the power of the government and establishes a system of checks and balances. It also states the freedoms that are granted to each American. The U.S. Constriction established America’s national government and fundamental law, and guaranteed certain basic rights for its citizens. The constitution is like a law of the entire nation. The system of checks and balances mean that I will be protected from branches having too much power. The Constitution of the United States has endured for over two centuries. It remains an object of reverence for nearly all Americans. The meaning of the preamble of the United States of America. Right and/or this Constitution of the United States of America approve of the beginning to the Constitution of

the U.S. It was signed on September 17, 1787 by delegates to the Constitutional convention in Philadelphia, presided over by George Washington.” I also like how the Constitution lets people vote for presidents in American, but in other countries they have no chose who is president and no one gets to vote. So we have more choice than other countries. Also some countries or in the older days they were in slavery and not free but because of the Constitution we all are free in America. Also countries that do not have a Constitution may have a lot of wars for freedom in the 1980 or even more into time but now that we have the Constitution we have no more wars. We have more chose in everything like what we were back then they had no choices, another think is they did not have stores the Constitution is very powerful. We the American have lots of chose because the Constitution gave us all of the things we might have today. I believe they are so powerful over the whole country. Also we have a government and they are almost more powerful than the Constitution but the Constitution is always more powerful than anything. We also have a freedom of speech. We

all can say what we want and not what people want us to say. We also have a president we don’t have a king so he cannot boss us around, so we are not how he wants us to be or tell us what to do we can be ourselves and do what we want. Also I like it that people 18 and older can vote. If kids vote that would be bad because some kids don’t know more about the world and a lot about the Constitution and president. They also know what is going on in the world and kids might not get all the things that is happening around them. Adult know more of these thing than we do. I also like that we can be free and no one can tell us what to do because the Constitution gave us freedom. The Constitution provides that an amendment may be proposed either by the congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the house of representative and the senate or by a constitution all convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures. I also like that we the Americans can have decent presidents they don’t tell us what to do like a king would do. This is what the Constitution means to me. Also some facts about the Constitution.

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Anna Bischoff Edmeston Central School The Constitution is a document that was created to help me live in a country where the rule of law protects me. The Founders created the Constitution because they wanted to form a united country with peace and justice for themselves and the people of the future. Three examples of rights the constitution gives us are freedom of speech, press, and religion. The constitution gives us rights. These rights are known as the Bill of Rights. One right is freedom of speech. People of the United States have this freedom. We can speak our mind but with limitations. We are free to say critical things about our government without punishment. This means to me that I have a right to speak my mind but with limitations. The Constitution also gives the USA rights to a free press. This means we have a right to get accurate news. Also the press is free to print what it thinks the people need to know. This means to me that I have a right to know what the press thinks the people should know. Lastly, a right the Constitution also gives us is freedom of religion. I am free to practice the religion that I chose, without being punished. This means to me that the founders who created the Constitution believed that people of the USA have a right to practice the religion that we chose. The Founders wrote this document on behalf of all Americans. This document makes sure that our rights are protected. These laws and rights protect us. The Constitution means to me that we have rights with limitations and laws that protect us. Also, the founders who wrote the document wanted themselves and the people of the future to live in a united country. The constitution has laws that let me live in a united protected country. WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

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DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Emma Scanlon Edmeston Central School The US Constitution is a document that was created to help me live in a country where the rule of law protects me. This means that I have the freedom of speech, the right to appropriate, helpful education, no cruel or unusual punishment, and much more. The Constitution is also important because it protects individual freedom, and its fundamental principals govern the US. The Constitution places the government’s power in the hands of the citizens. These will be the topics that I will be focusing on in this essay. My first main idea is the freedom of speech, as stated in the intro. It became important for the early American settlers, and those that came after them, to be able to speak out publicly regarding their political opinions freely and

without fear of retaliation. Out of these concerns arose the importance of the freedom of speech, press, and assembly. This also relates to be able to vote for whomever you like, without being judged, or pressured. My next topic, education also plays into the freedom of speech, because we need to be educated to make the right decisions since everyone has the right to a free opinion. My second idea is the freedom to appropriate, helpful education. This is important because it helps to answer life’s big questions, including questions of how to live, work and love. Still others believe that education is important because it teaches people about the world around them and how to make educated decisions, politically, socially, and environmentally meaning to be friendly to nature and our ecosystem. Lastly, I believe that all American citizens should have the right to be free from cruel or unusual punishment. This

is probably the most important amendment for prisoners. It has been interpreted to prohibit excessive force and guard brutality, as well as unsanitary, dangerous or overly restrictive conditions. It is also the source for your right to medical care in prison. When it is not applied in an effort to maintain or restore discipline but is used to maliciously and sadistically cause harm, it is considered a federal crime. In conclusion, these, and many more amendments make America a safe, fair country. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. These amendments are important because they protect some of our most important freedoms. Some of the amendments are more important than others in today’s world such as education. These amendments help us live peacefully in today’s world, and for generations to come.

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Connor Volpe Edmeston Central School What does the constitution mean to me. The constitution is a document that helps me live in a country that the rule of law protects me. My favorite laws in the constitution are the right to bear arms. That means that you have the right to carry a gun on you. The reason they let you carry a gun is so you can protect your self in a state of emergency. The one thing you cannot do is pull a gun out on a person who is not make you in a life or death matter. Some people use a gun to get food and it is very important.This one of three of my favorite rights because I go hunting to get food. The second is the right to have your own religion. And this means that you can practice your own religion when and where you want. It also says that you have the right to not be punished for your religion that you use and that is important to me because I feel that it is right to worship your own religion. But some people and country’s don’t believe in this so they are forced to worship the religion that the person in charge wants you to worship. And that is not right and that is why this is one of my favorite law/right. My next favorite law is the right to say what you want the West burrow baptist church says what they want the go to service men funerals and say very bad thing about gay people and we can do nothing about it because they have the right to Freedom of speech so we can do nothing about them so we have to stand up and say something back. There are some Lamentations to what we can say but you can say stuff about the government but if you were to say a bad thing about the crown we would be put in jail but we ha the right to say what we think is right. So in conclusion we have many rights but those are a few of my favorite rights because they mean the most to me.I go hunting so I need to be able to carry a gun with. I would to practice my own religion when and where I want and the last one that I mentioned is the freedom of speech because I like speaking my mind even tho there are some limitations to what we can say but it is still nice to speak what we want.

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

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SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Megan Simmons Edmeston School The constitution was written to create a perfect union, the perfect nation. However all nations have flaws and ours is no exception. When our country, the United States of America was first being settled and the constitution was being written we did not stand together, as a new country we no longer had to worry about Britain tearing us apart, we had to worry about our disagreements and arguments tearing us apart. It was time for us to stand together but we didn’t, we punished the soldiers that helped us gain freedom if they could not pay debt, we re-enslaved African Americans who fought for us, who fought for freedom, who fought for equality. Learning about the past of our country makes me wonder if were any better that the British were. How could we turn our backs on those who helped us gain our freedom. It took almost one hundred years to end slavery. When all the states were agreeing on the constitution Virginia would not agree unless the other agreed to add ten amendments called the Bill of Rights, the ten amendments were: “Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition”, “Right to keep bear arms in order to maintain a well regarded militia”, 3* No quartering or soldiers” “Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures”, 5. “Right to do process of law, freedom from selfincrimination, double jeopardy”, 6. “Right of accused persons e.g., right to a speedy public trial”, 7* “Right of trial by jury in civil cases”, 8. “Freedom from excessive bail, cruel and unusual punishments”, 9. “Other rights of the people”, 10. “Powers reserved to the states”. The laws many have said will protect us, however they aren’t followed by all. The first amendment is not followed by the supreme court, the government is arresting those speaking out, which is going against everything our country stands for. The constitution was written years ago and yes reading it makes you feel safe and free, however we as people have to follow the laws to make our nation stand strong, how are we supposed to feel safe when if we speak out people who may not agree with us could destroy us. Martin Luther King Junior was arrested several times and assassinated because of his speeches, he wanted to make the country better, he wasn’t doing anything wrong the first amendment says we have freedom of speech, however many people who simply believe in a cause are punished for it. Today we have major fears such as fears of killer clowns and murderers are in the heads of many however murders are still being committed clowns with knives are still chasing children in New York we banned clown costumes however I still saw one on Halloween. The truth is many people don’t follow the rules and they make it unsafe for our citizens. However there is still room for improvement. Our country is not perfect and now as the election is going on many feel that the constitution will be destroyed and our country along with it. But we are a nation and we have fought many battles united. Hopefully we can make it through your struggles and survive the many battles to come between us and other countries, and the arguments we will have as a country. I have spent a long time thinking about the question “What does the constitution mean to me”? and is means many things to me. It means safety but also fear of it all falling apart. It means freedom but it also makes me question everything about freedom and what it really means. I’ve never thought about having a king and dictator that made all the rules and I never thought of the different punishments they have or the things they can do when they only make the rules and there is no democracy, when the people have no freedom, no voice. I am grateful that we have the United States, although there is a few things I would change. We are united and the constitution is a symbol of that it is something that shows everyone who we are and how far we’ve come as a country. We are united, we are the UnitWE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

ed States of America, and together we stand a nation. People have choices, they can decide between things, we have rights however they come with responsibilities and we have had many people who use our rights and what our country stands for, everything we fought for, everything we are today, all the deaths of those who fought, the pain of the families who had lost husbands, fathers, family members, and friends. Although many people go against our rights, however if our country stands strong we can protect ourselves against those who go against us. We are country and we are a nation of people who deserve a chance to be a great country and maybe one day we will be the perfect country thanks to our beginning document the Constitution.

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Abigail Bateman Edmeston Central School The Constitution means so much to me. It represents justice and freedom. It represents justice to me because justice is fairness and we all have fairness in our country. Also freedom means a lot to me because without the Constitution we would not have freedom in our life. Also I think of freedom because that is when slavery ended. The Constitution is something that people should be proud of because that represents freedom and justice and it ended slavery. The Constitution was written on September 17, 1787 by James Madison. That is 223 years ago! U.S. Founding Fathers made significant contributions in other ways. We are free because of the Constitution. The Constitution of the United States serves several purposes, including the basic organization of the branches of government. Also there outline of responsibilities. The Constitution reminds me of power. The Constitution is powerful because it is like our rule book. It’s history to this country today because it was so long ago. The Constitution changed some peoples life’s by the way we life today. We had to fight for the Constitution because people wanted to keep the Articles of Confederation but others wanted to make a new constitution. I think that this Constitution that we have today is a great way to show freedom and liberty. Human rights are important because people always have rights from when you are born to when you die. No matter if you are poor or rich you always have rights. The Constitution also help us so we do not make the mistake they made. We will learn from what they did so we do not do it again. Human rights are important because human rights make sure that all people are treated fairly. The Constitution is important because it protects individual freedom, and its fundamental principles government the United States. The Constitution places the government’s power in the hands of the citizens. It limits the power of the government and establishes a system of checks and balances. The Constitution means citizenship to me because that is duties to our country. That mean that we have rules in our country to keep our country safe so we do not get hurt. We do not have a king in our country we have a president of our country. We vote for our president in our country. We vote every 4 years to have a different president. You do not always have to vote for president it is optional you are not forced to vote. 18 and old can vote for president. Voting is a choice you have to make for who you want to be president of our country. The presidents might all have different laws but it keeps our country safe just like the Constitution keeps us safe and free. I think the Constitution is freedom, justice, and liberty to our country I am glad we have the Constitution in our life today. The constitution helps me remember that no matter what, we have a free country because of the Constitution of the United States of America. DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Leah Woertendyke Oneonta Middle School

Julia Babieradzki Oneonta Middle School

The US Constitution is a document that was created to help me live in a country where the rule of law protects me. To me the constitution means that people can have peace and can sleep at night knowing that this is a free country and no one can take that away from us. It gives me the freedom of speech, freedom of press, and the ability to worship my religion as I please. These are three of the amendments from the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments in the US constitution. They protect all the American people’s rights. Without these rights America would not be what it is today. The first right listed above is the First Amendment which states that all Americans have the right to the freedom of speech. That means that people can say what they want about the government and will not be arrested, killed or punished for it. Although this is a right that is very helpful it seems as though people have been taking the first amendment to their advantage. In one place people have been going to the funerals of Vietnam veterans’ and protesting that they died for no reason and upsetting to the veterans’ families. After all their family member has just been killed in war and they would probably want to have a peaceful burial for them. These people could not be arrested because of the fact that they have the right to say anything they want anywhere they want and not get in trouble for it. The constitution most likely not supposed to be used like that. In fact the Constitution was made to keep peace and these people are not creating peace. The other two rights I mentioned were freedom of press, people being able to put what they want in newspapers and magazines. The other is the ability to worship my religion freely which means that I can practice any religion that I want and I cannot be punished for it. The constitution is what makes America, America it is what makes us Americans. Without it America would not have lasted as long as it has. The Constitution is a wonderful thing and it means a lot to every American.

The Constitution was created to ensure everybody freedom, safety and over all quality in life. As an example the fist amendment states that you can practice any religion and believe in anything you want to believe in and not get prosecuted. The Constitution also states, according to the Second Amendment, that not only can you legally own a gun for such reasons as safety and if you hunt. Another freedom everyone gets is the freedom of speech which gives you the freedom to say anything about the government and the political status of the country and my overall opinion without getting into trouble with any diplomatic power. The freedom of the press which ensures I can print accurate information even if it contradicts the opinion or (involuntarily or) voluntarily opposes someone of political power, this is important because some information the press releases is biased or negative towards certain powerful figures. Being searched without a warrant ensures that our personal belongings, such as your house or car cannot be searched without a legitimate reason is, what the fourth amendment states. The third amendment in the Bill of rights declares that no soldier is allowed to(without the consent of the owner) quarter at their house at time of peace or war. Some other countries you have to provide basic needs such as food, water and shelter for soldiers during such times of warfare. Based on the eighth amendment, anyone can have a fair and unbiased trial in front of the judge and jury assuring that if you aren’t guilty or deserve a different penalty and the overall conclusion is fair and unbiased. The Constitution also conveys that you also have to follow all the written rules plus all the laws that were passed in your state. Back to the question at hand what does the constitution mean to me, it means I can say, write, and practice what I want, it means I can protect myself and the people around me and finally the Constitution ensures us freedoms as well as the freedoms of everyone for generations to come.

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Atticus Savage Edmeston Central School The constitution is very powerful writing. It has many meanings, but this essay explains what it means to me. “We the people” these three famous words in the preamble mean to me that our country is together as a nation. We set aside our differences to become stronger and smarter when united. It goes as Benjamin Franklin once said “United we stand, divided we fall” That is partly what the constitution means to me. The Constitution also means freedom is a responsibility. In society we have freedom, but we need to use it wisely and in the right way. We can steal or not steal, and drink and drive or don’t drink and drive. If you make the right choice you use your freedom wisely. Although if you make the wrong choice there are consequences for your actions that can temporarily take away that freedom. In the past

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

there was not a lot of freedom now there is. So use your freedom wisely. Back then there was no constitution and most poor kids my age that did not go to school and have an education like I have now. If I did not have free school rights I would probably not be as smart as I am right now. So thanks to the Constitution for this right. The Constitution also means that the people of our country very much respect our country because they fought for this Constitution we had wars and court battles. Our country lost so many citizens to gain these type of freedom. So Thumbs up to our countries citizens. Another meaning the Constitution has for me is the right for everyone to vote. This right has the power for our nation to choose the leader of our nation and every four years we get to do it again and again. This right was also part of the reason our country died for. Just think of it how much of a privilege this right is. Some countries still don’t get to choose their leader they just get what they get. So

when you are in that voting booth think “I’m so lucky”. Also the Constitution means to me that there is also freedom of speech I can say whatever I like whenever I like. Although I have to do this responsibly because if I don’t there are consequences. Such as being arrested and being put to probation. The Constitution also means that I am a free human being. I have the right to do anything I want. I can (When I get older) vote, drink, get married, smoke (which I will not do), and have a baby. These rights are what make the Constitution the Constitution. I support these rights because I can be free with them. Even though I dislike the president I have “The Constitution Is the guide which I will never abandon “-George Washington. So next time you think you have a bad president think about the rights you have not the bad president. In the end you come together as a nation united together. It does not matter who the president is it matters that we set aside our differences and be one. WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Brynn Rifanburg Edmeston Central School The first three words of the preamble to the Constitution are “We the people”, these three words have a lot of meaning to them. “We the people” are words that are representing our nation as being together for a long- lasting time. They are also words that influence many people to always remember that we are a united force. Freedom to me is what the Constitution gave us. Freedom is a right, but is also a responsibility. What this means is that you can do whatever you want with your freedom, but you need to know how to use your freedom wisely so that you don’t waste it. Benjamin Franklin quoted “The constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.” This quote explains how you have to find what makes you happy, the Constitution can’t do everything for you. The Constitu-

tion also made us different from other colonies and made them doubt us. We were different because we believed that we didn’t need a king for us to become successful, all we needed was a president to become our leader and we would do just fine. Look at us now we are still going strong and just elected our 45th president. If you were to think about how we got our freedom, what would you think of? Most people when they think about winning our freedom they don’t think about the lives that were given and the amount of different steps that were taken to win our freedom. The Constitution gave us the rights that many people wish that they had but don’t have, and that’s why the many people who fought, fought the way they did. They didn’t want people to face the problems they had to face. Another thing that the Constitution means to me is that we will always stick together no matter what we are going through. Hillary Clinton quoted after the election “I still believe in America, and I always will.” Her quote to me

means that when we are going through a rough time there is always hope for America. Even though things are going pretty smooth for us right now there are others who are having a really tough time right now. They are having a tough time because they are experiencing their lives with no freedom which is one thing that we do not have to worry about because of the Constitution. The Constitution is something that we must be thankful for, whether you were there or not, we were all affected by it. The Constitution has made us better and want to do better in everything that we do. To support my claim that we are united and always stay together is that both Trump and Clinton took the time during their speech to congratulate each other with their trials. This shows that even though they were going against each other they both knew to treat them with respect. In conclusion, what the Constitution means to me is that we have become a peaceful free country because of the Constitution.

