I Have a Voice by Christine

I Have a Voice by Christine - September 2013 Scholarship Essay

     I had no idea that I could enjoy such a class as high school government.  Mr. Ruden didn't look like a politician.  I really expected that my government teacher would look like a polished politician fresh off a television commercial.  He didn't.  He looked tired.  And he needed a haircut.  But he convinced me I was going to learn something by the time the semester ended.     In my house we had to agree to whatever my dad said, including politically.  I was newly eighteen and wanting to register to vote.  Dad told me it wouldn't make any difference and I wasn't allowed to do it.  My dad told me many fallacies and very wrong facts about government.       Mr. Ruden was the person who convinced me to start reading newspapers.  I had always looked at the comics and the sale flyers, but nothing else.  Because of him and a few assignments, I read anything political I could find.  There were always three sides to a political story--the facts, and the agreeing and disagreeing editorials.  I read the book 1984 as part of our assignments and it scared the heck out of me.  I paid more attention to the local politics around me.  He came into class and asked who had heard about a particular event.  Those of us who did were able to discuss it and practically debate it.       The thing I will never forget is when he taught our class, he taught us our voices mattered in everything.  He taught us we had power.  We could listen, pay attention, form opinions and vote.  We could support our elected officials or help to pick new ones.  We could be as involved as we wanted to be.  We had a responsibility as citizens of this USA to play our part in democracy.  My voice matters.