As we approach the 20th anniversary of Sept. 12, 2001, a day of unity for Americans, Daily American Republic staff writer Samantha Tucker spoke with area youth about what unites us as a nation. The students are members of the Boys and Girls Club of Poplar Bluff.
“The fact that we all have the freedom to do as we wish. As long as it’s not, like, against the law. I think it (freedom) means to be able to have your own opinion, and to be able to do what is needed to be done, when to you need to do it, and having the ability to do it.”
Delanie Faughn, 12
“So really, if you look at the basic values of the people that started this nation, which were people coming from a place, but it wasn’t the best place — they came from a place to make a home for themselves that was better than where they came from.”
Logan Surprise, 12
“I’m big on music. So I think a lot of it is that we can have different ideas and different, like, opinions, and most of the time not be discriminating against one another for it, because there’s different communities for each, like, interest. And so I think what brings us together is that most of the time, we can all work together as a country to support different needs and different ideas.”
Kaitlyn Penrod, 12
“Well, I think what brings us together is just how we support each other’s differences, and we don’t make them an outcast, and we just try to support one another as much as we can. If someone makes a choice, they don’t bring the negative out of it, they instead give support. And whatever they believe, they just respect that, and they don’t try to change each other’s opinions — or if they do, they do it respectfully.”
Digo Rodriguez, 14
“Our culture and our beliefs … how we support each other. Like, what you believe and what you do. Being free would be our culture, having rights to do things that everyone can do. Like, not just one specific person can do this, everyone can do it if they apply themselves to it.”
Emma Johns, 13