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Sophie Gilmore Oneonta Middle School The Constitution is a document created by the founding fathers of the United States of America. This document provides a guideline for this very countries government.! think it’s much more than a document with rights that protect me. It’s my welfare, tranquility and protection for me, as well as my future posterity.The preamble states that “We the people of the United States,in order to form a perfect union.establish justice,insure domestic tranquility,provide for the common defense,promote the general welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish the Constitution for the United States of America”. A perfect union to me is when I have law and Order where I live. It also means to me that we have a military and forces like the police to keep my family and I safe from harms way.lt’s also when I can have a right to get accurate news about whats happening in the world. A right to be able to go to school and not have to work at a young age. A perfect union is a place where everyone can feel safe, and fairly represented. Being able to go to school without fear we are going to be under attack by another country because we have a strong military that protects our rights and freedom. I don’t have to worry about my family not being safe at night. I have the right to practice my religion without discrimination against me.The right to be able to say anything I want against the government. The Constitution was made hundreds of years ago and we still follow it today means something that we can have freedom and rights without a problem.I am proud to be an American citizen.The Constitution means to me that everyone can live in harmony and that we have the right to protect ourselves. I think it means that we can all have a voice and not have a punishment. lt means that we can be happy to live in America. WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

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SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Martina Blackwell Edmeston Central School The Constitution starts out with the Preamble which goes like this: “We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquality, provide for the common defence promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posperity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Untited States of America.” To me the Constitution is something that gives me my freedom, gives me my freedom of speech, and gives us (the people) our own liberty and our choice of our leader. Edward Abbey said this about freedom: “Freedom starts between the ears.” I use my freedom by baking and making money and buying my own ingredients with my own money. Here’s another quote. This quote is from Ignazio Silone and he said this about our liberty: “Liberty is the possibility of doubting, making mistakes,...of searching and experimenting,...of saying No to any authority- literary, artistic, philosophical, religious, social, and even political.” With my freedom of speech, I don’t mistreat it, I don’t use it in the wrong way, and I don’t use it against people. The Constitution does give us the freedom of speech, but not everyone uses it the right way. Hephzibah Menuhin said this about our freedom of speech: “Freedom means choosing your burden.” This means that we have the right to choose what we do with our freedom (even though there are still laws.) The Constitution, to me, is our guide into our freedom, is our guide into our religious freedom, is our guide into our lives...all in all it is our guide through Justice! We need the Constitution because it gives us our freedom, it gives us our liberty, it gives us our justice, it gives us our prosperity, it gives us our Tranquality, it gives us our defence, and it gives us the order for us to create the Union that we need! Yes, we do still have wars, but not as big as World War 1, World War 2, The Civil War, The French and Indian war, and so many more. But we have that Constitution so that we can fight back because it gives us the right to defend our nation and use the power that we have! An Author that is Unknown said this about how we should avoid war: “All the arms we need are for hugging.” The Constitution also gives us the right to choose our leader. George Eliot said this about Election Day or choosing our leader: “An election is coming. Universal peace is declared, and the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of poultry.” This shows how we are able to choose our won leader, though we may not get the leader we voted for, we still have the right to vote for our leader. Many kids wonder about war, many adults wonder about war. The Constitution gives us a law that makes us able to defend ourselves. Eve Merriam said this about war: “I dream of giving war to a child who will ask ‘Mother, what is war?” Many, many, many kids or children wonder about war. Before we had the Constitution we were under a king and then we had the Articles of Confederation. Having a king didn’t work and the Articles of Confederation was too weak. That’s when we got the Constitution. The Constitution also gives us the right to vote. Many people vote for president and some don’t. Today, there is a lot of people that don’t want to vote for the people that are running for president. Many people don’t and that is just fine. I also feel that since the Constitution gives us the right to vote, it gives us our right to express our opinion and it gives our right to let us choose who we want for President.

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In conclusion, I feel that the Constitution means that it gives us our freedom, our right to vote, our freedom of speech, and gives us our right to defend ourselves in war. This is what the Constitution means to me!

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Rylee Chapin Edmeston Central School Blessings of Liberty The Constitution is important to me. The constitution is important to me because it’s what gives me freedom and liberty. The Constitution helps me to better understand why I’m free and have liberty. It makes me feel like us the people are important to the world and we actually deserve something. It teaches me that we the people have many rights in this world and as long as we live we have rights and freedom, sure there is some laws that you must follow, but we do have freedom. As long as I live I will stick to the Constitution, and even though there has been twenty seven changes to the Constitution. There has not been a change to our freedom, we still have freedom and always will. The Constitution was fought for, we didn’t just receive the constitution because the government wanted to be nice. We the people fought for the constitution, and no we didn’t fight with our words we fought physically with weapons. The patriots had to work very hard. Some of them died while fighting. The Constitution changed many lives. The Constitution was very powerful, and our government made it very powerful and gave us many rights, such as freedom, liberty, and justice. I know in in the future we are only going to get more powerful, and there may even be another change to the Constitution, but I depends if there is a disagreement but I hope not because I don’t want nor we need another war to breakout. Also the Constitution made us look good. It made us look strong. It even made us look like a good leader. It made us look good because we were the first to be free and show people they have a right to be free and that they can do something if they weren’t free at the time. The Constitution shows we will fight for what we want, and what need and what we deserve! Another thing is that the Constitution is very powerful document, it is so powerful that it may give us more rights but for now the Constitution is here it’s powerful and it’s the greatest possession we the people may have, and it is the guide to life. As long as u have freedom u should be happy. That’s right the Constitution makes me happy and hopefully it makes other people happy to. The Constitution means a lot to me because it gives us the right to vote. It also gives us the right to have the president we want or please to have, it’s the way we should be treated so in other words it treats us fairly. As long as you vote and you understand that you are free you will see you truly are treated fairly. For example if u look back to the old days you would see that women weren’t treated fairly, like we are today. As long as I live I will be free and have justice and liberty. Thanks to the Constitution and to the soldiers that fought for me and the government that made the Constitution and made it fair for us to live. Especially know that we’re free, we have the right to do what we wish as long as you don’t go too far or don’t do anything illegal. So, I will hope the Constitution will always be in our hands, and we will have the rights today. Also as long as I live and I am free I will stick to the amazing document called the Constitution. WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Sabrina Antrosio Oneonta Middle School On the day September 17,1787, a document was signed by 39 men in the Pennsylvania State House, and in 1789 the United States began operating under it. The Constitution is the equivalent of America’s parchment heart, and it means so much to this country...and to me. To me, the Constitution represents the very definition of being an American, it represents unity, and it represents equal rights for all. For me the Constitution represents equality, and solving the problems of racism and sexism which do so afflict us today. When the Constitution was written, women, Native Americans, African Americans, and the overall population which was not white men were deprived of basic rights.The struggle for equality in the United States has been great, and we are still fighting for equality today. In Amendment 14 of the Constitution, the rights defended in the Bill of

Rights such as freedom of religion and speech, and also life, liberty, and property, are given to all American citizens, and everyone gets equal protection of the law. That such an important document recognizes the importance of equality gives me hope for the remaining battles needing to be fought. If we ever want to create true equality, and solve any great problems at all in the world, we must work with the others of our nation, for if we are the United States of America we must live up to our name. To me the Constitution displays this union we shall achieve if we acknowledge this and of which we have gone far to achieving. In the Preamble, the Founders want to form a “more perfect union.” This tells me that from America’s beginning, we have striven for a union. The Constitution provides us in the Preamble with beliefs which can be used as goals for that union, like securing the Blessings of Liberty and domestic Tranquility. Therefore there is hope for unity; it is written in our Constitution. In America we need unity, and we need equality, and we

also need to know exactly who we are. The Constitution gives me ideas of what it means to be American. I used to think I had to have ancestors who had helped found the United States, or that I had to find role models in the Founding Fathers to be American, or at least a patriotic American. But this is not true. You don’t have to look one way or the other or believe one thing or the other to be an American. The first Amendment says this by providing religious and political freedom. The 14th Amendment gives these rights to all American citizens, no matter what their person. I am American- and that means I can be me, because the Constitution gives us freedom. The Constitution means that America is not just a country for a specific type of person- it is here for all of us. The Constitution is one of the most important documents in American history and in shaping the country we know today. To me it means equal rights for all, unity, and what it means to be American. I have faith in a better country because I have seen the Constitution.

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Randy Odago Oneonta Middle School The constitution is an important document because it give the people of the United States basic rights that help them with their day to day lives. There seven principles of the constitution. There is the Popular Sovereignty, Republicanism, Federalism, Separation of Power, Checks and Balances, Limited Government, and Individual Rights. The amendments are a part of the the individual rights principle, they helps shield people from the overly powerful government.These amendments are called the Bill of Rights.The first amendment gives people the right to believe in any religion and have limited freedom of speech.That doesn’t mean that anyone can use vulgar language in public places. The second amendment states that anyone has the right to own a fire arm The third amendments says that any member of the U.S armed forces don’t have the right to stay in your home without your permission. There are many other amendments, but those are the ones that stand out. Popular Sovereignty is another name for a government in which the people rule. That means that, the citizens of the United States get to elect their presidents, governors, and senators. With this the people have the right to choose who ever best represents this country. There is also the Limited Government principle, that states that everyone living in the U.S have to follow the same rule no matter who you are. There are many other principles, but these ones explain the point better.The constitution is important for all these reasons and more because without the constitution everything would chaotic and everyone would be unable to handle. That is why the Constitution is an important document to me and every other citizen.

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WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Ossa Pylinski Edmeston Central School

Liam Blair Oneonta Middle School

The Constitution means to me that I have freedom and liberty. When I think about the Constitution I think about how much struggle, work, and misfortune went into making the United States a free nation. The Constitution also means to me that we get to choose our leader every four years instead of a royal family. The fact that we get to elect a president is extraordinary because we are the first nation to ever become able to vote for president. Freedom is a responsibility. For example freedom of speech means you’re allowed to speak your mind not to put other people down and bully. Just because you have freedom of speech doesn’t mean that you should necessarily always say what you think. The Constitution means that no matter what the United States will always be strong. Even after the Civil war we pulled together to form a more perfect union. Although sometimes America seems hopeless we still will come together and become even better. “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” -Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address. This tells me that our founding fathers didn’t promise that all men are created equal we had to go through the Civil war before all men were considered equal and even after that and still some people face racism and discrimination. This tells me that freedom isn’t free. Before and even after the Constitution a lot of kids couldn’t afford school or they would have to work at the farm. My right to an education is another thing I am reminded of when I think of the Constitution. After college I can literally do anything because I have an education, and most of the people back then couldn’t they had to do what they could to survive mainly. Being allowed to have your own religion is another very important factor of the Constitution. Our diversity in culture, religion, and ethnic backgrounds is a strength of the United States. Finally I think about is the right to have guns and defend you. This is extremely important, because if we were not allowed to defend ourselves or have guns we would not be able to feed our families or defend ourselves against intruders.

The Constitution of the United States means a lot to me and it is all associated with this fact. The document was created to help me live in a country where the rule of law protects me. I should be a bit more specific though so I well tell you some of the Amendments stated in the Bill of Rights that I particularly enjoy as an individual. The first two Amendments and just that the Constitution lets me stay with my family and just be able to know that I’m safe. The first part of the Constitution I like is that we as American citizens have the right to bear arms (stated in the Second Amendment). The first reason I like this is because we have the ability to protect and defend ourselves if a crazy person was trying to harm me. Also, guns and other weapons keep people in check because you wouldn’t want to get testy with someone that would easily have the ability to kill you or ruin your body. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t want to turn into a practice dummy for a bullet. Long story short, I think the Second Amendment acts like the glue of our society. I also find the First Amendment very appropriate and it says that American citizens have freedom of religion, speech, and press. I am very happy that it includes freedom of religion because nobody should have to change their whole way of life for someone else. Not to mention you might not find some religions fascinating and so it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to follow that one. Even though I am not religious, I have a lot of friends who are so I like that the first Amendment says that they can follow any religion they want. Lastly, the whole constitution allows me to stay with my family and be safe which is extremely important to me. First of all, you need company and love from your family with is associated with them just bringing your spirit back up when you are feeling down. Secondly, there are a lot of countries were you always have to be worried about being killed when you are just walking down the street. In America, it isn’t like that most of the time so that is why I am very thankful, and I think everybody else should be, too. These are just several of the many ways that I love how the Constitution keeps me and everyone else safe in the United States of America. I would also just like to thank everybody who took the time to read my report on the Constitution.

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Annalise Grant Edmeston Central School The U.S. Constitution is a very important document that sets up our government and how it is supposed to function. It also allows us to have the freedoms we have today and helps us live in a country where the rule of law protects us. The constitution breaks up the government into three branches, the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. It divides up the power so no one is too powerful. It also explains how each state has its own government. The Constitution is important to me personally because it is great to live in a free country where you can feel

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

protected. One of the Bill of Rights that I like is the second Amendment, the Right to Bear Arms. That is a part of protection for our country and also has a little bit to do with the our basic human right to defend ourselves. As long as it is used for protection at the right time it is good, but if it is used to cause unnecessary harm it isn’t good. Another one of the Bill of Rights that is important is Amendment 1, the Freedom of Religion. There are many different religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and even Atheism. I appreciate that people are free to practice their beliefs without fear. This also means that the government doesn’t have the right to tell people what religion to practice. All of the Amendments protect our basic human rights. I like all of them but these are a few that are important to

me. The last Amendment I will mention is fourth Amendment, the right of people to have basic privacy in their homes, papers, and belongings. I wouldn’t be happy if someone was watching our house or reading emails to spy on us. Unless it is absolutely necessary for protection, like security cameras in a school or store, it is unnecessary. This also means that police don’t have the right to search or seize property unless they have “probable cause.” I have a lot of respect for The United States Constitution. Many people gave up their lives to give us the opportunity to live in a free country. The constitution explains what those rights are and how the rights should be protected. People should have their own rights as long as they are fair and used correctly. WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Sarah Lawrence Oneonta Middle School

Grace Craig Oneonta Middle School

The United States Constitution gives us laws for us to live by. Some of the laws are “freedom of speech”, “equal rights”, and “freedom of religion”.The constitution isn’t always the best of the laws to follow, because some people interpret them differently, and people don’t think they are fairly treated. Freedom of speech is when you have the right to speak your thoughts or ideas without the fear of getting in trouble. As long as you’re not harming someone else’s life you can speak your mind. According to the video that we watched for homework on PBS, “If you get to close to a military funeral you weren’t invited to and you are protesting, you can get arrested”. This is because they’re being disrespectful to the family, and individual who passed away and who gave his/her life for their country. There is a time and place for the freedom of speech. Equal rights is when everyone is treated the same and can’t be denied, based on their gender. Men and women are treated differently. In the past the idea was women stay home and takes care of the kids and food, while the men are out working. If the women gets a job they would probably get less pay than the men because they aren’t close to the standards like the men are. In today’s time some jobs still have the issue with if the women should have the same pay as the men. Freedom of religion is when everyone has a right to practice the religion they believe in anyway they want. You can also change your religion if you feel like it, and you can’t be told how to practice your religion. Religion and government are not supposed to mix. In the PBS show it said “there was a plaque on the wall and nobody really noticed it and it mentioned God and a girl that didn’t believe in God was offended by it. It upset many people when she made a case about it for them to take it off the wall and they started doing the pledge of allegiance because it mentions God in it. She was doing this because of the Constitution and her Constitutional rights not because of her religion”. The United States Constitution was created by our Founders because they wanted the people of the U.S. to live in unity, and peace. The Constitution has changed the lives of many since our Founders first invented it, giving us laws and structure to live by. But unfortunately now a days technology has disturbed our lives more than when it was first made. Just like on the PBS show they said “our freedom of privacy has been taken away with people that have social media accounts that our Founders did not expect would happen”. I feel the Constitution should tweek some laws for the future troubles that the world is soon going to have.

The Constitution is very important to me because it offers guidelines for our country. The Bill of Rights consists of some of our most important laws in our Constitution. If there were no laws then everything would be madness. It gives us directions and boundaries. The Constitution also gives us freedoms and rights. One of the most important laws and the first amendment is “Freedom of Speech and Press”. Freedom of Speech gives people the right to speak their opinion about a leader and not be persecuted for doing so. Back then, and still in some countries today, people can get in very big trouble if they speak badly about their leader. Freedom of Press gives people the right to publicize their opinions without fear of censorship by their government. It is important for people to not be punished for their own opinions. This law was passed in 1791. Two more important laws are those giving women and people of different races the right to vote. For a very long time, only white men could vote, and that wasn’t fair. Susan B. Anthony was a very important leader in moving forward the fight to get women the right to vote. When the 19th amendment was finally passed in 1920, women gained the right to vote. And this week, we almost elected the first woman president. The law allowing voting for men of different races was the 15th amendment, and was passed in the year 1870. African Americans were treated horribly and they were discriminated against, especially down south. It was also terrible how African Americans were slaves. Thankfully, the 13th amendment, passed in 1865, discarded slavery in America. We are all people and it shouldn’t matter what you believe in, what color your skin is, or what your race is. This act was important because it has reduced the racism and discrimination against African Americans and over time, has given a lot more people the opportunity to vote. Another extremely important amendment is the 10th amendment, which was passed in 1791. This amendment states that powers not given to the federal government by the Constitution belong to the people. This law is an example of federalism between federal and state government. Powers not granted to the United States were reserved to the states and people. This is important because it keeps the government from gaining too much power. It’s also important because if the government had too much power then America would become a monarchy or dictatorship. These are only some of the amendments in the Constitution and there are many others too. The Bill of Rights has the first 10 amendments which were all passed in 1791. The Constitution to me, means freedom for our country and freedom to all people of different backgrounds. We the people should continue fighting for what we believe in and what we think is right. This is what the Constitution means to me.

