Students in grades fifth through eighth in Wabash County were given the opportunity to participate in this year's Americanism Essay Contest, " What Does Freedom of Speech Mean to Me?" sponsored by the Illinois Elks Association. Each Lodge throughout the State selected their "Top Three" essays from both divisions: Division I: fifth and sixth grades; Division II: seventh and eighth grades, which were then submitted to the District for judging. Each District winner was then submitted to the State for judging. State winners were announced in May. Over 200 essays were submitted at the local Lodge level. First-place winners were awarded $50; second-place winners $25; third-place winners $15. Each winner was awarded a Certificate of Merit. The top 3 winning essays were submitted to the South Central District for District judging. Lodges in the South Central District include: Carmi, Centralia, Fairfield, Flora, Lawrenceville, McLeansboro, Mount Carmel, Mount Vernon, Olney, and Salem.
Louise Acree, Americanism Chairman of the local Elks Lodge, was pleased to announce the local Lodge winners: Division I: fifth and sixth grades: First Place: Chandler Kleinschmidt-Mt. Carmel Grade School; Second Place: Tenley Davis-Mt. Carmel Grade School; Third Place: Emma Mayhue-Mt. Carmel Grade School; Division II: seventh and eighth grades: First Place: Eric Acree-St. Mary's School; Second Place: Makenzie Kays-Mt. Carmel Junior High School; Third Place: Evan Roberts-Mt. Carmel Junior High School.
Makenzie Kays received Third Place in the South Central District and was awarded a Certificate of Merit from the District.
Eric Acree, St. Mary's School, captured the first-place award in the Elks Americanism Essay Contest for seventh-eighth grades.
WHAT DOES FREEDOM OF SPEECH MEAN TO ME
ERIC ACREE - 8TH GRADE, ST. MARY'S SCHOOL
" Freedom of speech and thought matters, especially when it is speech and thought with which we disagree." These words were spoken to by political commentator, Ben Shapiro. Freedom of Speech is the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, and everyone in America is protected by it, regardless of race, religion, color, or creed. However, some speech can be classified as hate speech, in which the person saying something could result in a violent act, which is similar to threats. However, just because your emotions and feelings are hurt, which is subjective in the premise or thought in the conversation, it doesn't mean it's hate speech. For instance, in today's society, people are easily offended if they do not believe in or agree with the opinion of another, and that is what is being discussed; this is what really annoys me as a citizen of the United States. It is sad to say that our First Amendment is slowing being eroded in our country. Freedom of Speech is the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint. How is it freedom if a man can be imprisoned for saying the truth and only the truth? Furthermore, hate speech is real and common in our country. Things like racism are very common in our day and age. Black opposing forces like the Ku Klux Klan are very present. Also, freedom of speech means that you can preach your opinion or whatever is on your mind in a safe and controlled environment without becoming incarcerated. In today's society, this is the opposite. Many people are called out for not going with the lie of which they were taught since their youth. I, an American citizen, am very blessed and fortunate to live in our country. Around the world, many die because of their religion or because of their voice. I'm grateful to have this right.
Capturing first-place award in the Elks Americanism Essay Contest for fifth-sixth grades was Chandler Kleinschmidt-Mt. Carmel Grade School.
WHAT DOES FREEDOM OF SPEECH MEAN TO ME
CHANDLER KLEINSCHMIDT - 6TH GRADE-MT. CARMEL GRADE SCHOOL
What does Freedom of Speech mean to me? At first, I had to stop and think because I had never really been concerned about it before. I guess you could say, I take my freedom of speech a little bit for granted. There are three ways in which I think freedom of speech is important; being able to create and share ideas freely, being able to speak out against wrongdoing, and being able to share my religious beliefs. First, I enjoy the fact that people in America can design and share ideas freely. For example, I can create a Youtube video about any topic I am interested in and share it with people all around the world. Also, I can come up with an idea of a sport or game to play and share it with my friends and family. These are a couple of fun ways in which we can use freedom of speech. Second, I am glad to know I can speak up against wrongdoing or crime if i need to. For example, if a teacher decided to give the class 0% credit on a paper that they did great on, I could go to the school principal and talk about what was happening. If I saw a student being bullied, I could go to a teacher and discuss about what was going on. I like this form of freedom of speech if I need to make a wrong situation right. Third, I am free to share my religious beliefs. In some societies, I could be sent to jail for sharing my beliefs. In my faith, the Bible instructs us to share our faith freely, so it is important to me to know that I can do that without getting into trouble. I am also glad that I can freely answer any questions that anyone has about my beliefs. In conclusion, I have realized some very critical ways freedom of speech affects our lives. It is important to remember, we have to be responsible with our freedom of speech rights. We shouldn't break the law, dishonor others, or steal other's idea with our freedom of speech. After thinking about my ideas for this paper, I am going to try not to take my freedom of speech for granted anymore.
Earning second-place award in the Elks Americanism Essay Contest for seventh-eighth grades was Makenzie Kays-Mt. Carmel Junior High School. Makenzie also won third-place in the South Central District.
Tenley Davis, Mt. Carmel Grade School, was the second-place winner in the Elks Americanism Essay Contest for fifth-sixth grades.
Evan Roberts, Mt. Carmel Junior High School, was the third-place winner in the Elks Americanism Essay Contest for seventh-eighth grades.
Earning third-place award in the Elks Americanism Essay Contest for fifth-sixth grades was Emma Mayhue, Mt. Carmel Grade School.