Do it even when you are scared by Benton

Do it even when you are scared by Benton - October 2021 Scholarship Essay

Change can be scary. As I prepare to graduate high school, the anxiety settles in. I will be hours away from my family in an entirely new environment. Alone. Realizing that a whole new world faces me, a chill moves through my body as I realize I am afraid. I close my eyes and breath, visualizing Patrick Henry just before his speech, and imagine his internal voice trying to talk him out of saying anything at all. I imagine his mind weighing the pros and cons of speaking such words and the fears that he must have had.
The year is 1775; British troops arrive daily and act as enforcers for the British Crown. In March, 120 of your colleagues crowd into a small colonial church in Virginia for the Second Virginia Convention defying the Royal Governor’s orders. You look around to see those gathered include many influential men, including the prestigious Peyton Randolph, president of the convention, George Washington, a veteran of the French and Indian war and wealthy landowner, Thomas Jefferson, the former magistrate of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and yourself, Patrick Henry, a prominent Virginia lawyer. Frustrated, angry even, at the situation you are currently experiencing. Uncertain of which of the attendees are friend or foe, afraid you could be tried for treason, hung and quartered if you speak the wrong words, you stand anyway. With no notes, you begin. The eloquence and conviction in your speech captivates every member in attendance. Some wonder if you will be arrested, others nod in agreement as you deliver words that will live in infamy.
Patrick Henry appeals to the emotions of the men in the congress throughout his speech and never lets any doubt show through. “Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” This speech sparks a fire in the hearts of the delegates to fight for their freedom against the tyranny that has engulfed them. Despite the risks and fears, his call for action inspires the Virginia delegates to call for Independence and raise a militia. The emotional appeal in this speech was probably one of the main reasons congress became genuinely convinced that there was no other option than to go to war.
Patrick Henry could have been tried for treason as he spoke against the British Crown calling for war, but he did not let that stop him from acting. His words inspired a group of lawyers, farmers, and statesmen to go to war despite having minimal military experience. Risking everything, the delegates of Virginia would fight the British because they believed that being courageous and facing their fears to stand up for their beliefs was the right thing to do. Patrick Henry taught me that there will be times we will be afraid, but fears cannot stop actions.
My eyes still closed, I breathe the moment I see him rise, steady and true, as he utters words of inspiration. I draw on that confidence and strength. I know that being courageous is not the same as feeling no fear. I understand that in the midst of fear, we can find our greatest moments, and I am ready to meet the challenge head-on as I prepare to enter a whole new world.