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DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

SEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Michael Troiano Edmeston Central School

Sarah Baldwin Edmeston Central School

The Constitution is very important to our country. The Constitution to me means that we have our freedom that the 13 colonies fought for long ago. The Constitution gives the people many freedoms, like the freedom of speech, religious freedoms, and many more. We have many free choices to make, but with free choices comes great responsibilities. The freedom we have will make other countries jealous or disagree with use. To keep our freedom we will need to have great interdependence. A quote I think is a great quote is “freedom is not free”. This quote shows that freedom does not come from nothing and that you need to fight for freedom. I like this quote because it shows that we had to work together with great power to win our freedom. Without the Constitution we would not have all of our freedoms and wrights. Another quote I like is “in the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. -Franklin D. Roosevelt”. I like this quote because it shows that freedom is not given to anybody, but it has to be earned. We earned our freedom by not giving up on the Revolutionary war and fighting strongly for our freedom, so we could win our freedom from England. If we did not fight hard in the Revolutionary war we would not have all the freedom we have today. If the brave people during the time of the Revolutionary War never felt like they wanted freedom, we would probably still be thirteen colonies ruled by England. We would still pay taxes to England, we would still be ruled by a king, and we would only be able to make certain rules. When the patriots won the war and our freedom we began to strive to make our country successful. We went through many rough times in the world to become were we are now. I think that we are very lucky for all the great things we have today. Many countries do not have half the things we have. We have many things that other countries would only dream of to have. When people take our freedom for granted it really upsets me because in other countries people do not have the freedom to make their own choices or have the freedom of speech. When my dad’s friends came from Africa to visit they were very shocked because they came from a poor part of Africa so they were not use to all the food and everything just over whelmed them. We took them to the Destiny Mall and ate at a buffet and they were so overwhelmed with all the food and all the things in the mall. We are so lucky to live in such a great country! Another quote that I like is “the patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree. -Thomas Campbell”. I like this quote because the patriots risked their lives to win the Revolutionary war so we could have our freedom today. One last quote that I think is a great quote is “we the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general warfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.-preamble”. This quote is important to me because it shows that we needed to follow the Constitution and do certain things to stay United. The Constitution is very important to our country. The good thing about our country is we will always come together after a war, debate, or an attack. Donald Trump has won the election against Hillary Clinton. Now we have to go on with our new president and hopefully he will bring our great country back out of its hole and make it even better. This is why the Constitution is very important to me and means freedom to me.

The Constitution to me means that we have freedom and justice which means we are free and have a freedom of speech. I also like how people eighteen and over get to vote for the president and we get to choose more than we did back in the olden days. Back in the olden days they had a king and they made all the decisions and now we can vote for the president and for some of the rules. It helps to limit the power of the government and state. They protect the citizens because they make laws and they have a court system to protect the right of people. Citizens have some power over the government. The citizens feel safe because we have police, paramedics, firefighters, doctors, and nurses because of the government back in the olden days we did not have paramedics, cops, firefighters, good doctors, and nurses because of the Constitution. Thanks to the Constitution we have education, we should be thankful kid’s say they wish they don’t have school but if you think about it you wouldn’t be able to work because you don’t know what to do in the world without school. You wouldn’t be able to live without school now because you need math to take care of bills/rent and pay for food and cloths and you wouldn’t know how to do that in this world without school, but because of the Constitution we have the ability to do all of these great things as we get older and become an adult. Also because of the Constitution we have freedom we are not told what to do, what job to work, and no slaves to do work for us. The Constitution is great because we get human rights. Some human right are freedom of speech, voting, being able to do whatever job you want, and living where ever you want. There are some responsibilities to do when you are free. One of them is voting for the president. Another one is paying taxes. Also working or going to school. There are a lot of responsibilities! The main responsibility is being loyal to your country!! The Constitution was established in September 17,1787. It was established by George Washington. The amendments to the Constitution helped slaves become free and have freedom of speech just like whites. Also the Constitution helped with racism because when the blacks were free they were still judged and miss treaded. The Constitution lets the us have choices. So the Constitution means freedom and liberty because we have so many choices, when I think about the Constitution another word pops in my mind which is war. War pops in my head because we had to fight for the Constitution and our freedom and we had an army and still have an army to protect our country. Also people gave up their lives for the constitution. Now today we get to vote for the president which contributes with freedom of speech because we get to choose whatever candidate we want and it don’t reflect on another person.

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

EIGHTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Katherine Kodz Richfield Springs Central School

Damon Thomson South Kortright Central School

What the constitution means to me. To me the constitution means freedom. I know that seems extremely broad. But that was the entire main point of making it. To make sure that people can’t take our freedoms away. To make sure that things are fair and justice is served. To make sure that you have the same rights man or woman, black or white because gender and race doesn’t matter because male or female black or white you are a human. A human who deserves the rights as the person next you. The freedom of speech the freedom to say what you want and put it out there for the world to see. Positive or negative. The freedom of religion, a freedom that allows anyone to practice what they want and not be persecuted for it. No matter the religion Muslim, catholic, or no religion at all. This is so different from many other countries where you can be imprisoned for being a certain religion or even worse yet killed because of your religion. This document also makes it so the government or the police can’t come into your house and search it just because they feel like it. They have to have a warrant and probable cause in order to go into your home and search this is thanks to the 4th amendment. The freedom to petition the government. To say what you feel the government is doing wrong or if you don’t agree with what they are doing. This is a huge freedom that is given to us. This is because again many people in other countries can be thrown in jail or killed because they didn’t agree with something. In some countries it can be dangerous to even think about opposing the government because thought can lead to action. America was created on a basis of freedom. The pilgrims came over for religious freedom. The colonist fought for freedom from Britain. Now we have a country created on the basis of freedom. Are we a perfect country? No, but we can be comforted in the knowledge that is can get a lot worse and is a lot worse in other countries. I can say with confidence that many Americans can’t tell you all or most of the rights given to them and the American people through the constitution. But it is important to know. Mainly because these are your rights given to you by the founding fathers of this country and we are so lucky in America because of these freedoms and rights. I can’t say enough times how lucky we are and yes,there have been many amendments to the constitution. But they all help the document change and conform to give more freedoms as the times change. These rights in this document are vital to our nation. These rights are the foundation of this whole nation. The people who came to America and are still coming are coming for freedom. That’s what the constitution means to me.

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WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

The constitution is very important to me because it secures and protects the unalienable rights I should have as a human being. I firmly believe that rights should be secured for any human being whether their race, religion or skin color. The Constitution affects me everyday because the constitution enables the United States to have a functioning military that protects me and everyone else in the United States. I feel that if you just talk about how the constitution effects your life you don’t fully grasp the idea of the constitution it impacts all the lives around me from sea to shining sea. I don’t just think about what the constitution has done for me itself but for how many lives that were lost and still fight for our god given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When I look around at the events and world transpiring around me I know that the constitution has brought us together and has created these events and this great nation as a whole. The constitution was not just itself, it did not come into this world by itself but was created, written by men, visionaries that have forever shaped the U.S. with their boldness and sacrifice. These men built America on the premise that “all men are created equal” which I know impacts many Americans in the U.S. One of my favorite things about the constitution and the later additions is the caring ideas and selfless words that impact many people who are not just white but every race in the United States. To me, the constitution resembles a sun and the planets represent different parts of the United States. The sun shares it’s warmth with all these planets impacting these planets survival. These planets are all so different yet come together and share many similarities like it’s need for warmth, which represents the equality and rights Americans receive from this constitution. The constitution represents the incoming ideas of some of the greatest minds in U.S. history that came together to ensure that America as a whole will be as great as it can be for soldiers, celebrities and even just average people just like you and me. The constitution also effects my future. I am happy to know that when I grow up and eventually have kids that the constitution will embrace them and give them the same rights that I have. The constitution also has effected my past giving me the right to an education and the right to grow as a person mentally and physically. The constitution surrounds us and binds us together and it secures a better on growing future for America. The constitution means to me as much as a hero I watch on television or a donation I read about because the truth is the constitution allows me to grow as a human being and it allows us every day human’s to make a difference and contribute in today’s society. I will always cherish the rights the constitution gives me.

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DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

EIGHTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Ronica Clarke Richfield Springs Central School

Jake Patterson Richfield Springs Central School

The purpose of the Constitution is said to “form a more perfect Union” and “establish Justice” Just as the pilgrims had, in escaping England and its religious restrictions. Escaping hardship, persecution, or simply wanting to be apart of this miracle country is what brings everyone to America. Everyone relies on America for his or her safety and privileges, which we mostly receive, but is slowly, and cunningly being taken away from us. For example, as I said before, one of the majorities of the reasons for coming to America would be for freedom of religion. But all over the U.S, the Muslims in particular are constantly tormented because of terrorist Attacks by this group of people. For example, as it says in the nbcnews “ Girls wearing hijabs have been harassed…One Muslim woman was menaced by a man with a knife… A Queens shopkeeper was beaten up by a customer shouting anti-Muslim slurs”. These are but a few examples. Also, in section 2 of article 4 of The Constitution states that citizens in all fifty states are entitled to every privilege that the others are. Yet some states make vaccines mandatory, regardless of religion. Now some children are unable to attend public school for their refusal to vaccinate. The new Gay marriage law passed on August 2015 has also perverted the first amendment when Kim Davis, America’s highest profile county clerk refused to permitte marriage license to a same sex couple, and as a result was arrested. She claimed that it went against her religious beliefs, therefore making her arrest a violation of the first amendment’s freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. The so-called “freedoms” that America provides, go against each other, leaving a plethora of confusion and chaos. Also in section 1 of the fourteenth amendment it states that if you are born in the U.S, no state can make any law to take away the privileges of them according to race, religion and so on. But as we speak there is a modern day Klu KLux Klan with the ideal of separating all Blacks Hispanics and Jews from the whites. The goal is to make Caucasian a superior race over all others and to make the south Ultimately 100% white populated, even if it takes moving them by force. A leader of one of the groups (Howard) claims “Blacks and white are in no way related. In my opinion they have all evolved from animals….I do not believe in mixed races …. I think they should go and make their own state”. This is only one of these groups, one state has over 18 of these organizations of which we thought America abolished…but they haven’t gone anywhere. America offers many opportunities, freedoms and rights. Though we do indeed receive them to an extent, they are being taken away just as quickly. Will the U.S do anything to avoid these things from happening? Or will things remain the same?

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In the Battle of Yorktown in the American Revolution, America, with the help of the French Navy, claimed victory over Great Britain, who owned, taxed, and ruled America. America won their independence over Britain, and dissolved all actions and policies with Great Britain. As America knew they had to become their own country, the American government made the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation failed due to low funding. Therefore, America replaced the Articles of Confederation with The Constitution. However, People today question the Constitution on what it means. Our Constitution guides our current forum of Government. Stated in Article 1, Section 1, this section states, “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.” This section is saying that the legislative branch, or Congress, is made of a House of Representatives and a Senate. This legislative branch is defined as a branch of government because the legislature works with laws and bills. These laws apply to every day life. The Presidential positions are in affect of the constitution, as well. In Article 1, section 3, paragraph 4, it says, “The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.” As stated, the Vice President, a position of the Executive Branch, is not allowed to vote, because when a new president comes, so does a new Vice President. The Vice President is part of a branch of Government, under the policy of the Constitution. Also, the President and/or Vice President can be impeached, or removed, due to Treason, Bribery, or other crimes, as stated in Article two, section 4. These sections denied one person from controlling our government, like a dictator. In Section Eight of Article One, the rules of a Congressman and congress total are stated. “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States, but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform through the United States.” What this means is that the Judicial Branch and the Executive Branch is subject to Congress. For the Judicial and Executive Branch to overlook wanted bills and laws, the Congress must declare the laws passable to the rest of the government, under the policies of the Constitution. The American People depend on Congress because the congress passes desired by the people. However, in 1791, an addition to the Constitution was added. This transcript is known as “The Bill of Rights.” The Bill of Rights protects the rights of the American people and the American Society. The Bill of Rights is made up of amendments, which are additions to the constitution, and explains the people’s rights within our government. As time went on, American citizens thought it was necessary to add amendments to the Bill of Rights. This constitution impacts our government of the United States of America. Starting from a small town in Pennsylvania in 1776, declaring our independence, and expanding to becoming one of the strongest governments in the world because of the Constitution. We the people of the United States, salute to our founding fathers, who made our country and our government organized, under the Constitution. This document gave us freedoms that we use everyday. WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

EIGHTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Caitlynn Miller Richfield Springs Central School

Darren Panko Richfield Springs Central School

The constitution is sets of rules that Americans choose to follow keeping the United States standing alive and growing. The constitution helps our country be our country and differ from other countries. The second article, in section 1 outlines how the president is elected, the way he’s elected, and what happens if he’s can no longer stay in full term. The President holds his office during a term of 4 years along with a Vice President with the same term. Any person wanting to be the president must be born an American citizen, be (at youngest) the age of 35, and had 14 years as a resident of the U.S. If the president must be removed from office depending on the circumstances, the president and the Vice president will decide who will be in office. People would end up fighting over who is next in office without this rule that keeps the country stitched as one not war between themselves like many other Countries. The eighth section within article 1 helps me understand just how important trades are to the United States and who is put in charge to keep trade going. Congress has the power to regulate trade. Also Congress regulates commerce with Foreign Nations along with several states, and Indian tribes. Trade to the U.S. is very significant in keeping our country flourishing because we depend on trade for almost everything, from spoons to car parts. Trade helps us with economy with new products that get shipped and sold within the world. Section 8; article 1 talk about how it gives congress the power to maintain the army and navy. So an individual does not make any decisions made dealing with military, instead are made by a group for that decision. And that the army and navy have to be an existence at all times so that it protects our great nation. Article 1, section 10 talks about how states cannot make their own money; create war between another state, and tax goods from other states. It prevents states from fighting nearby states so we are not in constant battle. The federal government maintains the money making and dispensing so that we are at one currency. A state is not allowed to re-tax other states product that will benefit that state. Without this rule that we, the people choose to reinforce, the tax rates would constantly rise benefiting different countries. Article 4 states the states rights. Section 1 obtains how all states will honor the laws of other states. Section 2 explains how citizens from one state will be treated fairly like all citizens of another, also if a person from a state is accused of a crime and fled to another state that person must be returned to the state that the person fled from. Section 3 describes how new states come into the nation, and the control of federal lands. Section 4 labels that it will ensures a power to the people government, and guarantees that the federal government will protect the states against. These rules help the state solve the dispute. In conclusion the constitution is sets of rules that Americans choose to follow keeping the United States standing alive and growing. The constitution helps our country be our country and differ from other countries.

I think the Constitution represents the rights of the American people, especially the right to vote and the rules & regulations for the government. There are many rights that the American people may have in this country based off on the Constitution. In fact, The Bill of Rights has 24 Amendments or rights and the Constitution has many more rights for the American people. What the Constitution represents is stated in the Constitution, is it says, “ We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union…common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty…the United States of America. These are all rights given to the American people and that part of forming a more perfect Union. The Constitution represents the rights of the American people. For example, the First Amendment is the right of freedom of the press, religion and speech. These are all granted or given rights to the American people. Another example is that the Second Amendment provides the right to keep and bear arms. This is another granted or given right to the American people. The Constitution represents the rights of the American people, especially the right to vote. The Constitution represents the rights of the American people, especially the right to vote. For example, the 15th Amendment is or provides the right of Citizens of the United States to vote no matter what race, color, or previous condition of servitude they are. This provides the right to vote to all American citizens. Another example is that the 15th Amendment’s Section 2 states, “ The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation”. This makes or ensures the right to vote be given to all American citizens. The Constitution represents the rights of the American people, especially the right to vote. I think the Constitution represents the rights of the American people, especially the right to vote and the rules & regulations for the government. For example the 12th Amendment states, “ The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballet for President and Vice – President, one of whom… But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice – President of the United States. These are the rules and regulations for to vote for President and Vice – President of the United States. Another example is that in the text of Section 2, it states, “ No person shall be a Representative…until the Age of twenty five years, and been 7 years a citizen of the United States. This is one of many rules & regulations for the government of the United States. I think the Constitution represents the rights of the American people, especially the right to vote and the rules & regulations for the government. I think the Constitution represents the rights of the American people, especially the right to vote and the rules & regulations for the government. There are many rights that the American people may have in this country based off on the Constitution. The Bill of Rights has 24 Amendments or rights and the Constitution has many more rights for the American people.

WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

EIGHTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Autumn Edison Oneonta Middle School What the Constitution means to me is the law of the entire nation. This means that I have the right to do what ever I want to a certain extent. The government shall no have irrational power over me. If I get in trouble everything will be handled in a certain order. The Constitution means to me is myself and my rights will be protected. What I think of when I hear someone say the “Constitution of the United States” is the three branches. Legislated, Executive, and Judicial. These branches mean that there will be laws to protect me. To make sure that the branches do not get too powerful there is checks and balances. There will always be a president, vice president, and board members. There purpose is to work for the people of the United States of America. Not just anybody can

become president, but they have to be chosen by the people. This to me means that we the people have the right to say who we like and who we dislike, and who we feel will stand by us and make a great leader of our country. When someone says the “Constitution” I also think of the House of Representatives and senate. This gives more meaning to the constitution to me. If all the people don’t agree on something they are split into two different perspectives of the people. It means that no one will have greater power over the law. It gives us the right of privacy. The bill of rights is what is my favorite part of the Constitution. The first amendment is my favorite. It says the people have the freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition. All of these are what make up America today. In some parts of the world, just saying that you don’t like your current leader or believing a different religion, you can be tortured of even as far as getting killed. In America we have the freedom to be ourselves,

to believe what we want and to say what is on our mind even if our current leader does not approve. In some way the first amendment makes us human. After learning the 27 amendments I was surprised by the power The Constitution has over the public and the government. It is one of the oldest documents in history, yet it is used every day. After thinking and reading the Constitution Of The United States I feel that it is perfect the way it is. I hear some people talking and wanting a Constitution intervention; I say if such a powerful piece of paper signed by our founding fathers that keep this nation standing strong why would we want to change it? Can you imagine what would happen if we change or permanently remove the most important part of United States history? Our nation is standing strong and is one of the freest countries in this world, why change it? This is what the Constitution means to me.

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Natalie Teachout Richfield Springs Central School What does the constitution mean to me. The constitution freedom for the people of the United States. Like the second for example. The first amendment gives everybody the right to freedom of speech religion press and assemble. This gives everybody the right to stand out for what they believe. The second amendment gives everybody the right to bear arms (have possession of gun).This amendment gave everybody to have a gun and are not excluding the people if their not white or a man. The first amendment states “ a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” The second amendment states “The congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a grievances.” On a another note the constitution helped prevent nothing bad coming in to the country like bad liquor. In section 2 of the bill of rights it states “after one year from the ratification oft his article the manufacturer sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors within the importation thereof into or the exportation thereof from the united states and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited” In the bill of rights in amendment 5 is protecting the safety of people, “no person shall be held to answer to answer for the capital or otherwise infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury except in cases arising in the land or navel forces or in the militia when in actual service in time or war of public danger” The constitution is so important to me because it gives everybody a right to do what they want where they want they wont get yelled at because of their religion and color and they cant say you cant go to school because of what you believe in, or your race. The constitution made it fare to every one. That’s why the constitution is so important for me and every body else because now your feelings wont get hurt and nobody can put you down due to who you ARE.

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

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EIGHTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Dylan Dyn Richfield Springs Central School

Brooke Connolly Richfield Springs Central School

The constitution was a framework for a government with three branches that replaced the British monarchy. I believe that all the people who drafted this document intended for it to adapt as our society changed. However, for me the Constitution represents the compromise that our founding fathers could not find in Britain›s monarchy. The Constitution was drafted at a monumental moment when the United States of America was born and the monarchy was overthrown. The Constitution represents the American people as a whole and our motivation to be a free democracy. The Constitution is very important in our current society and the way that the government works. The Constitution is used to create our government today, it represents a bicameral government. The Constitution is also the reason we have three diversified branches of government-legislative, judicial, and executive. The Constitution created a government where each branch overpowers each other, so that monarchies do not develop in our country. The British monarchy gave Americans a deep hatred for this way of government. We created the Constitution to abolish monarchies and prove that democracies are successful to other countries. Our constitution will later influence France’s Constitution in the French revolution. The Constitution is very important to our lives today because we still use these laws. All people who live in our country abide and use these laws as a guide for life. Although the Constitution may have changed over the years, it now fits our society perfectly. It gives an order for almost every crime, and gives a person all of their rights. Without the Constitution our country would be full of pandemonium or we may not even be a country. People would scatter, committing crimes and would not get punished, just like in the middle east if it wasn’t for the Constitution. The Constitution creates a feeling of safety and comfort for people who know they can depend upon it to uphold their rights. The people who drafted the Constitution wanted it to be a document that signified that people had rights, whereas in a monarchy people did not have any rights. This document signifies justice and the idea that people should be fair to one and other. One of the biggest things the Constitution represents is the idea of compromise. In a monarchy people did not compromise the laws with the king, but the drafters of the Constitution compromised on many things to improve the quality of the document. The idea of compromising meant that people could actually form a government based on the majority of people’s opinions. The creation of the Constitution implemented a more fair way of doing things in our government, creating a stronger and better government. To conclude, the Constitution is a form of government that emerged out of our hatred for monarchies. The Constitution led to the creation of the government we use in today’s society. Without the Constitution, our country we would be so different. In 500 words- this is what the constitution truly means.

The Constitution helped shape our country. It gave the people a sense of what our country should be about and how the people should act in our country. The Constitution helps the people in our country understand their limits and rights that they have and it makes the people who live here feel lucky to be part of such a well put together, good country. The Constitution helped change our country forever. The thing the Constitution means to me is that it was very important to my country, my family, and me because it gave us freedoms and helped us become a full country.The people of the United States of America wanted to form a country with justice and freedoms to give the people rights. The Constitution helped to put together a well, organized country.The main reason for the Constitution was to have everyone understand how blessed they were in this country for them and their children. To let them feel what it is like to have liberties and justices. The Constitution means something different to everyone. The thing that I feel when I hear the Constitution is feeling lucky and is makes me feel proud to be an American and part of this society that has formed in America. It helps me be thankful that I can live here and be part of a country who offers freedoms, who doesn’t abuse their powers, to try to make the world a better place by creating fundamental principles for Americans and the government to follow to make everyone have a say in what happens, for everyone to feel safe in their home. To let us know we can believe in whatever we believe in and will not be persecuted for it. The Constitution reminds us that our country gives us amendments to let us have rights and freedoms that other people in other countries do not have. To remind us that we should be truly grateful to live in the United States of America. America freed the people of worries by having an army to protect the country from other countries and from terrorism. Many immigrants came into our country looking for freedom. There is a reason they came here looking for freedom because they know that our country is the country that could best provide them freedom and justices. Also, our country offers the unalienable rights, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all U.S. citizens no matter where live or are from. After taking in everything that the Constitution has said I have come to a main point that no matter how tough life may get and no matter how much you struggle. I am from the best country in the world because we have documents, like the Constitution to make sure our lives are the best they can be no matter what. In conclusion, our country and it’s leaders have tried their best to make our country the best it can be. Many people don’t know what the Constitution means to them or what the Constitution even is and I feel it is very important for all people who are U.S. citizens to understand the Constitution and for them to think about what life is like in the U.S. now and what it would be like if we didn’t have the Constitution.

WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

EIGHTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Sydney Burdick Richfield Springs Central School To many the Constitution is a piece of paper with a bunch of words, but to me it is the foundation of the American way and the reason we exist in this free world. The reason we can’t be dictated. The reason that we can have basic freedoms that some countries wish they had .The reason why we don’t coward from our enemies. The reason that brave men and women risk their lives on the battlefield to protect their families and us, the Americans. The reason everybody should respect our flag and not kneel during the National Anthem. The reason we don’t have the president telling us what to do like a king in a monarchy. The reason why I am glad to call myself an American. The Constitution pertains a multifarious amount of basic rights and freedoms that all American citizens shall have. The rights and amendments that mean the

most to me are Article 1 sections 1 through 8, which discusses the separation of powers. The Bill of Rights also contains very important amendments, the ones I believe are the most important is the 1, 2 and 4 amendments. The reason that all of Article one of the Constitution is very important because it makes sure that one part of the government gets too powerful and tries to overpower all the of the branches. The least amount of power goes to the Executive branch, or normally known as the president. To avoid a lot of power to one person, which is important to me because we shall be free from cruel and harsh punishment from a dictatorship. The first amendment is important to me because it reinforces the fact that we can have any religion without any harsh punishments like they do overseas. He first amendment also gives me the right to speech. This helps me protest politely against causes I do not support, but some people take this right and throw it in the garbage because of violent protesting. Also the first amendment gives me the power to believe or not believe the political propaganda that is all over the news

and magazines everywhere. Another amendment that is important to me is the second amendment, the right to bare arms. This is important because insures my safety if the matter needed to. Also the fact that they are trying to “take” them away is crazy, guns don’t kill people, people kill people. The last amendment that is important to me is the 4th. Which secures my privacy from the outside world that is dangerous and using the important in a poor matter. This also keeps people from barging into my house without any other reason, just then them saying I want to look through your house. To conclude, the Constitution is reason that we are safe. The reason we are free from any unnecessary punishments. The reason we can have private information without any exposure. The reason why we have the right to bear the arms that we hunt, protect and make a living from. The reason why you should be proud to be an American!

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DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

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EIGHTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Connor Scheffler Richfield Springs Central School

Brady Young Richfield Springs Central School

The constitution is a very important part of every Americans life. The Constitution is our current system of government that replaced the Articles of Confederation our former government. The Articles of Confederation was ratified or approved in 1781 then later on replaced by the constitution in 1789 because it was to week. The Articles of Confederation was replaced by the Constitution which that unified and strengthened our country. The Constitution has laws that that ensure all United States citizen fair and equal treatment. According to the constitution no person can be judged on his or her religion, race and or gender, according to the first amendment which states that all people have freedom, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances (Complaints).” This amendment is basically stating that everyone has the right to say what they want, believe in what they want religiously, and that no one has the authority to take those rights away from them no matter what. The first amendment allows me to be able do and say what I want, the second amendment allows my parents to be able to obtain guns to defend us, hunt, and for sportsmanship such as target shooting which allows us to bond and have fun together. The constitution is very important because it allows people to vote. Any person 18 or older is allowed to vote and cant be denied that right as stated in amendment number 15 “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” This amendment states that no one can be denied their right to vote as long as they meet the countries voting requirements for age. The 15th amendment of the constitution allows me to be able to vote when I am 18, and I will be able to share my thoughts politically and be part of election of the president of the United States. The constitution also leaves it up to the people of the untied states to choose our president rather then just randomly choosing a president that will not benefit our country and will use his or her power for the wrong reasons. If the constitution just allowed a president to be randomly picked then it could result in warfare and the death of many people if that picked president does not suit our country. I can do many things in this country thanks to the constitution protecting my rights that most other kids in different countries don’t get the pleasure of enjoying, such as sports, competitions and other fun things. This is why the constitution is so important to me and my life in the United States.

The Constitution means a lot to me, despite my age. As much as I ignore it, the Constitution is the foundation for how I live today. I live with an Xbox 360, a flat screen TV, and an IPhone 5s. And even though these things don’t directly relate to the Constitution, they wouldn’t be possible without it. I live with freedom and opportunity no matter what I think sometimes. Some teenagers think there are no opportunities for them and they are not free. They couldn’t be more wrong. Like I said, I sometimes think I don’t have any freedom for multiple reasons. One of those reasons is that I am forced to do school work. Most kids today hate that and believe their life is awful. But this is no reason to say your life is awful. There are so many millions of people around the world who have no constitution to rely on and have little opportunities for prospering in life. Despite the fact that the constitution was written almost 230 years ago, it remains the foundation for all life in the United States. If you ask anyone in America, “What does the constitution mean to you?” they won’t be able to answer and if they could, it wouldn’t be in a very swift manner. Neither would I, which is really disappointing in my eyes. So with this essay, I have gotten a chance to look over the constitution thoroughly and really engulf myself into it. I have realized that the constitution is our plan for government. The Articles of the constitution talk about the duties of the three main parts of government: the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. The articles also talk about the separate powers of the Federal and State government, and how to change the Constitution. The Constitution means an overwhelming amount to my well-being. I couldn’t even imagine the world today if the constitution hadn’t been written. Just because it is directly corresponding with the United States, doesn’t mean only the United States would have been affected. The world could have been on its head compared to right now, if the constitution hadn’t been written. The Constitution means more than anything to me. I say this because everything in my life that means something could have been different without the constitution. After reading the constitution for the tenth time, I started to imagine life without it. The U.S. may not even exist. The world as we know it today could be chaos. That is why the constitution is so important to me. The constitution is support system for life within the U.S. Without the constitution, life for all Americans would come crashing apart. It one of the biggest stepping stones in American history and will remain that way for hundreds and maybe thousands of years to come. Therefore the U.S. Constitution is the most important thing in my life and will remain that way until I die.

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DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

EIGHTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Hannah Oldick Richfield Springs Central School I think the Constitution is very important for America to follow. The Constitution means a lot to me because they are the laws and the laws are very important. I think the laws are important because if you don’t follow them and you do something bad you can be arrested or get in a lot of trouble with government and it is important for the government. For example “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives”(Article 1, Section 1). This proves that the laws are very important to the government because the government has to follow the laws. Another example “No person shall be a senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen”(Article 1, Section 3). This proves how the government and citizens of the United States have to follow the Constitution. Also a example is “Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which ay be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Numbers of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons”(Article 1, Section 2). This proves how slaves use to count as three fifths of a person. Another example is “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator of Representative, of Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector”(Article 2, Section 1). This proves how every State has to follow the Constitution. The Amendments that are important to me are Amendments 1 and 4. For example in the 1st Amendment it states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” This proves that everyone has freedom of certain things. Another example in the 4th Amendment its states “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” This proves how the 4th Amendment is important to me because it keeps and makes me feel safe. In conclusion the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is very important to me.

Matt Cox The Constitution can me a bunch of things. But it speaks to people differently. It speaks to me by saying how I can speak freely and do what I want in the world. With that said here is what I think about the Constitution. The Constitution can mean so much to me and here is what I think. The Constitution allows me to be free. Having freedom is key to life. With the Constitution I’m being allowed to write this essay, speak how I want, do what I want, have to find evidence before being proven guilty, and much more. All of these statements are parts of the constitution and mean most to me. First, is having freedom. Freedom allows you to do almost anything you want just things that aren’t bad. For example, taking your own religion is freedom because in other countries they make you follow the religion that they are. Which I think is a bunch of bull crap because if you want to practice your own religion or anything for that matter than do it. And don’t let anybody get in your way. Second, is the freedom of speech. With being able to say what I want is one of America’s best Amendments in my opinion. Because say if you said to the American gov’t I hate you. They can’t do anything about that because of freedom of speech but if you said that in another country you would be jailed for life. Also what i think is important is being able to do what I want which kinda goes under the category of freedom. Because being able to do what I want I think is very important as I mentioned previously. In the United States of America you are allowed to do things freely without being watched or anything for that matter. When you are a victim or suspect of a crime or anything that happened you are not guilty until they have found evidence. This statement is very important also because in some countries you are proven guilty until found evidence which I also think is stupid. Another Amendment that I find extremely important is the 2nd Amendment. The right to bare arms plays a huge role in our country and society. Without guns we wouldn’t be able to protect ourselves during a war or a shooting. This would result in a lot of people dieing which would be bad. So in my opinion the right to bare arms is very important.There are a lot more parts of the Constitution that I find important but if I were to explain my views on all of them you’d be sitting here for hours. Hopefully these statements meant a lot to you as much as they meant to me. And if they didn’t that’s okay and as I said early everyone has their own opinion. With the Constitution being so long and informational it still holds a different opinion on everyone. Some people think the Constitution is pointless and most think it is very useful and helpful to the United States Of America. And so do I and I hope you do too.

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DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

NINTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Shaun Jones Oneonta Central School The Constitution of the United States serves several purposes, including the basic organization of the branches of government. It outlines their functions and responsibilities through leadership. To me, the most important part of the Constitution is the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights is what our federal government has promised each of its citizens. The Bill of Rights protects every individual’s rights as a citizen of the United States. I believe that the first 10 Amendments known as the Bill of Rights are the heart and key to our country and what it is made up of today. To me, one of the most important amendments, in the Bill of Rights, is the 1st Amendment. The first amendment establishes a range of political and civil rights including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and last one, freedom of religion. The 1st amendment is briefly the right for us, as citizens, to have an open saying on what we believe in or want to say as an individual of this country. It’s important to me because us, as the people, should have a privilege of what we want to say or express it without the government interfering. I want to able to express my opinion to the world, without being told what to, specifically, say. This is how the 1st amendment plays an important role in my life. Another one of the most important amendments, in the Bill of Rights, is the 2nd Amendment. The second amendment protects the right of the individual to keep and bear firearms. The right to bare arms is viewed as a personal liberty to prevent oppressive governing bodies from forming. The right to bare arms, also, was created to end insurrection, and to facilitate the natural right to self defense. It pretty much gives us the right to have our own bare arm, open, self defense country. Lastly, another one of the most important amendments, in the Bill of Rights, is the 6th amendment. That amendment means that when a person is accused of a crime, that person has a right to a fair trial that is not delayed too long. Also, he has a right for the trial to be public and not secret trial . He/she has a right to be judged by people who are fair and have not already made up their minds. The right to have unbiased people say if he is guilty or not guilty. Also, he/she has a right to know what he’s being accused of, and the right to know who is accusing him and who the witnesses are who are against him. In conclusion, the Bill of Rights was established to ensure that citizens of the United States are entitled to a number of personal freedoms, such as the 1st, 2nd, and 6th amendments. It is, also, a way to prevent the government from becoming too powerful and proposing a threat to its surrounding population. All in all, in my opinion, the Bill of Rights is the heart of our country and the heart of our constitution. No matter who is elected into office, the Constitution protects the undeniable rights of every single American. The Constitution serves as a defender of liberty, a symbol of hope and freedom, and a supporter of human rights.

