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BEST OF SHOW April 15th 2016
It’s Our Wonderful Rights! By Madeline Peltzer HT Constituting America
“I gasped for breath and fought to keep my head above the icy waters of the Potomac. As I dragged the jumper onto the riverbank, police sirens wailed in the distance, helicopters circled the city, and through the driving snow I could see a barricade surrounding the National Archives building. The Constitution was missing and Washington, D.C. was panicking.
“Mr. Constitution, don’t you know the whole city is searching for you?” I panted, helping him wring out his parchment. “Why did you jump off the bridge?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” he moaned. “I have no reason to exist. I’m in everyone’s way. They’re only looking for me because I’m a moneymaking tourist-attraction.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I hear what people say. That glass I’m under isn’t as thick as you’d think. They complain that my checks and balances cause gridlock and nothing gets done. They call my Electoral College antiquated and insult me with talk of abolishing it. On top of that, they dismiss me as irrelevant. They think my authors couldn’t have imagined life in the 21st century.” He sighed. “I’m a washed-up fuddy-duddy.”
It’s Our Wonderful Rights! By Madeline Peltzer is Constituting America’s 2015 Best High School Essay Winner! PDF
