Our country has been the champion for freedom and human rights since it began. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The words of our founding fathers still ring loud and true today.
 
 The word patriotism comes from a Greek word meaning fatherland. For most of history, love of fatherland or homeland was an attachment to the physical features of the land. But that notion changed in the eighteenth century, when the ideals of democracy, socialism, and communism strongly emerged into political thought. Patriotism was still a love of one’s country that included connections to the land and people, but then also included its customs and traditions, pride in its history, and devotion to its welfare.
Today most people agree that patriotism also involves service to their country, but many disagree on how to best perform such service. Some believe that the national government speaks for a country; therefore, all its citizens should actively support government policies and actions. Others argue that a true patriot speaks out when convinced that their country is following an unwise or unjust action.
 
Winston Churchill  taught that, “Patriotism is easy to understand in America; it means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country.”

What does patriotism mean to you? Write an essay that is 500 words or less on what patriotism means to you. Why is it important? How does it affect your life, school, and/or our country? All submissions must be received by Teen Impact by midnight, April 30, 2008. Entries will be judged by members of United States Marine Corp. Although all winners will be mentioned, only the top three essays will be published in the March issue of Teen Impact Magazine.

Prizes:     First Place - portable DVD player
    Second Place - $50.00 Visa Gift Card
    Third Place - $25.00 Visa Gift Card
    Honorable Mention(s) - $15.00 Visa Gift Card

Submit entries to Teen Impact at www.teenimpact.org.

All entries must include: a completed Teen Impact Media Release Form found online at www.teenimpact.org, your full name, grade, school you attend, phone number, email address and home address where you can be contacted if your essay is chosen as a winning essay. Only entries containing all the above listed information will be considered acceptable entries and will be eligible to participate.

Odds of winning are dependent on the number of entries. All prizes are under the discretion of Teen Impact and subject to change without notice. All prizes will be awarded after the publication of the winning essays. In the event that a winner cannot be contacted within a reasonable time frame after publication, the winner forfeits his/her prize to the next winning entry. By entering and participating in this contest and accepting any of these prizes, entrants and winners agree to hold Teen Impact harmless and waive any and all claims of liability of any kind whatsoever against Teen Impact including but not limited to claims related to the awarding of any of these prizes or use/misuse thereof, or while traveling to and/or from a location to obtain or use any of these prizes.