WINNER

WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

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DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

NINTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Brandi Swisher Charlotte Valley Central School

Mary Noorlander

The Constitution is a legal document better known as the law of the land. It was written to replace the Articles of Confederation, in order to make our country a better, more organized place. The Constitution, set in 1789, is a living document, allowing us to update and add amendments as fit to our generation. This being said, the Constitution to me means equality. Over time we have made this document suitable to our generation, making a better, more equal country, allowing us, as Americans, to be diverse and proud. The principles of the Constitution revolve around the legislative, executive, and judicial branch, along with the Bill of Rights. Each portion presents the power of our government. Article one states the authority of Congress and the House of Representatives. Article two explains the executive branch’s and the President of the United States’ responsibilities. Article three is the judicial branch, and as guessed states the ability of the judicial branch and our Supreme Court. The Bill of Rights shows the first ten original amendments and then, later added sixteen. As said, the constitution is a plan for our country, the law of the land. It is what our government goes by and gives us our freedom and rights. Without the constitution it would be impossible to have such a flawless system of government, and without the system we wouldn’t have our rights. As an American woman of the United States, I feel proud to have the same rights that white men have had since the beginning of time. As should people of color and minorities in this country. Each branch of the government makes it possible for us to have these rights. Without the Articles, our government would not be set up the way it is and we would not be so grateful for the Bill Of Rights and our amendments. Amendments 1, 13, 14, 15, and 19 are what I believe equality is run on. Everyone, no matter what race, religion, and gender should have equal opportunities. The Constitution has turned this country from slavery being legal - to having the first black President. It has turned this country from women staying home and cleaning everyday - to women running the country alongside men. This country is called the “Land Of The Free” for one obvious reason. We have to thank the leaders of our country for these opportunities The Constitution is a legal document fit to my current generation in order for equality and peace in the world. Every and any American has the same freedom together. Though the years we’ve dealt with sexism, racism, and judgemental abuse, and unfortunately to this day it still exists. Even though this is how it is, i’m proud to live in a country where I have my rights as a woman, and know the government is on my side, believing I can be just as powerful as a man. What the Constitution means to me is equality and with that comes the happiness of the people.

WINNER

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

The 2016 Presidential Election. Trump or Hillary: is our nation in danger? What will happen after one of the candidates is chosen? Are we safe? These questions and others like them have been plaguing Americans for months. The real question is: should we be worrying at all? Yes, the president certainly has an important impact on our country and how it is run. But thanks to the Constitution of the United States, America can rest assured that its rights will be protected. One person elected into office is not going to jeopardize any of our basic human privileges because the writers of the Constitution formed a system of checks and balances, which prevents a single person from having too much power. The Constitution spreads power among different branches, gives each branch the ability to check the others, leaves some power to the states and the people, and includes a list of basic rights on which the government can never trample. As long as we have the Constitution, Americans don’t have to worry about being denied basic human rights, regardless of who is elected president. The Constitution stands as a protector of freedom and a symbol of hope to every individual American citizen. One of many concerns voiced by Americans during the presidential campaign was the fear that rights would be denied certain people based on religion. By virtue of the Constitution of the United States, religious freedom will always be guaranteed to every American, regardless of who is elected president. The Bill of Rights makes this very clear. It states in its very first amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” No matter who is elected into office, presidential or otherwise, the right to religion cannot be violated. The Constitution protects with surety every American’s religious rights. Since the founding of the United States of America, the Constitution has defended each American’s rights, and not a single person, regardless of their power or political standing, has the right to deny another human being any of those unalienable rights. No matter who is elected into office, whether it be this 2016 election or any other election to come, while the Constitution still stands, americans need not worry about their basic rights being denied them. The Constitution protects many rights and privileges, including the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, and the right to bear arms, just to name a few. Americans may be concerned about issues the president has control over. However, thanks to the Constitution, they don’t have to be worried about their individual rights as humans. The president has a major role in the United States. He or she oversees how the country is administered, its relationships with other countries, and many other things. The issue of who is to be the face of our country should not be taken lightly. However, no matter who is elected into office, the Constitution protects the undeniable rights of every single American. The Constitution serves as a defender of liberty, a symbol of hope and freedom, and a supporter of human rights.

WINNER

WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

The Constitution of the United States We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Article. I. SECTION. 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. SECTION. 2. The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature. No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen. Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three. When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies. The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment. SECTION. 3. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote. Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated

WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies. No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen. The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided. The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States. The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present. Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law. SECTION. 4. The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day. SECTION. 5. Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide. Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member. Each House shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of

either House on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be entered on the Journal. Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting. SECTION. 6. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place. No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office. SECTION. 7. All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills. Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law. Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives,

according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill. SECTION. 8. The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; To borrow Money on the credit of the United States; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States; To establish Post Offices and post Roads; To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries; To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court; To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations; To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; To provide and maintain a Navy; To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces; To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions; To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress; To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; -And See CONSTITUTION on Page 43

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

TENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Dadeon Canfield Bainbridge-Guilford Central School

Rebekah Johnson Edmeston Central School

WINNER

The constitution stands for the rights and freedoms I embrace every day. We started with influences from philosophers all around the world including Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, John Locke, and James Harrington. The constitution is a combination of ideas and theories to create a constitutional republic in which we now live. John Locke has a quote that states “But there is only one thing which gathers people into seditious commotion, and that is oppression” and this was true in the colonies as they rebelled against Great Britain and won their freedom. They desired a government that was not going to control them as Britain had so they created The Articles of Confederation. This limited government too much and forced the early United States go bankrupt, so they revised it into the Constitution that we continue to use today. It was a document designed to keep government out of the way of the citizens unless it was a time of war or extreme emergency. The ideas and theories drawn from outside the country include parts of James Harrington’s book The Commonwealth of Oceana which included vote by ballot and rotation of magistrates and legislators that we used in our system of government. Montesquieu wrote about his theory of separation of powers that led us to divide the government into the three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial that can check and balance corruption in each branch. Our Founding Fathers can be summed up in a quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt “We, and all others who believe in freedom as deeply as we do, would rather die on our feet then live on our knees.” In the present day many are unable make it through college without safe spaces that limit the right of speech to prevent someone from feeling offended and have to face a difficult situation. And we have politicians that follow the book The Prince by Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli that was regarded as “evil recommendations to tyrants to help them maintain their power.” George Washington said “if freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” Our government still uses the Roman Bread and Circus tactic to keep the population fed and quiet and to gain their support of controversial policies that suppresses our rights as Americans. Approximately 52.2 million (or 21.3 percent) people in the U.S. participated in major means-tested government assistance programs each month in 2012, according to a U.S. Census Bureau When you add pensions, unemployment, Social Security, and Medicare to the mix, the percentage of Americans relying on government for part or all of their subsistence is 49.5% of the American population. This only leaves 50.5% of the population to support all these people which is unsustainable economically. To me the constitution has been abandoned by our government and left the Laissezfaire ways of our Founding Fathers and has gone so far as to have the United States citizen dependent on the government for the means of survival. In the words of Karl Marx “Democracy is the road to socialism.” My belief is that our nation needs to return to the ways laid out in the constitution written for the people by the people.

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

WINNER

The Constitution. So often we talk about it, but how many of America’s citizens legitimately know what this document is all about? Many times, we use the Constitution to defend our American rights, which is what it was intended for. However, ignorantly claiming justification from the Constitution could lead to an impossible situation. Let us take a closer look at what the Constitution is, and how it affects America every day. The Constitution itself is a document which, in 1787, established America’s national and governmental laws, and guaranteed a basic set of rights for each citizen. Included in the Constitution are guidelines on how each branch of the government should be run, and how the leaders are expected to act. By creating the Constitution, our founding fathers told us exactly how America was intended to function. On a more personal level, the Constitution guarantees each and every American citizen with the same general rights and freedoms. Among the most well-known and heavily-disputed freedoms the Constitution grants are the freedoms of speech, religion, and assembly. These freedoms are part of the Bill of Rights, a list of ten amendments made to the Constitution which specifies the freedoms a person may have without spoken permission. I am a tenth-grade student who leads a fairly normal life. I go to school every day, I have an amazing family, and many friends. However, unlike a vast number of people my age, religion is a very important part of my daily life. My father is currently the pastor of a Baptist church in New York. I am a firm believer in Christianity and the Bible, and seek to live out my faith every day. The only reason this is socially accepted is because of the Constitution. The freedom of religion, granted in the Bill of Rights, protects my family and me, along with millions of other American citizens, from severe religious persecution. In other countries, such as China, this problem is increasingly evident. Hundreds of people are tortured, and often killed, for professing their faith. In America, we are not mandated to believe one way, nor are we the victims of persecution. It is because of the Constitution that American Christians, among adherents to other faiths, are not so terribly affected by this dilemma. If the freedom of religion was not part of the Bill of Rights, my life, along with many others’ lives, would look very different than it does today. The Constitution is a document which lays out general guidelines for our country’s governmental structure, and secures the same basic rights for each American citizen. Without the Constitution, our country’s complexion would look very different than the America we know today. Personally, the Constitution protects me from persecution, for which I am ever-increasingly grateful. As a nation, we should be aware of the great advantage we have because of this document, and never take for granted its worth and meaning.

WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

TENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Colette Corkery West Oneonta

WINNER

The Constitution; what does it mean to me? Well, certainly, it is not to be taken lightly. By the institution of the Constitution, as the Preamble states, “We the People...establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” This purpose is not some antiquated idea; it still applies to us today. It protects our individual freedom, and its regulations show us how our country is to be run. The Constitution secures the future of our children, and it secures the future of our country. Even though our culture adjusts and advances, our human rights don’t change and neither should the Constitution. It was steadfast throughout the history of our country, and like a beacon of light in the darkness, it lights our way. Ultimate in our Governance, the Constitution was the first document of its kind, called “The Great Experiment”, and has led America to become the greatest country in the world. I find the most important part of the Constitution to be the Bill of Rights, the first ten Amendments. These Amendments provide for Americans specific freedoms, such as the right to freedom of speech, protection from excessive punishment, security from arbitrary “searches and seizures” by the Government, the right to bear arms and to petition the Government for rectification of injustice, and more. The most significant of these to me are the First and Second Amendments; “1. Congress shall [not] make... an establishment of religion, or [prohibit] the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble... 2. ...being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” The first amendment means a lot to me because, without freedom of speech, we would be unable to speak on our own and each other’s behalf. We would have no say in our elections, no say in how our country is run, we would not be able to write or speak what we believe. It is crucial to have this right because otherwise, we would be at risk of tyranny and enslavement by the Government. Another vital part of the first amendment is freedom of religion because, in order to have religion, people need to be able to worship God without infringement by the Government, or by anyone. Religion is critical to individuals across the globe, and it would be an outrage to have this right taken away. Religion to me, personally, is incredibly meaningful, therefore I am very glad that we Americans have this right. The right to bear arms is another privilege that is essential for our country. We should be able to defend ourselves, our homes, and families as this is a basic human instinct. Lawful exercise of this right is ours, and our Founding Fathers doubtlessly knew this. Some think this right is necessary only in times of war, but Americans need to be able to defend themselves in immediate danger; such as robbery or assault. If the Constitution did not preserve this right, then our country would not have lasted. Whether in war or times of peace, the ability to defend ourselves is of the utmost WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

importance, not only for the nation, but also as individuals. The Constitution defines more freedoms than what I have discussed here, and though I have narrowed it down to only a few points that mean much to me, this is not to say the rest of the document is unimportant. I believe the whole Constitution is what makes America a great country. It is our guidebook and should be upheld and protected. It was a gift to America, and America should return that gift by doing so. The Constitution is “for the People, by the People” and America would not be here today without it. I strongly encourage every citizen to gain and read a copy of our beautiful Constitution of the United States of America.

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ELEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS Molly Gavett What does the constitution mean to me? This is a very good question that can be answered in many different ways. The definition of constitution is “a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed.” It was signed on September 17, 1787 by delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia during a time when George Washington was the president. Many of the United States Founding Fathers were present. The founding fathers are those who significantly helped the constitution form. James Madison who was present at the convention wrote the document that formed the model for the Constitution. After giving that background information on the document that so proudly molds us as Americans, I would like to tell you what the Constitution means to me. The Constitution of the United States of America means to me that I have political independence and personal liberty as well as my family, friends and fellow Americans. I am safe and there is no better feeling in the whole world than being safe. Secondly, the constitution means to me that I have rights. For instance, when I turn eighteen I am honored to say that I will have the right to vote as an active U.S. citizen and do my part as all Americans are so incredibly fortunate to do. The Constitution means to me that I am valued as all American citizens are. We are so important that our Founding Fathers made us this amazing Constitutional document to live by so that every single day we can live life with freedom, liberty, and justice for all. It means to me that I am a respected part of my country, which I am protected in, and my voice is heard. It means to me that I will stand up for my country and I will live to the very best of my ability the way that a proud American should live. In honor of our Founding Fathers signing the Constitution, every time I hear the National Anthem or say The Pledge of Allegiance, I will stand up with my right hand over my heart in remembrance of the gift they gave to us, and I will thank every veteran I see for fighting for our freedom because I’m proud to be an American and wouldn’t have it any other way. Not only do I have privileges under the Constitution but I have responsibilities, not only to myself but to future generations. I will work throughout my life to remember the great gift our Founding fathers gave to us. I will try my very best every day to stand unified with those around me. I am truly part of a great nation and am so thankful for that. DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

ELEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Jessica Conklin Gilbertsville-Mt.Upton Central School

Thomas Knight Cooperstown Central School

What does the US Constitution mean to me? It means the freedom of our nation. Before the US Constitution was ratified we had a leading body known as the Articles of Confederation. Giving the states all the power. The Nation was not running as we know it today and it just didn’t work. The nation would have fallen to the British. The Constitution has Amendments that list out our freedoms though the government tries to go against the supreme law of the land they cannot take our guns for the second Amendment gives us the right to bear arms. People could try to silence us but they would fail for the first Amendment gives us the freedom of speech, press, religion, petition, and assembly. We would have soldiers living in our homes even if we did not want them too, and I don’t mean if we don’t want our loved ones to join the armed forces, I mean people we do not know, the third Amendment protects us from having to quarter troops in our home. The Constitution means freedom not just in the Amendments. No matter how bad we may think our country is, if we didn’t have the Constitution it would be far worse. There would be no checks and balances, so the president could become a totalitarian ruler. Though with the way the government has to run that cannot happen. Congress would stop them, or the Supreme Court could declare anything they try to pass to be unconstitutional. It is same for the other branches as well. Women’s Rights is not something the world as a whole has and though it has gotten better around the world there are STILL places around the world that does not give women equal rights as men. I am not saying the United States is perfect on the subject. No far from it, we still have sexist people just like we have racist people. Though on a whole compared to the rest of the world I say we are more accepting of women in positions of power. Compared to other nations the United States is one of the youngest but we are in the running as one of the most powerful if not the most powerful nation in the world. Our Constitution got us through the Revolution, a civil war, World War One, and World War Two, it got us through the Vietnam War, and it will get us through the war on terror. Our Constitution saw nations rise and fall with the times, yet we, we remain strong, and we remain free. That is what the Constitution is. It is a ruling Document, it is the Supreme Law of these fifty states and it is what makes us the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. You ask me what the Constitution means to me well it means about as much as the American Flag, that I hope flies for a long time to come.

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DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

I have had a love affair with our Constitution ever since I was a kid. It began with my first real Halloween costumes, an impressive George Washington outfit (complete with epaulettes) that my mom had painstakingly made. I walked around the neighborhood, proclaiming that I was the general of the Continental Army, and president of the Constitutional Convention and the United States. Armed with a toy sword and a printout of the Preamble and Bill of Rights, I shouted out random passages from the documents at whatever poor homeowner happened to open the door. As I grew up, I became fascinated with politics. Watching my first presidential debates in 2008, I couldn’t help but notice the focus on the Constitution. Besides their arguments on the meaning, interpretations, and execution, the presence of the document on a giant blue background behind the podium, in massive, flowing script served as a visual reminder of what our country stood for, and besides the partisan divides on what it meant, it loomed over everyone, regal and irreplaceable. In my early teens, I began to understand the importance that our foundational document has had in our country’s history and culture. I ordered a copy online, and parsed the words of James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. As I read, I was fascinated by the simple truth and meaning, the future-proof nature of the words, the ideals for a new nation based on the equality of all people, big or small, and the protection of all from tyranny. I saw a group of men who had risked it all to fight against an unfair foreign government. I saw people who had made it their life’s purpose to create the greatest, most egalitarian government that they possibly could. Influenced by the words of Enlightenment philosophy, it was truly a revolutionary document, firmly establishing the United States as a government for the people, by the people: the first true modern democracy in a time when the world was ruled by despots and kings, rulers and emperors. The downtrodden and disenfranchised of the world looked with admiration to the American people, with their expansive rights and their commitment to ensuring that everyone had a voice. In the last year, my copy of the Constitution has become more ragged, dog-eared, underlined, circled, and highlighted than ever. In the face of an election that offered, in my opinion, two undesirable candidates, each with their own sets of adverse consequences for the country and the world, I clutched to the only facet of politics that has remained consistent in its moral fiber, position, and philosophy. Whenever our faith is shaken in our country and politics, we can always count on our most basic values to keep ourselves sane. So what does the US Constitution truly mean to me? It’s a guarantee that we will turn out okay, that even in the darkest of times, we will have our most important values to lean upon.

