CARSON CITY - McDermitt Combined School student Staheli Wilkinson was one of the winners in the inaugural "Governor's Poster and Essay Contest."
Wilkinson was the second-place winner in the high school category.
The contest, open to all Nevada school children in grades K - 12, in district, charter, private or home schools, drew more than 300 entries statewide.
To enter, students in grades K - 3 created an 11" by 17" poster in any medium focused on "what the Constitution means to me." Students in grades 4 and 5 wrote a handwritten or typed essay of 250 words or less on "what the Constitution means to me." Students in grades 6 - 8 wrote a typed, double-spaced essay of 500 to 750 words on "why is the Constitution important to our Republic." Students in grades 9 - 12 wrote a typed, double-spaced essay of 750 to 1,000 words on "why is the Constitution important to our Republic."
"I was impressed with the entries from across our great state," said Gov. Brian Sandoval. "Our students put time, effort and an immense amount of thought into their posters and essays and they should be commended."
Staheli Wilkinson's essay follows:
Why is the constitution important to our republic? I think that the constitution is important because it is the highest law of our nation. The constitution is the fundamental laws of the U.S. federal government. The constitution is what allows us to have rights and freedoms. The constitution was formed and completed in 1787 and is still used today. The constitution as we know it, today sets limits of the federal government, sets the foundation and procedures of operation for the federal government, protects our liberties and establishes how the people should agree with them.
A man by the name of Governor Morris of Pennsylvania was the person that was in charge of the committee that was to write the final draft of the constitution. Governor Morris of Pennsylvania however, was not the only individual who took part in putting the constitution together. Other men such as John Dickenson, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, John Adams, Edmund Randolph, Roger Sherman, James Madison, James Wilson, and George Wrythe played huge roles in helping to form and bring the constitution to life. Though the U.S. constitution was the work of several men, the three most imperative people were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Thomas Paine.
Though the people who wrote the constitution are important, the things that were written in the constitution are far more significant. The basic supreme law is the constitution of the United States of America. It consists of seven articles and twenty seven amendments. Article one vests all legislative powers in the congress, house of representatives, and senate Article two discusses executive power in the president, article three places judicial power in the control of our courts. Article four specifically deals with the relations in the states and with the rights of the citizens. Article five covers the amendment procedures, and article six discusses how the constitution would become operational after being ratified by the states. The very important 10th amendment limits the national government's powers to those listed specifically in the constitution.
All of the things that I just listed must be followed; this is why our constitution is so vital. Without it we have no fundamental values, or rules to live by. With no constitution we have no laws, rights, freedoms, or privileges. Our constitution however, is only important if we follow it. By not following the constitution our society would be a complete wreck. The constitution is also important to our republic because without it we wouldn't be able to speak freely, own guns, or practice our own religion. A whole lot more terrible things would be going on in our world. As it is now, people find their way around the constitution in some ways, to fit their own personal needs. There is already enough crime and horrible things going on as of right now; imagine our world with no restraints or political rules to live by. Look at how carefree and out of control our government is now, carelessly spending money we don't have left and right; now imagine it without the constitution. The constitution limits our government, when the government is limited, we the people are free. When government power grows, our freedoms are being taken away. As it is now, our government is out of control. The constitution founded our government, so without it, once again we would be missing something.
Another huge reason our constitution is so important to ME personally, is because it allows us to practice whatever religion we so desire. I am so very grateful to be able to practice my own religious beliefs. Without the constitution and the right to freely express my religious beliefs, I would not be the person that I am today, nor would my family be the people they are as well. The right to express religion freely falls into the 1st amendment. The second amendment is also of huge importance to me because it allows the right to bear arms. Therefore, as a country, we are allowed to fight for our freedom.
Again, I find the constitution so important to our republic because without it we have nothing. The constitution to me is like the Bible. The Bible helps to guide us religiously, and the constitution guides us politically. Living by the constitution is so very important. In closing, the constitution and its amendments protect us from each other and our government. It protects us from wrongful persecution, and the incrimination of ourselves. It allows us freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and to be able to express religion freely. The constitution isn't just important, it is the most important document created in history, and it affects every single one of us. When you practice religion, thank the founding fathers. When you speak freely, thank the founding fathers.
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