2006 — 8th Grade 5th Place
Leah Hurt, Iowa
As humans we are driven by our emotions. Those emotions are often
dictated by the state of our environment. When surrounded by optimism,
we tend to be more helpful for e better world. When influenced
by pessimism, we wallow in fear that things will always turn out
wrong.
My observations at my middle school are that people are influenced
greatly by peer pressure. It seems that fear is driving them to
do things they wouldn't normally do and exclude those who do not
agree with their choices. Hope is what drives others to see past
this childish standpoint and move on to greater things.
In a larger viewpoint, the citizens in the United States also
seem to be influenced by fear of the war in Iraq and terrorism.
The society is becoming less open and some believe that anyone
who looks Muslim should be scrutinized and interrogated for fear
of terrorism.
Racism is becoming a big problem in our country. The beauty of
the U.S. is that it is so diverse and no one apart from Native
Americans originated here so, we are a very large mixed culture,
and fear is ripping up apart. There is a shine of hope though,
for I believe in the good of humanity. Hope also seems to drive
people further and improves the chances of better living and intensifies
the burning flame in everyone to keep living and better the world
for oncoming generations.
If someone has hope enough to change the world and make it a better
place for our children, it can change everything. If people are
consumed with fear and are too afraid to even try to make a difference,
our planet and economy will perish in its own waste. Everything
will be ruined and the hard work of others over the years will
be for nothing.
In the end, it is only a choice whether to be a pessimist or an
optimist if the Earth will experience a new beginning or a despairing
end. I believe that fear can only be overcome by those who are
not afraid of new challenges and try to do something amazing with
their lives, for I believe that deep down, anyone is capable of
greatness to make a difference in the world for many generations
to come.
I think that neither hope nor fear is more important. Without
either, our world is at a loss. Without fear we as humans would
be far too arrogant and feel superior to each other so in the
end, this race would be destroyed. Without hope, we would wallow
in only fear, and death would consume our souls to be empty vessels
with only darkness keeping us alive in a withered existence.
Kids
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