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ELEVENTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Sierra Musk Norwich Central School

To the teacher that has always pushed me to be the best that I can be, and has always been there for me, Mr. Maholchich, and my parents; Thank you. Sincerely , Sierra Musk For 229 years the United States Constitution to me has acted as a lighthouse guiding the American government in governing the citizens of the nation. The Constitution explains the system of checks and balances that the founding fathers enacted to ensure that the government didn’t gain too much power. To me this is important because if the government gained too much power and does not abide by the Constitution then the American citizens would risk having their rights revoked or taken away. The Constitution acts as a shield protecting our rights as individual citizens of the United States. These are inalienable, never ending beyond the boundaries of natural rights established once by John Lock. To me the Constitution is the law of the entire United States, breaking down the system of how the founding fathers wanted the country to be run. The Constitution guides the government in the direction of what the founding fathers wanted, a nation that provides equal and right opportunity’s for everyone. To me having the Constitution and having people read and honor the Constitution means that although life may not always be fair for everyone all of the time, when it comes to the courts along with our government we should do our best to make it as fair as we can. Furthermore making it equal, throughout history things have not always been equal for everyone, but when those situations have been presented the amendments in the Constitution are proof that as American citizens of the United States of America we are strong and we fought until things were equal. To me looking back at history I questioned where the equality was when men were able to vote and women were not, but in 1920 the 19th Amendment made that equal allowing women to vote. As well as where the equality was when human beings that were a different color other than white were forced to become slaves; but in 1865 the 13th Amendment abolished slavery. Comparatively where the freedom and equality is if the government is restricting what you can and cannot say, listen to, watch, or read. America was founded on freedom, in the light of being declared independent in 1776. But the first Amendment would guarantee American citizens the right to Freedom of Press, Expression, and arguably the most important Freedom of Religion. In all of the situations it was because of the Constitution that as American citizen’s equality was earned. Now, those are not only events in history, but laws in which cannot be changed. Laws that will stand to protect America and the citizens that live within the nation. To me the Constitution, is not only a guide, but also an insurance policy, to ensure that we as humans are not overcame but evil, and the terrible historical events such as

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those above repeat themselves. Growing up in a pro-gun family gives you a different perspective that others, especially, those who might oppose guns. However the simple fact is that the Constitution states that I as an American citizen have the right, and some might even say it is my duty to bear arms; to protect and serve my country. In the Constitution, it is the Second Amendment that allows me not only serve and protect my country, but also to bear arms in any situation. America was founded on freedom, allowing us the freedom to have our opinions, beliefs, morals, and to not be judged based on them. To me the Constitution not only makes that possible, but also ensures that it will stay that way till the end of time. The Constitution is a document that is an immense part of history, it is also the foundation of our nation. To me if people were to ever not listen to the Constitution America would practically be starting over.

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DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

TWELFTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Carson Hula Richfield Springs Central School

Samantha Tersigni Edmeston Central School

The Constitution means everything. Today’s society, both within our borders and without, is in a great deal of turmoil. A large number of people in the world are being deprived of essential and unalienable rights. Be it from nature, government, or conflict, the dignities and birthrights of humans worldwide are being refused and withheld. Children are not receiving crucial education; women and minorities are deprived of a societal voice; and self-sovereign and unique individuals are fighting and dying for causes out of either their reach or means. As Americans, we often see these real-life events happening overseas, far away from our borders, and we pity the victims. We do not, however, value our own privileges–what those distant people are living and dying for–often enough. We Americans take much for granted. Each American state has the right to republican government; to the domestic security and right to vote of all its peoples; and to the sovereignty of all citizens. The Constitution grants you, the citizen, the right to essentially govern yourself by voting. In the tumultuous current political times, especially on the national scale, this may not be such and appealing freedom, but it is the freedom to choose itself that is the most important point. Countless people worldwide would die–and have died–for this right, at which we tend to scoff and roll our eyes. I, for one, am eager to vote, for voting is the most impactful action I can take for the benefit of all American citizens, including myself. In addition to the right to have a hand in governing oneself, the Constitution also provides protections that had never before been offered to a nation’s citizens: the right to privacy from invasive government searches; the right to bear arms; the right to speak and write and pray freely without the threat of governmental retribution. These and myriad others are rights that we evidently treasure, yet tend to expect. If the coin was flipped, and Americans were denied these rights, how would our sentiments differ? Indeed, so many basic rights are still violated even within our national borders. Many members of the human family here in America are deprived of opportunity, education, and a societal voice. One of the outstanding factors of our Constitution is that it is flexible: any new laws “necessary and proper” to protect citizens are allowed and promoted. Sounds like a profoundly fair and well-tailored document to me. Lastly and most profoundly, the Constitution has impacted and inspired far more people than just those living under it. Being the oldest written democratic constitution, this indelible and indefatigable document has inspired countless other revolutions of enlightenment and liberty. From France to the Arab Spring and from India to Latin America, citizens all across this third rock from the sun owe something to the power of the freedom and inalienability expressed in just 7,591 words. So yes, in short, the Constitution means everything. To this proud and grateful American, little more can be said.

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DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

Freedom. A word we hear constantly, a term we take for granted every day. Freedom of speech, of arms, of the press and freedom to practice any religion of our choosing. Freedom to be who you are without anyone telling you who you have to be. The United States of America gives us these freedoms, these inalienable rights. This great country we live in, is based off of arguably the most important document in the history of planet earth, the United States Constitution. For some, it means nothing. To them, the Constitution is just an old sheet of paper. People will never truly understand that the words scripted perfectly and precisely in handwritten black ink are the sturdy backbone to this great nation. The first words hit the hardest. “We the People”. We. A unified nation with a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. A government constructed and defined flawlessly within the pages of the Constitution. The House of Representatives, the Senate, the Congress, all defined with their own specific guidelines. Elections, and legislations dealing with elections are defined there, mandating the style in which people are put into places of power. The Constitution refines the duties of the president, restrictions and duties of the states, and establishes the three branches of our government. The guidelines of the United States Constitution has constructed a democratic system of government that is stable, and continues to be the voice of the people, just as it was designed. The Constitution of the United States, as the basis of our entire system, has impacted my life incredibly. My great fortune of being born in the United States, is thanks to the founding fathers, and this great Constitution. The Constitution limits government power, by distributing the power between several branches of government, ensuring one of those branches can never get too powerful. While keeping government power in check, the Constitution also gives us our rights, the glorious centerpiece to the Constitution. My individual rights that I am born with can never be taken from me. The Bill of Rights, consisting of the first Ten Amendments of the United States Constitution, is incredibly important to me. Some people again take these rights for granted, and don’t realize the sacrifices that have been given up by brave men and women that gave us these rights, that ensure that you and I today have our freedom. I cannot express the pride and respect I have in my heart for those that paid the ultimate price for us to have our freedoms, to be able to say what we want, write what we want, and pray to who we want without punishment or judged by the government. That to me is beyond incredible. I am truly blessed and honored be able to live in the United States of America, and cannot truly express my gratitude for our founding fathers who wrote these blessed documents. The upmost respect needs to be given to the soldiers that defended what we believe in, and lost their lives for our freedom. That, to me, is the reason the United States of America is a country to be proud of, a country that many are willing to die for, to preserve our liberties, ideas, and most especially, our freedoms.

WINNER

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TWELFTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Joshua Cormier Edmeston Central School

Elizabeth Daniel Edmeston Central School

The Constitution of the United States of America is implemented to create union amongst states of its nations, it is to provide justice between these states and to protect the inhabitance of these states from foreign and domestic threats. The constitution insures the liberties of the people and is the foundation of our nation’s fundamental ideas. To me the constitution is the idealistic embodiment of the United States of America. It lays down what we the people believe to be the fundamentals of our nation. I believe that the idea of a union of state governments gave a right to individuals on a localized level. The union of these states allows them to have individuality among a mutual agreement of the states. To me this is an idea that allows for individuality of the states and I believe it to be crucial to the United States’ success of creating a perfect union. The Constitution is to provide justice to all citizens of all states. I feel that the promise of equal justice across all the states ensures that no one is above the law. The principle of no one above the law helps insure that the principles of unity by not allowing one individual to over step another. This is another reason why the United States of America can and has achieved a union of its states and protected the people from domestic threats such as a government that seeks to serve its self rather than the people who established it. The Constitution insures that the American people have basic human liberties. These liberties include freedom of life, pursuit of happiness and other freedoms. Freedom of life and pursuit of happiness are two of the most important for the way of life in America. The idea of freedom of life means that there is no bondage or restriction to how one’s life can be orientated or how someone may conduct their daily tasks. For this reason America hasn’t created a unified culture that is identified all over the nation and that is what makes it so great. The ability to have a diversity of all cultures amongst one another gives America a diversity that can’t be found in many other places around the world. The idea of freedom to pursue happiness means that whatever an individual of the United States wishes to do whether it be a job, a religion, a hobby or dream that person has the right and ability to do it. This is such an important aspect of the constitution and I believe it is a foundation to the American dream. ITie Constitution of the United States of America is the declaration of the people’s rights and not only their rights but the establishment of how we the people will govern ourselves. It is the foundation to our nation’s principals of equality, justice and liberty. Without the Constitution these ideas may not have survived for so long and our nation could be divided rather than unified with a strong sense of patriotism like it is today.

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The Constitution means that I have the right to be an individual. Under the First Amendment my freedom of speech and religion are protected, as well as the freedom of press. My freedom of expression, expression in anyway, is protected under the Constitution.This means to me that I have the right to have my own opinion without feeling threatened or attacked for it. This is what separates the United States from other countries in my mind. In some other countries there is a certain uniformity that denies people expression of who they are as an individual, especially if they are female. These countries, instead, focus on expression of who they are as a whole. These countries are usually oppressed by their government and leaders. Their laws and rules are to, not only oppress, but to attempt to maintain some form of unity. In the United States we do not require uniformity of individuals to maintain our interdependence. In the United States of America we work together under these basic rules, outlined in the Constitution, that keep us safe. Unlike other countries though, we accomplish this without compromising our individuality and independence. In the Constitution we have the right to vote for nearly everything. This as well, means that I have a voice of my own. In the Nineteenth Amendment my voting rights as a woman are protected. Then later, in the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, I am given the opportunity to vote at eighteen.Being able to choose who leads our country is an important part of individuality in the United States. I have the right to choose the person I think will best maintain our essence of individuality and yet maintain our country’s interdependence. Having an opinion is one thing, but having my opinion heard is one of the greatest qualities of the United States. The Constitution ensures that I am able to have my own opinion and to express and support that opinion. Not only my opinion, but other’s opinions as well. Yet we are still able to maintain our perfect unity and our interdependence. The Constitution outlines who I am as a person without oppression and with freedom of expression. The Constitution keeps us individual and yet together. Under the Constitution we are a perfect union. I conclude that the Constitution is a very important part of who I am. The Constitution means my right to freedom. In the United States I am a protected and important individual, with rights,beliefs, and opinions. The Constitution is my right to be heard and considered. The Constitution is also the document that keeps the United States united. The Constitution is extremely important to me. I hope it is as much a part of other people’s lives as it is mine.

WINNER

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

TWELFTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Autumn Hoagland Edmeston Central School The U.S. Constitution is a document that embodies the fundamental laws and main beliefs by which the United States is governed. It was drafted by the Constitutional Convention, which later was supplemented by the Bill of Rights and many other amendments. The U.S. Constitution recognized America’s national government, fundamental laws, and guaranteed basic rights for its citizens. It was signed on September 17, 1787, by allocates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, supervised over by George Washington. The U.S. Constitution gives all citizens the rights they deserve. The Constitution means many different things to the people, even me. The Constitution means many things to me; it gives me the right to do many things. I believe the Constitution is like the law of the total Nation. The Constitution makes me feel that I will be protected for the rest

of mj life; it also allows people to believe that they are protected too. When I think of the Constitution, I think of the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branch. These branches signify that there will be laws to protect me. It also means that there will be presidents, v ice presidents, and board members whose purpose is to work for the people and make choices that they think are right for our Nation. It means that not just anyone can become president, but they have to be selected by the people of our Nation. To me the Constitution means that no one will ever have greater power over the law. The Constitution gives us the right to privacy. We aren’t allowed be arrested just because they think we did something wrong. The police aren’t allowed to search our homes without a warrant from the judge. The Constitution is what America’s government is all about, even though many people believe that the Constitution doesn’t really do anything because it is just a piece of paper, which many people find insulting.

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Nathan Carey Edmeston Central School The Constitution is the law of the land, the land is protected by the laws that is why the Constitution means so much to me because of what it does for us and this country. The Constitution is made up of freedom, peace, laws, and leaders. Without any of these in the world there would be anarchy. In the preamble, “we the people” explains that the people are the democracy, and without the people included there would be no democracy. Democracy included the right to vote. In the election we vote for the president, governors, mayors, and even vice president. We get to choose who speaks for us. If the people did not get to make this choice it would be an unfair world because the people would have no say in what happens to them. In this world, we the people, don’t realize how lucky we are to have the freedoms that we have today. We get that freedom from our soldiers and from the working class people. We have the right to say what we want within the boundary lines of freedom of speech. Our elected leaders make rules and we follow the rules. The rules are to keep people safe and secure. We follow those rules and are rewarded with the freedoms that we have in the United States. If it was not for our soldiers we would not have the peace we enjoy every day. Soldiers’ roots are deep in this country and they are the reason that we live a happy life. With all of this being said the Constitution I realize it is our epicenter for equality and what we are free to do. All of the freedoms, peace, leadership and laws are what creates equality for “we the people.”

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

Many American’s look up to the Constitution as something to live by because it allows us to have the right to do many things, such as having privacy or owning a gun. Many people have their own opinions about the Constitution, whether they think it should be changed or not. It gives the I S citizens the rights to do what we want to a certain extent. The government cannot have irrational power over us and everything will be handled in some kind of organization. My definition of the Constitution may be different from anyone else’s because we all have different minds and different opinions. Some people might think that we shouldn’t get all the rights that we do. but they can t really do anything about it because no one can change the Constitution. Some people think that we should have more rights than we already do. Although, the) shouldn’t complain because there are places out there that don’t have a privilege to have the rights that we hav e today because of the Constitution.

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TWELFTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Bell Stueben Edmeston Central School

Nicolas Koutalakis Edmeston Central School

“The Constitution means it is the body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed. The people of the United States, in the Order to form a more perfect union.” The Constitution is something that is special, it has a meaning and it should have a meaning to everyone else because without it we wouldn’t have a set boundary and we would be doing whatever we wanted. It makes us free; it gives us the opportunity to show that we can be responsible for our own actions, voting for someone that can benefit our country also shows that we can make the right decisions. The Constitution gives people justice, insures domestic and tranquility, provides for a common defense which is remaining calm, in other words when something bad is happening around you, you remain calm and you do not let someone get the best of you. We were taught from an early age that we have to depend on yourself because you have to learn by your own mistakes. But there are situations that you may be in and the state can help you if you really need it. How could you defend yourself if you are surrounded by people that always bring you down and don’t really care what happens to you so that situation is much harder than from a situation where everything is handed to you and people actually care about you. Everyone in this world is not equal due to racism, being poor, people hating on one another. What really should be done and I know I am going off topic, but bullying and teaching your kids to respect one another is the key to a good/happy life. Treat people the way you would like to be treated. Everyone deserves to be treated right from day one to have rules and regulations. The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the US constitution. The Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791 and guaranteeing the rights to freedom of speech, assembly, and worship. The Constitution of the United States was made to help better understand the laws and regulations, and what we are strict to and what we aren’t every state has their own laws they may be similar to others. The Constitution is not just something set in stone but is it also a law that cannot be broken by any type of citizen living the United States.

Coming to the U.S the constitution did not mean much to me and I barely knew what it was. I am an exchange student from Germany where we have something similar to the constitution called “Verfassung”. Until the election day I did not really understand how important the constitution is for the United States of America. Because on election day I saw how a country that was deeply divided over the presidential race got united under a future president that promised to be the president for all Americans. I was very impressed by this, because in the German multiple-party-system, the chancellor still represents his party and not the whole country. Reading the constitution, I understand that this is the fundament of all western countries and of all the rights and values we have and defend in the world. The idea of the equality of all people regardless of their religion, sexual orientation, gender or skin color is written down in the constitution and shows us what the country stands for. A democracy relies on all these values and rights and we should be proud of them, because they make the United States a country which is safe for every person to live in and gives everybody the same chances to achieve whatever they want. Concluding: this is the country of freedom for everybody and we should be proud of it. And that is what the constitution means to me... the freedom to do whatever I want as long as I do not restrain the freedom of others. The United States even though there are differences between the citizens in the way they think and their way of life, the constitution unites them under a “perfect union”. Of course there are problems in America concerning some of the rights it includes, but after all the constitution stands over all of these and unites the country, which I think is the most important thing that creates the United States of America.

