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The 2006 Student
On-Line Essay Contest Winners:
First Place
Look No Further Than the Past
Kevin M. Mullins, Jr.
Rising Sun High School
North East, MD
We as Americans have had to overcome
many difficult and trying times in our history. Some
of those difficult times include: the Civil War, two
World Wars, Civil Rights, Vietnam, 911 and most recently,
Hurricane Katrina. Through every instance we have
learned something about our country and ourselves.
World War II taught us the most about our strength
and resolve. It showed what America was capable of
in the name of freedom. It all began with the attack
on Pearl Harbor. The attack awoke a, “sleeping
giant” and propelled us into a war that until
then was considered Europe and Asia’s problem.
In 2006, Hurricane Katrina brought devastation to
the Louisiana, Mississippi Gulf Coast with the most
costly and destructive natural disaster this country
has every experienced. In both cases, the response
by the American people to contribute for the betterment
of America and its people was immediate and decisive.
The World War II era was one of the hardest times
America has ever faced, both politically and economically.
The nineteen-thirties were plagued by an economic
depression that affected the majority of the world.
Millions of people were out of work and forced into
extreme poverty. As that decade came to an end a great
war loomed on the horizon. Then, on December 7, 1941,
“A Day That Will Live in Infamy” America
was savagely attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor. Thousands
of Americans lost their lives that day and suddenly,
a war that seemed a world away the day before, was
now front and center for the United States of America.
Almost overnight, men and women across the country
flooded into recruitment offices and factories to
do their part to protect America.
Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005.
It ripped through the Gulf Coast region like no other
storm had done before. Cities and towns like Gulfport
and New Orleans were damaged or destroyed. In New
Orleans, the initial impact of Katrina was not what
had caused the most damage. As the water levels continued
to rise two levees were breached and water from Lake
Pontchartrain flooded over eighty percent of the city.
The massive amount of water turned New Orleans into
a massive fishbowl forcing people to climb onto roofs
and escape to higher ground. The deaths were in the
hundreds and thousands of people lost everything they
owned. Almost immediately, just like in the post Pearl
Harbor attack, Americans who were unaffected by the
hurricane donated tens of millions of dollars to help
those affected in the region. The Red Cross and Coast
Guard rescued trapped people. The State of Texas agreed
to provide shelter to over 75,000 citizens.
Hurricane Katrina and Pearl Harbor forced America
to unify as one body of people for a greater cause.
Both events displayed the perseverance and the resolve
of the American people. Franklin D. Roosevelt said,
"No matter how long it may take us to overcome
this premeditated invasion, the American people in
their righteous might will win through to absolute
victory." With the exception of “premeditated
invasion” in the case of Katrina, his quote
epitomizes America’s unity and ability to overcome
obstacles whether it is a force of nature or enemy
of man.
New Orleans is one of the most poverty stricken cities
in all of urban America. She consistently ranks near
the bottom in unemployment and graduation rates. With
that said, we can solve this problem if we look to
how America virtually ended unemployment during World
War II. During the war manufacturers were forced to
hire teenagers, women and even minorities in order
to fill the vacancies left by men leaving for war.
The term, “Rosie the Riveter” became a
symbol for patriotic women working in factories. In
the case of New Orleans, we should look for ways to
employ those who are victims of Katrina and utilize
them to rebuild the city they lost. The unemployment
rate would surely decline and the city of New Orleans
would soon rise before our eyes again. The poor in
the city would be able to receive training for jobs
that were previously out of reach. Once the city becomes
functional again the residents can focus on making
their lives better through education. Reverend William
Maestri, the superintendent for the Archdiocese in
New Orleans has said, “You have children leading
adults back into the city, which then is going to
build up the infrastructure of jobs, supermarkets,
financial institutions.” With hard work and
good use of donated and allocated funds, the economical
instability of the region would soon be replaced with
stability and a sense of accomplishment.
When we initially entered World War II our country
was left vulnerable to an attack because so much of
our forces were leaving for battles abroad. The void
in civil defense was filled by average people volunteering
to administer first aid, aircraft spotting and security.
In New Orleans residents could follow that template
and volunteer as emergency response units and construction
workers. The unheralded work of these volunteers could
also serve as motivation for people to go forward
even in the toughest of times. Social barriers would
collapse as the poor and the wealthy worked together
side by side to help rebuild the city they loved.
The rebuilding of New Orleans would be an example
to the rest of America. An example that shows us those
diverse cultures could work together and coexist for
the greater cause of America.
In December of 1941, America as a whole stared down
a shaky and uncertain future. Our army was undersized,
ill-equipped and not prepared to take on multiple
adversaries. However, the resolve of the men and women
in uniform, along with unheralded support here at
home, we were able to erase the doubts of our critics.
That situation is eerily similar to the future of
New Orleans. Nearly five months after Hurricane Katrina
ravaged the Gulf Coast the citizens of New Orleans
and other Gulf Coast regions must continue to rally
together in a joint effort to ensure their part of
America is rebuilt. As General Dwight D. Eisenhower
said, “This operation is not being planned with
any alternatives. This operation is planned as a victory,
and that's the way it's going to be. We're going down
there, and we're throwing everything we have into
it, and we're going to make it a success." With
resolve and integrity, New Orleans and the rest of
the Gulf Coast will rise above the adversity that
currently dominates their landscape. Then the world,
just as it did during WWII, will realize that overcoming
adversity is the only end result acceptable to the
American people.
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