Hannah Adams, age 17

32 Lake Drive OR PO Box 513, Nitro WV 25143

Nitro High School
Kanawha County
12th Grade
Advisor: Ms. Kizmet Chandler

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Americanism, commonly defined as, a custom, trait, or thing peculiar to the United
States of American or its citizens, is a term with an extremely large range of possibilities for
interpretation. While there are so many different traits on different spectrums that supposedly
make Americans American, there is one specific characteristic that stands out to me. That
specific characteristic is resilience. We were created to be a resilient nation, to be able to return
to our previous state. Considering the past of American history, an individual can find a
multitude of instances that show Americas resilience. America has recovered well from times
such as the Great Depression, times following September 11th, 2001, and quite a few other spells
of hardship. Throughout those difficult times, American citizens were still able to keep their
chins held high and to battle through the hardships. Resilience has been present throughout
American history, making it a humongous factor in Americanism.
Currently, there is a ridiculous amount of negativity being spread. It has been three weeks
since the presidential election, and many citizens are unhappy in regards to the verdict. The
country has been plagued with riots and violent protests that have never occurred before, all
because people are unhappy with the President-Elect. Businesses have been burned and tarnished
along with many American flags and people have been injured, including our own police
officers. These types of protests have been happening all while people are shouting and
displaying signs with the words, Not My President. While American citizens have the right to
protest and freedom of speech, these protests have been surpassing the limitations the First
Amendment had set. America has always been known for its peaceful protests and ability to
remain civil and respectful, yet American citizens are continuing to ruin this postulation. When
has it ever been acceptable to burn our countrys flag? America has always been revered for its
patriotism along with the pride its people carry for their home country. Have we stooped so low

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that we are burning our own flags, and burning our reputation for greatness along with it? Also,
when has it ever been acceptable to harm our own law enforcement? Law enforcement was
initially created for the safety of the citizens, to merely keep people secure and well. The officers
saw a dangerous situation and made the decision to act upon it, as the violence could have been
infringing upon the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness [property] that are
mentioned a plethora of times throughout the documents written by our Founding Fathers. In
attempt to preserve other peoples rights, these officers gave up their unalienable rights, the
ultimate sacrifice. Are we, as American citizens, going to sit around on our posteriors and take
this violence?
While our President-Elect Donald Trump has yet to have been inaugurated and taken
office, American citizens are as divided as ever. Intolerance is spreading like a wildfire and so is
hate. Trump supporters proclaim that America will become great again, while people that
oppose Trump claim that he is the next Adolf Hitler. Clinton supporters act like Trump will ruin
and destroy everything America stands for, while Trump supporters claim that Americas
foundation from the late 1700s (predominantly freedom and for the people to have civil liberties)
will resurface. The truth is that no one knows what will happen for certain. Both presidential
candidates, meaning the President-Elect and Mrs. Clinton, have been extremely inconsistent in
regards to many topics that are crucial to the state of our country as well as the well-being of the
people altogether. Instead of rioting with violence and words of hate, I believe that Americans
need to reconsider the Constitutions rules and should instead be focusing on what is truly
important: staying together and spreading love. It truly does not matter whether you support Mrs.
Hillary Clinton or Mr. Donald Trump. In my opinion, people should be more concerned about
what they can do as an individual, as a citizen of the United States of America, to be involved

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and to participate in politics and the government of our country. We are the reason that America
has a reputation for resilience, and that reputation is to be maintained by the citizens as well. Our
government was created to be run by the people and for the people through our elected officials.
Ultimately, we have a say in what happens, but we cannot have a say if we are not doing
anything. Contrary to popular belief, our Constitution was created so we could have a voice and
speak our opinion.
Proven by documentation, America has always been revered for its ability to bounce back
after tragic or detrimental incidents. This has helped shape Americas country as well as the
worlds perception of it. Although it is impossible for every citizen to agree with every other
citizen, all the people should vow to do their part to maintain the American reputation of having
a good attitude, being accepting and open, participating in their government system, and most
important of all, being able to make a comeback together, as a country- the United States- and
face whatever difficulty that may come our way. Along with any other group, organization, or
country, we are only as strong as we are divided. Now is the time to bring back the unification of
our people, and to bring back morals. We cannot be a resilient nation if we are not in tune with
each other and share the same values. Instead of rioting against other opinions with violence and
words of hate, I believe that Americans should be focusing on what is truly important: staying
together and spreading love so we can always bounce back from our struggles together, as a
nation. If all people could merely be accepting, tolerating, and understanding like the Founding
Fathers intended, America could return to the what many believe to be the greatest country in
the world.