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Justin Gott Edmeston Central School “The real difference between the United States and other nations lies not in the words of the preamble to the Constitution, but in the fact that the substantive clauses of that Constitution are enforced by individuals independent of and not beholden to the elected branches.” As said by this quote by Harold H. Greene the constitutions worth is not based on what the preamble itself says, but how a person takes what is written. I believe the constitution was written to empower the people. The Constitution gives power to words said by an individual. A total of thirty-three amendments are within the constitution and each amendment holds its own rights to the people. For example. The second, fourth, and thirteenth amendments give us justice to what we believe in and who is given these natural rights. I believe the constitution is taken in WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

many different ways but with each different persons views the Constitution is expressed differently. The Constitution in my opinion should be about the people and their worth within the country. Within the two-hundred years of the Constitution being written the United States has expanded in its economy, population, etc. But throughout all of this the Constitution has adapted and changed to conform to the modernized United States. When written Benjamin Franklin said “I agree to this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such, because I think a central government is necessary for us... I doubt too whether any other Convention we can obtain may be able to make a better Constitution.” He was trying to say the Constitution was meant to change and adapt to the later societies. When written the founders of the Constitution; John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washing-

ton, wrote the Constitution they knew how change was going to happen. The founders had written the constitution to give freedom to the people and let the people decide in their own choices, but with a solid government to keep control over uncertain matters, such as law breaking and unprecedented occurrences. We are born with natural rights in the United States of America. 1 believe with our rights given the Constitution outlines how and what we are supposed to do. Although we are given natural rights, some order is needed to have our country in a stable condition to live within. “The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.” As quoted by Benjamin Franklin the power of the constitution lies within the individual and how they pursuit their own happiness with a guide of living within our country. In conclusion the consitution to me is a way of self expression and a document of personal rights. DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

TWELFTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Zachary Hume Edmeson Central School When I think about what the Constitution means to me I just have to look at the first three words in the Preamble to the Constitution, “We the People’”. For me this means that the people of the United States should have the right to participate in government or have say in anything that would affect them in any way. So to me the Constitution really means that the people of the United States have the right to for the most part do anything that they set out to do. If they want to run for president than they can, or they can simply participate by voting or doing smaller roles in government. The Constitution is important to me in many different ways. For one, it sets a standard for the rights of the American people and U.S. citizens but it also states the basic rights that are enabled to all citizens. It helps make everyone a little more equal because we all have the same basic rights. Not only that but things that should never be happening in society such as racial discrimination can be taken care of because it is unconstitutional so people could have to start paying the consequences to some of their actions. It is simply part of what puts us above most other countries because everyone in the United States is equal because of the how the Constitution sets a standard to the rights and treatment to American citizens. It brings the American people together no matter your race, ethnicity, or religion under the Constitution we are all equal and have the same rights. In the Constitution there is the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights contains amendments that are almost rules that say what we can or can’t, should or shouldn’t do. Such as the 2nd Amendment, which is the right to bear arms. Over the years this has been a very controversial issue, some people say that it should be constitutional others say that they should abolish it because they believe it will reduce gun related crimes. Which I don’t believe is true because you shouldn’t take that right away from everyone, many people in the country have guns as a passion or hobby or to go hunting, only a small few use them for illegal reasons. Do I think you should have more strict background checks and have more training before you get one, yes I do but even if you abolish the 2nd Amendment people would either resort to other weapons or would find a way to get a gun. Another Amendment is the 1st Amendment, The Freedom of Speech. This to me is a very important one because this is saying that you can pretty much say anything you want, yes there is some words that you shouldn’t say that may not be morally correct but you have the right to express yourself through voice anyway you want or to express about anything you want. And also in the first Amendment is the right to practice religion, which allows you to practice any type of religion that you want. So they aren’t forcing you to be Christian or Catholic it is whatever you want to be. This is very important because it makes us very diverse. This just shows you how much freedom the Constitution allows. Not only do people have the right to practice religion or freedom of speech but they can also take part in government. In the election of Presidents or other important roles the Constitution calls for elections and process all candidates agree to abide by that enables the peaceful transition of power despite differences. In conclusion, the Constitution sets a standard of living in the United States. It allows for free speech, the right to practice any religion you so choose, the right to bear arms and more. It just goes to show how diverse the United States is and why it is a great

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country to live in. We are united and at the same time we are different in many different ways. So going back to the main question of this essay, what the constitution really means to me is that it sets a standard for living for everyone. It allows people to have a good life and allow them to do things that in other places you may not be able to do. It is another reason for the United States to be a better place for people to live than many other countries. I he constitution and Bill of Rights protect our freedoms and rights. Constitution and Bill of Rights serves as a reminder of the responsibility we all share to uphold these freedoms and to defend them for all citizens.

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Derek Bowen Edmeston Central School When I think of the constitution I think of freedom. “We The People..” is how it starts. And you may think we the people? What is that what does it mean. I means everyone in the united states, as one. As one? For everyone to get this freedom we must work together for the common goal of prosperity. If not we, if not we the people what would it be? Would we still be under British rule? This is what makes us great as a country. We separated from British rule would the Declaration of Independence, after that what was needed? A set of rules, of laws to follow and with that need came the Constitution. That is why I think of freedom when the word constitution comes up. With the Constitution came the Bill of Rights. Ten amendments to follow to outline the laws in America. Then came more amendments. Every single law that is created must follow the Constitutions outline. If not it is considered unjust and cannot be a law. One right outlined in the Bill of Rights is the right to freedom of speech. Yes there are obvious limitations to these right but they are there and if followed correctly is what makes America great. This right of freedom allows me right now to write this essay and say anything I want in it. Also the right to petition and go against government, people petition all of the time, they put signs up around the White House to petition the president. If they are not rioting it is within their rights laid out by the constitution to do this. Also the right to practice any religion you want. There are many religions within the United States and this is because the citizens are allowed this freedom because of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Other amendments are ones such as voting rights. Voting rights for women and for African Americans were very important amendments. It is the epitome of freedom when all within the country have the same rights. Next year I will be 18. that means I now will be able to vote. An amendment set the voting age to 18. We, Americans, just voted in a new president. He will have the chance to serve two terms because of an amendment setting this after FDR served four terms. Also there was an amendment that stopped the selling of alcohol called prohibition and then one that stopped that amendment allowing the sale of alcohol. If it wasn’t for the Constitution we would have no freedom in this country. With no freedoms we wouldn’t be called the United States of America. The constitution is what makes America great. We all as citizens should reflect more often on what the constitution means to us and what freedom means to us. We the people take it for granted and may not know what it means. This is why when I think of the Constitution I think of freedom.

WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

TWELFTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Gregory Winton Edmeston Central School What does the Constitution mean to me? The Constitution means to me that I get the same rights as everyone else does. I should be able to have the same rights as everyone else. Like when they get to vote, I should be able to vote like everyone else. I already have the right to since I am 18, but that doesn’t mean I will. Even if I don’t vote the Constitution still says that I can at the age of 18. I get the freedom of speech meaning I can say what’s on my mind. As the Constitution says that I have the freedom of speach it means that I can say anything that I want,

even if it means I say something good or bad. Everyone has their own opinion including me. If other people get to express what they feel I should be able to do that too. Everyone should be trated fairly and equally, but most of the time they arent. I still have the same justices as a 100 year old woman. The Constitution makes me feel like part of the United States of America because of its power to give everyone the same rights and laws. Does the Constitution give everyone the same rights though? I would say no because a lot of cops think they can do whatever they want, but most cops still follow the laws and do the right things. From killing people who surrender, to beating the crap out of everyone they see, How come the

cops are allowed to do that even though they should be protecting the lives of others and not killing others? The Constitution gives them more rights than other people of the world who arent cops. It even gives the president and the people in government more rights. Why is that? I am pretty sure the Constitution states that all humans have the same rights, but noone ever has the same right. As everyone is going to state their opinions they won’t get the same rights. If you say there is a fire in a movie theater without an actually fire then you get in big trouble. The Constitution means to me that I am a United States Citizen and always will be. that’s what the Constitution means to me.

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Kristin Robinson Edmeston Central School

Zachary Laymon Edmeston Central School

“The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon. “ - George Washington

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Constitution of the United States. I’m asked a question, what does the Constitution mean to me? Well the Constitution means a lot of things to me, I may look at it in one way and some may look at it a different way. The Constitution is the way of my freedom and the way I’m able to live my life. The United States of America is a place of freedom of speech and religion. If we have to be scared to live in the land of the free we need to change that. There is no need for us Americans to be scared to live in our home towns or even in our country. What does this mean you ask? This means we need to eliminate all of the threats in our country. Our country needs someone reliable in our country like Donald Trump! The right to bear arms is one of the best things from the Constitution of the United States of America. There is never a problem there is only a problem with the people that have guns. If the person has a mental disease they probably shouldn’t own a gun because they are mentally unstable. If the person is mentally unstable they are usually a threat to the people of the United States of America. If a gun kills people then that means pencils misspell words. Guns are what protect us from the evil and the bad in our country. Now that President Donald Trump is in the oval office we as Americans are going to “Make America Great Again”. We are all going to work together to bring our beautiful nation up out of the rubble that it was left in for the past 12 years. This is our time to rise up and take America back and put it back in the blue collar hands of America. Now that we have a real American for president we can feel safe in our country. This is The United States of America and we are back and ready to fight for our country back. The Constitution has given me the power to say all the above. Freedom of speech has given me the freedom to say everything and freedom of speech will help millions and will hurt millions. Freedom of speech is one of the best things in the Constitution, the Constitution is what holds America together.

We The People The United States Constitution impacts my life every day. Because of it I am able to have the freedom of speech and freedom of religion and more. At the age of 18 I am allowed to vote as well. The Constitution gives the whole United states laws to follow by. Everyone is allowed to have their own opinions and be able to believe in any religion of their choice. The Constitution helps our country to establish a more perfect union and to establish justice. “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Just turning 18 in August I feel that I have gained multiple rights as an adult. Even though I do not have an interest in smoking or tobacco products and do not have an interest in marriage I know that I have the choice to do those things. I am allowed to make my own decisions without a parent’s consent and that makes me feel more responsible and mature. The Constitution shows me that I am allowed to do certain things at the age of 18 that I could not do before, but I still have to respect the law. I am lucky to live in a country where there is a constitution that benefits mv country greatly. With the Constitution our country is also much safer. We have the MLDA at 21 to ensure the safety of others. It saves people on the road from drunk drivers and it also keeps alcohol out of schools. I am also able to vote. Being of the age to vote it is more interesting to watch debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. I have not voted because I do not believe that I am educated enough to vote for either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. I have learned so much about watching debates with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump and researching them as well, but I still need to be more educated and I will not be educated enough to vote before the election. By the time there is a new election for the next president I believe that I will be educated enough and I will better understand elections and be able to better understand the economy and what our country needs. WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

TWELFTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Kaitlyn Gott Edmeston Central School The Constitution may not mean all that much to most people nowadays. However, it is one of the most important pieces of our government. Without it. our country wouldn’t be anything like it is now. Even though a lot of people complain and are unhappy with our government, we must remember how lucky we really are. We have so many rights and freedoms that most people only dream of having. Our Constitution provides us with those opportunities, which to some are only dreams, such as making our country a democracy, having justice, and be given liberty. Not only does the Constitution mean having rights and liberties, though. To me, the Constitution means that “We the People” will stand together and protect those rights and freedoms. Personally, I believe that the most important part is that our Constitution is made for

the people. Also it is important that we all stand together and make our country into the country that others picture when they think of the United States of America. I believe that the first three words of the Preamble of the Constitution are the most meaningful words of the entire Constitution. Even though, to me the Constitution means that our people will always be united, it is also important that we are guaranteed so many rights and freedoms. As citizens, we have choices and do get a say on things within our government. Although, sometimes we may not always be happy or agree with the outcome of an event or election, we must remember that we still need to be grateful that we at least have a choice and get to make a difference. It is a privilege to be able to vote and to have choices, so we must always remember that and not take it for granted. The Constitution also means to me that our general welfare will be protected. Within the general welfare. I believe that an important aspect is education. Education is very important to be able to succeed and to be able to

achieve goals. Not only is it important for the success of individuals, but it’s also important to improve the entire country. Education was not always available to everyone, and still isn’t in some countries. However, in the United States of America most people are able to receive an education, which will in return improve the state of our nation. Due to education being available to most of the population, it makes our people very lucky. Some countries don’t give the opportunity of education to their people, but the U.S. does. That is a great opportunity for us and allows us to help ourselves and our country. The Constitution is a crucial part of our country. It has made our country better and as it states in the preamble it has improved our general welfare. The citizens have so many opportunities, and those opportunities bring our people together. Our rights and freedoms are important, but to me the most important part and what the Constitution really means is the “We the People’” will stick together and improve the state of our nation.

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Tarik Dingle Edmeston Central School The United States Constitution, created on September 17. 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788, is a very important, historical document in this country. The Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation, which was an agreement among all of the thirteen original states in America, and served as its first constitution. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, which establishes that the Constitution, federal laws made pursuant to it. and treaties made under its authority, constitute the supreme law of the land. In the preamble of the Constitution, the first three words read as follows: “We the People... “ So, the Constitution means to me that we, as a people, have rights and freedoms that people in other countries don’t have, which is why the United States of America, in my opinion, is the greatest country in the world. Even though change needs to happen in our country, it’s still the greatest country in the entire world. The first ten amendments of the Constitution, otherwise known as the United States Bill of Rights, are the most prominent, and well-known amendments. Some of these amendments have been quite controversial, such as the 2nd amendment, which is the right to keep and bear arms, and this amendment has probably been the most controversial over the last 10 years or so. In my opinion, people should have the right to keep and bear arms, as long as the people who own them are not abusing their right, and

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the people who are looking to own guns, go through extensive background checks, in order to own a gun. Another amendment that has been heavily talked about overtime is the 1st amendment. The 1st amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble, or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances. This has been a controversial amendment overtime because of immigrants who come over to America, who practice different religions, such as Muslims, due to the terrorist group, ISIS. Some people see all people who practice Islam as a threat to our country, but in actuality, that isn’t the case, even though it’s very hard who all is a threat. Also with some of the protests that have taken place in the last four to five years, regarding police shootings, and most recently, the 2016 Presidential Election, the right to peacefully assemble has come into question. This is because some of the protests have been violent either purposely, or peaceful protests have ended up resulting in violence. I fully believe in the 1st amendment, but we, as a people, cannot abuse our rights and freedoms that we are so lucky to have. Some people think that our rights and freedoms as Americans are unlimited, and they can do whatever they want, with no consequences, but that isn’t the case. The rights and freedoms we have, are only to an extent, and we Americans have to try not to abuse them, because that can conjure concern in our government, and I, as an American citizen, do not want my rights and freedoms revoked.

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TWELFTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Lauren Miller Edmeston Central School

Alyssa Grocott Edmeston Central School

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish the Constitution for the United States of America.” The meaning of the Constitution to me is that I have rights and I will be protected. What keeps me protected is the branch that makes the laws. There’s the judicial branch, executive branch, but the legislative branch make the laws. Each branch can not have too much power because of Check and Balances. The most important part of the Constitution to me is the Bill of Rights. It is what our federal government has promised to each of the citizens in terms of rights and protection. With these ten amendments, that the center of the Constitution. The First Amendment, freedom of speech allows me to have my own personal views and be able to express myself on almost anything, including whether I agree or disagree with the government. The Second Amendment is the right to bear arms. This allows me to keep guns, protect myself from others and hostile government as well. The Third Amendment prevents the government forcing individuals to provide shelter in times of peace. This means to me that I am protected from a dictating government. The Fourth Amendment is protection from unreasonable search and seizures. I am protected by this amendment from police entering my house or property without just cause. The Fifth Amendment protects you from incriminating yourself. This means I would never have to tell the truth about something that could cause me to end up in jail. The Sixth Amendment is the right to a speedy and public trial. This amendment protects me from being arrested, left in jail, and not being able to have a trial to decide if I am guilty or innocent. The Seventh Amendment is the right of trial by jury, which protects me from one person deciding my fate. The Eighth Amendment is the protection from cruel and unusual punishment, excessive fines. This means that the punishment fits the crime, I cannot be fined five millions dollar for stealing a cookie. The Ninth Amendment is the non-enumerated right retained by people. This means that that nothing stated in the Constitution can be used to cancel amendments to it. The Tenth Amendment is undelegated powers kept by the States and the People which means that the federal government can not rule over all States and each state can have their own laws. The Constitution is a symbol to America. It guarantees our freedom. The Constitution of the United States is one of the oldest document in the nation’s history. It explains and justifies movement by our government. The Constitution puts the government’s power into the hands of us, the citizens. We will be protected because of the Constitution.

We the People As William Gladstone stated “ the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man”. The Constitution stands for many important things but in my opinion it has the most strength due to the fact that it is a complement to the Declaration of Independence. It defined the conditions of the free people, and their rights and liberties. In addition, the Constitution lays out the structure of the government, and the rules to run the government What does the Constitution me to me? The Constitution to me means my rights will be protected. There are three branches the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branch. Those branches stand for the laws that protect me. A check and balance system was put in place to stop each branch from being too powerful.The Constitution states there will be a President, Vice President, and board members who are chosen by the people and they work for the people. Not anybody can become President they have to be chosen by the people every 4 years. When I envisage the Constitution I see Senate and House of Representatives. The Constitution means that no one will have more power than the law, and the law won’t have too much power. The Constitution gives us as people the right of privacy. We can not be arrested, just because and the police can not search our homes without a warrant. America’s government is based on the Constitution. The Constitution bends and changes the government to adjust to our way of living. The Constitution determines how the government will rule the people. The Constitution has several purposes. It is the basic organization of all the branches of government and states their functions and responsibilities. One of the most important parts of the Constitution to me is the Bill of rights, this is what our federal government promises each of it citizens in terms of benefits and protection. The ten amendments are the brain of the Constitution. Many people think our Constitution is outdated and needs to be replaced. I don’t think it should be replaced. The Constitution has been changed through the amendment process, this keeps it updated to modern times. One of the most important things that the Constitution states is being free. I believe this is also one of the most important things in the Constitution. The Constitution states that I have the power of right to act, speak, or think. This is important because imagine if this wasn’t stated in the Constitution and how different our world would be for us today. These freedoms are stated in the First Amendment. We are free people and this is due to the Constitution. When I was asked to do this essay I had no idea what to write about but after research, I was able to answer that question very easily. Everyone should ask themselves what the Constitution means to them. It might change your view of how lucky we are to be able to have freedom of speech and other things.

