My Responsibility To America
“Duty then is the sublimest word in the English language. You should do your duty in all things. You can never do more, you should never wish to do less.” What words could describe more clearly the entire character of the awe-inspiring American hero: Robert E. Lee. Throughout his life, he strove to always answer the call of duty. As a general, he felt an immense responsibility to the men under his care during the Civil War. He treated them with honor and dignity, loving them as if they were his own. When he retired from the army, he showed, even yet, his most yearning love for duty. Lee chose to serve the last chapter of his life as the president of a small, ramshackle college in Virginia, deciding that the …show more content…
Lee’s great example and genuinely desire to fulfill my duty to my country as faithfully as he did his. Thus, I must find what my duty is and the way in which I will execute it. In reflecting on this, the words of another American hero, John Adams, come to mind: “You will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you make good use of it.” These words go right along with the aphorism, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” When I think about what I have been given, I think about what John Adams said. They paid the price in the act of preserving the freedoms I enjoy today. One freedom that I have a great appreciation for is the freedom of being able to be educated. As I compose this essay, I realize that I would not have the ability to write it, let alone know hardly anything about Robert E. Lee and our country’s founders, if it hadn’t been for the impact education has made on my life. I treasure this freedom so much because if I use it well and responsibly, it will hopefully influence my life and our country in a powerful way. To use my education to give back to those who purchased that freedom for me is my duty and what I expect of myself. I believe that the best way I can give back to them is to use my education to fulfill my obligation to my country; accomplishing with it my role in preserving and living out the vision that these founders …show more content…
They wished to govern in this way and to protect these rights and freedoms by establishing the Constitution of the United States of America. By wanting to use my ability to learn in a responsible and giving way, I have educated myself on the meaning and importance of the Constitution, in addition to the many problems that plague our country today. One such problem that exists today is that many people in our country seek to change parts of the Constitution. I believe that this would endanger the future of our democracy. It could lead to our nation’s demise due to the decline in the values that we as a democracy hold dear. Abraham Lincoln admonishes us not to interfere with anything in the Constitution; it must be maintained, for he holds that it is the only safeguard of our liberties. We Americans must take to heart these words of one of our nation’s greatest presidents, so that in preserving the Constitution, the United States will forever remain the democracy that stands for liberty and justice for
“Duty then is the sublimest word in the English language. You should do your duty in all things. You can never do more, you should never wish to do less.” What words could describe more clearly the entire character of the awe-inspiring American hero: Robert E. Lee. Throughout his life, he strove to always answer the call of duty. As a general, he felt an immense responsibility to the men under his care during the Civil War. He treated them with honor and dignity, loving them as if they were his own. When he retired from the army, he showed, even yet, his most yearning love for duty. Lee chose to serve the last chapter of his life as the president of a small, ramshackle college in Virginia, deciding that the …show more content…
Lee’s great example and genuinely desire to fulfill my duty to my country as faithfully as he did his. Thus, I must find what my duty is and the way in which I will execute it. In reflecting on this, the words of another American hero, John Adams, come to mind: “You will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you make good use of it.” These words go right along with the aphorism, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” When I think about what I have been given, I think about what John Adams said. They paid the price in the act of preserving the freedoms I enjoy today. One freedom that I have a great appreciation for is the freedom of being able to be educated. As I compose this essay, I realize that I would not have the ability to write it, let alone know hardly anything about Robert E. Lee and our country’s founders, if it hadn’t been for the impact education has made on my life. I treasure this freedom so much because if I use it well and responsibly, it will hopefully influence my life and our country in a powerful way. To use my education to give back to those who purchased that freedom for me is my duty and what I expect of myself. I believe that the best way I can give back to them is to use my education to fulfill my obligation to my country; accomplishing with it my role in preserving and living out the vision that these founders …show more content…
They wished to govern in this way and to protect these rights and freedoms by establishing the Constitution of the United States of America. By wanting to use my ability to learn in a responsible and giving way, I have educated myself on the meaning and importance of the Constitution, in addition to the many problems that plague our country today. One such problem that exists today is that many people in our country seek to change parts of the Constitution. I believe that this would endanger the future of our democracy. It could lead to our nation’s demise due to the decline in the values that we as a democracy hold dear. Abraham Lincoln admonishes us not to interfere with anything in the Constitution; it must be maintained, for he holds that it is the only safeguard of our liberties. We Americans must take to heart these words of one of our nation’s greatest presidents, so that in preserving the Constitution, the United States will forever remain the democracy that stands for liberty and justice for