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DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

TWELFTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Nathan Winton Edmeston Central School

Cameron Kellogg Edmeston Central School

What does the Constitution Mean to Me? “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our prosperity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the united states of America.” “The greatest threat to our constitution is our own ignorance of it” Jacob F. Roecker. Roecker is saying that we use the Constitution to our benefit so we have freedom and laws. Laws keep people from doing what they want and to save people. The Constitution itself says it secures our blessings of liberty to ourselves and our prosperity, which means we are thankful for the freedom that we do have. The Constitution gives us, the people a choice of laws and freedom. The people made the Constitution. The Constitution is an important part in people’s lives. The only reason it’s important is because it tries to make a perfect union for us and it provides common defense. “The greatest danger to American freedom is a government that ignores the constitution.” Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson is right the government does ignore the constitution because the government as power over people, but don’t you think it should be the people’s choice to keep the Constitution from being ignored. Sence the Constitution is being ignored it makes it hard to believe that we do have general welfare, a perfect union, or even common defense. The people should have the right to say what’s on their mind about the constitution and why it should change in some ways. I think the Constitution has changed because I feel like the government has taken over it and has more power over it even though we the people made the Constitution. If the government didn’t ignore the constitution I think the world its self would be a different place. By that I mean we would still have a perfect union or common defense. If the people had the power over the Constitution I think we would have benefits so we could have more freedom and better laws. The constitution should be for the people to determine whether we should have better laws and if we should have more freedom. It shouldn’t be the government’s choice if the people made the constitution. “The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, not freedom from religion” Lamar S. Smith. Smith is right the constitution is freedom of religion which means we can be part of any religion we want. But the government thinks that they can make it a certain way. I mean that the government thinks by stopping people from practicing the religion they want, that it will make the world better. Well it doesn’t so why can’t we just have peace in this world and let the people decide whether the constitution should keep its rights and all the rights that we have. That’s what I think about the constitution means to me.

The Constitution to me means that I have rights guaranteed and protected. “1 do solemnly swear (or affirm) that 1 will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. That I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.” 1 took this oath to ensure that everyone has their rights and the right to self-government guaranteed to them. The Constitution is what set up the way our government works and made us a democracy. Democracy is what makes our country great. We have freedoms that aren’t allowed in some parts of the world. We fought the Revolutionary War to be able to govern ourselves. In America we control who becomes President and are our elected officials. We have a balance of power so no one can become too powerful. This ensures that we stay a democracy and only do things that are in the best interest of our Nation and its people. Things that are outlawed in other countries are guaranteed to us in the Bill of Rights. We don’t have censorship or a police state. Our country is based off of individual freedom and the right to self-government. In our country the majority rules because we, as a group, can make better decisions than any individual. Instead of one person making decisions that they believe will benefit all people, in all social classes, we have a group to minimize error. Those elected officials are chosen by “We The People” to reflect our views and make them law. We have the right to equal opportunity, the right to liberty, and the right to live our lives as we see fit. The Second Amendment states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” The Second Amendment gives us the right to bear arms. In the event that we, as a Nation, ever needed to rebel against a government filled with tyranny we would have the ability to do so. The fact that we have armed citizens makes it so there is no one that can rise to power and try to incite their will amongst the general populace. Any person who would even think of trying to do so would have the armed nation to deal with. The Second Amendment is for individual firearm ownership not for the right to have a military, like some people believe. In conclusion the Constitution is what makes America great. The Constitution sets us apart from the rest of the world. We are guaranteed rights and freedoms. I took the Oath of Enlistment to protect our county, our people, and our way of life. 1 believe that freedom is worth fighting for and the Constitution is worth protecting.

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DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

TWELFTH GRADE ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Justin Nicolosi Edmeston Central School “We the people of the United States” this is in the preamble of the constitution. His is showing we have the right to vote. We can pick who we want in power because we as a democracy. This is one of the beauties of the constitution that we have rights and can do anything that is in the Constitution. What does the Constitution mean to me? The Constitution means to have freedom. One freedom we have is the right to have guns. We can own guns in any state in America. Some countries don’t let their citizens have guns because it is bad and think people are going to kill other people. Another thing we have a right to do is joining and having an army. We have a right to do this so we can protect ourselves from other countries trying to hurt are America. Another reason we have a right to an army is

because we can intervene on other countries problems if their problems are too bad. Another thing the Constitution means to me is the freedom of speech. We can say what we want, when we want and how we want. The only way we can get in trouble is if what we say causes harm to people. Example of this is yelling fire in a crowed building and a person gets trampled and possibly killed. This is the only time you don’t have the freedom of speech. The next thing the Constitution does for us is give us the freedom to believe in any god we want to believe in. Also that every religion is okay there is not one wrong religion. People can have differences and not be wrong for it. That is what makes America great. We are a nation built by immigrants and thoughts that are not the same on everything. The Constitution states all of this and this is what it means to me. I can only write this essay and state my opinion because of the Constitution. The

Constitution is amazing and gives me the right to write this essay. Also the election is a perfect example of the right to Constitution because we were divided during the election but after it we always come together at the end and become one again because the Constitution brings people together. The Constitution is what makes America great because it gives me the power to do what I want. It doesn’t just give me the power to do what I want it gives everybody the power to do whatever the people of America want as long as nobody is breaking the laws. These are my opinions about what the Constitution means to me and I’m not wrong because It’s my right and the Constitution says I can voice my opinion in any way I want to. This is what makes America great! To be able to say and do what we want in America. Thank you and God bless the Constitution for letting me have rights.

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The Constitution of the United States

CONSTITUTION Continued from Page 29 To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof. SECTION. 9. The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person. The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it. No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed. No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken. No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State. No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.

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No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time. No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State. SECTION. 10. No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility. No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it’s inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress. No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement

or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay. Article. II. SECTION. 1. The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector. The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest

Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President. The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States. No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been Continued on Page 44

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The Constitution of the United States Continued from Page 43 fourteen Years a Resident within the United States. In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected. The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be encreased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them. Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:”I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” SECTION. 2. The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment. He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments. The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session. SECTION. 3. He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses,

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States. SECTION. 4. The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. Article III. SECTION. 1. The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office. SECTION. 2. The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority; to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls; to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction; to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party; to Controversies between two or more States; between a State and Citizens of another State, between Citizens of different States, between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects. In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make. The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed. SECTION. 3. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. The Congress shall have Power to declare the Pun-

ishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted. Article. IV. SECTION. 1. Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof. SECTION. 2. The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime. No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due. SECTION. 3. New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress. The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State. SECTION. 4. The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened), against domestic Violence. Article. V. The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress;

Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate. Article. VI. All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation. This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding. The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States. Article. VII. The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same. The Word, “the,” being interlined between the seventh and eighth Lines of the first Page, The Word “Thirty” being partly written on an Erazure in the fifteenth Line of the first Page, The Words “is tried” being interlined between the thirty second and thirty third Lines of the first Page and the Word “the” being interlined between the forty third and forty fourth Lines of the second Page. Attest William Jackson Secretary done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independance of the United States of America the Twelfth In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names, Go. Washington, John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman, Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King, Wm. Saml. Johnson, Roger Sherman, Alexander Hamilton, Wil: Livingston, David Brearley, Wm. Paterson, Jona: Dayton, B Franklin, Thomas Mifflin, Robt. Morris, Geo. Clymer, Thos. FitzSimons, Jared Ingersoll, James Wilson, Gouv Morris, Geo: Read, Gunning Bedford jun, John Dickinson, Richard Bassett, Jaco: Broom, James McHenry, Dan of St. Thos. Jenifer, Danl. Carroll, John Blair-, James Madison Jr., Wm. Blount, Richd. Dobbs Spaight, Hu Williamson, J. Rutledge, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles Pinckney, Pierce Butler, William Few, Abr Baldwin, Attest William Jackson Secretary.

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The Bill of Rights - A Transcription The Preamble to the Bill of Rights Congress of the United States, begun and held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine. THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution. RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz. ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution. Note: The following text is a transcription of the first ten amendments to the Constitution in their original form. These amendments were ratified December 15, 1791, and form what is known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bill of Rights.â&#x20AC;? AMENDMENT I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. AMENDMENT II A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. AMENDMENT III No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. AMENDMENT IV The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. AMENDMENT V No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. AMENDMENT VI In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence [sic.]. AMENDMENT VII In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law. AMENDMENT VIII Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. AMENDMENT IX The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. AMENDMENT X The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. Constitutional Amendments 1-10 make up what is known as The Bill of Rights. Amendments 11-27 are listed below. AMENDMENT XI

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Passed by Congress March 4, 1794. Ratified February 7, 1795. Note: Article III, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by amendment 11. The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State. AMENDMENT XII Passed by Congress December 9, 1803. Ratified June 15, 1804. Note: A portion of Article II, section 1 of the Constitution was superseded by the 12th amendment. The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as VicePresident, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate; -- the President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted; -- The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. [And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President. --]* The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States. *Superseded by section 3 of the 20th amendment. AMENDMENT XIII Passed by Congress January 31, 1865. Ratified December 6, 1865. Note: A portion of Article IV, section 2, of the Constitution was superseded by the 13th amendment. Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. AMENDMENT XIV Passed by Congress June 13, 1866. Ratified July 9, 1868. Note: Article I, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by section 2 of the 14th amendment. Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age,* and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male

citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twentyone years of age in such State. Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability. Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void. Section 5. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. *Changed by section 1 of the 26th amendment. AMENDMENT XV Passed by Congress February 26, 1869. Ratified February 3, 1870. Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude- Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. AMENDMENT XVI Passed by Congress July 2, 1909. Ratified February 3, 1913. Note: Article I, section 9, of the Constitution was modified by amendment 16. The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration. AMENDMENT XVII Passed by Congress May 13, 1912. Ratified April 8, 1913. Note: Article I, section 3, of the Constitution was modified by the 17th amendment. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures. When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct. This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution. AMENDMENT XVIII Passed by Congress December 18, 1917. Ratified January 16, 1919. Repealed by amendment 21. Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited. Section 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress. AMENDMENT XIX Passed by Congress June 4, 1919. Ratified August 18, 1920. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. AMENDMENT XX Passed by Congress March 2, 1932. Ratified January 23, 1933.

Note: Article I, section 4, of the Constitution was modified by section 2 of this amendment. In addition, a portion of the 12th amendment was superseded by section 3. Section 1. The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3rd day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin. Section 2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day. Section 3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified. Section 4. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them. Section 5. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article. Section 6. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission. AMENDMENT XXI Passed by Congress February 20, 1933. Ratified December 5, 1933. Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed. Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or Possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited. Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress. AMENDMENT XXII Passed by Congress March 21, 1947. Ratified February 27, 1951. Section 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term. Section 2. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress. AMENDMENT XXIII Passed by Congress June 16, 1960. Ratified March 29, 1961. Section 1. The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as Congress may direct: A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State; they shall

be in addition to those appointed by the States, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment. Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. AMENDMENT XXIV Passed by Congress August 27, 1962. Ratified January 23, 1964. Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay poll tax or other tax. Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. AMENDMENT XXV Passed by Congress July 6, 1965. Ratified February 10, 1967. Note: Article II, section 1, of the Constitution was affected by the 25th amendment. Section 1. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President. Section 2. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress. Section 3. Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President. Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President. Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office. AMENDMENT XXVI Passed by Congress March 23, 1971. Ratified July 1, 1971. Note: Amendment 14, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by section 1 of the 26th amendment. Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age. Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. AMENDMENT XXVII Originally proposed Sept. 25, 1789. Ratified May 7, 1992. No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of representatives shall have intervened. Note: The capitalization and punctuation in this version is from the enrolled original of the Joint Resolution of Congress proposing the Bill of Rights, which is on permanent display in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

ADULT ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Nancy Schobert Bates, Oneonta “We the people”, three very strong and meaningful words. “We the people” means to me that the Constitution of the United States of America was designed and formulated to make and keep or society fair and free. I believe that it was structured to not only define what our freedoms should be but to ensure that no one man/ woman/or group could redefine our rights to justify their own self serving means. These men of the Constitution had lived with and fought against oppression from across the sea. They were determined to build a “new nation where discrimination, servitude, and abuse of power were non-existent. They were determined to build a nation where transparency was the order of the day and the hallmark of honest men. What this Constitution means to me today is that the foundation of our country was built on strong and honorable values. It also tells me that there is still an enormous amount of work to do. We are still a nation where sadly “good old boy” politics control the true outcome of many of our freedoms. Backdoor politics erode our rights at every turn. When being transparent and honest is the key our representation on all levels fails us. Too many politicians have agenda’s that require them to be beholding to cronies who look to what benefits them not” we the people”. The Constitution of the United States tells me that we were on the right track and had a good foundation to build on. But that we need to get back to “saying what we mean and meaning what we say”. Lets help everyone and especially our children to live in a country where being “proud to be an American” is something we all want to strive for. And our hero’s are people who actually are hero’s not people who get away with something that was wrong to begin with. We have laws in place that guarantee equal pay for women and yet more often than not these laws are circumvented. Taxation laws have been massaged to protect “rich people” from paying their fair share and designed to encumber the middle class. Welfare laws are so convoluted that for some time they have not been a “leg up” but rather a handout from the middleclass enacted and controlled by the upperclass to push aside a segment of the population that the upperclass would essentially like to forget about. It costs so much for American children to go to college that having that education is not only a luxury but has become a life long burden to pay for. All of this has created a disenfranchised and disillusioned youth in American and an embittered and burdened middleclass. Making the morale in the United States a sad commentary on what the writers of our Constitution had envisioned. No one in a country as great as the United States should have to choose between eating, their heat bill or going to the doctor. Dramatization; no way look around you its happening everyday.

WINNER

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

As the gap between the rich/super rich and the middle class becomes wider and wider everyday. Its all out of wack. We watch Billionaires run around a football field while our parents and grandparents can’t afford medical care. Now there is no shame in using the capital system and becoming rich but there is shame in denying those oppurtunities to a vast part of the populus so a small part of the populus retains all of the American dream. Government has gotten so big, so invasive in our daily lives that we must concur “big brother is watching”. The United States is still the greatest country in the world but we need to get back to the country of ” we the people”. God blesses America , but we make it great.

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ADULT ESSAYS

What the Constitution means to me. Lenny Amberger, Delancey The Constitution What does it mean to me? Well, according to the dictionary, it means: A body of fundamental principles or established precedents, according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed. Seems simple enough to me....and it was good enough for our forefathers to use as the building block of our entire Nation. I think that I’m in good company. The Constitution also contains amendments that are called: The Bill of Rights. If you’ve never read them, or only have heard about one or two of them, you really should take the time to read all of them go ahead....do it now. I’ll wait. Okay, as you can see, the Bill of Rights is really important, because it explains how the people have certain rights that cannot be taken away by anyone. Of course this doesn’t stop some people from trying to find ways to do this, or to try to redefine what the authors of the Constitution had in mind when they wrote those words. Some of those pesky amendments really seem to get under the skin of certain groups of people, but that is why the Supreme Court is so important. The Supreme Court is important to the Constitution because it is where difficult legal issues usually wind up, when local and state courts just can’t seem to agree on what is meant by a new law. It is a place where laws are interpreted as to whether they are allowed by the Constitution or not. I must be an old soul, because I tend to agree with those old guys who drew up the Constitution in the first place. Keep in mind that they didn’t just meet in the back room of a favorite watering hole, light up some cigars, pour a few beers, and sketch out their ideas for a Constitutional Republic on some Colonial version of legal pads. It didn’t go like that at all, and it didn’t go so smoothly either, in fact it took more than just a day or two to draw up and then ratify the document that is our Constitution. The Constitutional Convention started on May 25th, 1787 and continued until September 17th 116 days later but that’s not the end of the story, not by a long shot. Then the states had to ratify the document. Delaware was the first state to ratify or agree to the provisions of the Constitution, on December 7. The remaining states got on board, taking until May 29, 1790, when the State of Rhode Island became the 13th and final state to ratify the historic Constitution. Taking that much time to draw up, argue, redraw, redraft and argue some more, finally coming up with a document that has been looked upon throughout the world as a benchmark of the constitutional republic form of governance, leads me to believe that our Constitution, as written, is a virtually flawless representation of just what our founding fathers intended to be our guiding light into the future of our fledgling

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WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR

Nation. You may or may not agree with me.You may also want to reflect on what John Adams said in regard to our Constitution: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people, it is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. “When I was a younger man, I was called upon to take up arms to defend our Constitution and our Nation. I answered that call, and considered it a small price to pay for the privilege of being born and living in the United States of America. I would not hesitate to do it again. What would you do?

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Robert P. Cernos, Stamford What does the U.S. Constitution mean to me? For two hundred and twenty-seven years our nation has survived. Why? Because of those heroic patriots who transcended their era. Inspired by the Enlightenment and the birth of the Natural Sciences, And rejecting religious fanaticism, that taught intolerance and bigotry, They forged a document that answered the needs of their epoch, And were prescient to see the needs of the future expanding nation. Hamilton, Madison, and Jefferson, the shapers remembered the Hundred Year War decimated Europe! They prepared the young nation to grow and assimilate the worlds “huddled masses.” They prepared a racist nation to one day free their black slaves by saying: “All men are created equal!” So let us praise those daring founding fathers who prepared 13 colonies to spread “From sea to shining sea.” Our Constitution has past the test of trying times, halted demagogues and tyrants from adding false amendments. It is our generations duty, our children’s responsibility and future Americans goal to insure that this document by the People shall not fade!

WINNER

DEC. 28, 29 AND 30, 2016

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MENT U C O D T N A T R O AN IMP IS N SE IO O T U H T IT T L S L N O A C F E TH OUD O R P E ! R A E AND W TERED THE CONTEST! THAT EN

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We would like to congratulate the winners, and thank all of the participants in this years essay contest. The enthusiasm and patriotism displayed in these entries is a reflection on the best of our students.

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We are proud to help sponsor this contest, and look forward to all the contributions these bright young students will bring to our communities. www.thepowellcompany.com WE THE PEOPLE - THE DAILY STAR