Growing up as a citizen of the United States, I have been through 18 years of being told to thank people who protect and fight for our country. I never understood the true meaning of freedom of speech and why it is so important. I have never been to Washington D.C. to see the memorials they have there, never been to New York to see the Statue of Liberty, or even to Pearl Harbor. All these monumental landmarks in the United States are to show what our country is. After visiting Mexico, I realized how privileged we are in the United States and how we are lucky to have whatever we need on a day to day basis. As I experience more, I am becoming more connected to the meaning of what our freedom means and why it should be important to acknowledge.

I watch the news, and I start to understand how these issues can affect my freedom. I see what others are affected and how situations like war can affect them. Hearing war stories first person from my sophomore year English teacher, Mr. Johnson, opened up to me about his experiences with war. He told me stories about the life-threatening decisions he has had to make such as having to decide to shoot an unidentified moving vehicle or not, because he wasn’t sure if it was a threat. Looking into his eyes as he recalled a handful of his stories, I could feel how disheartened he felt, while he provided me with just enough details to visualize his experience. His anguished voice made me sympathize with his experiences.

To hear what our troops experience in order to protect our freedom and rights is amazing, and enabled me to respect him that much more. Our troops fight for the United States to protect us from being harmed and to protect our freedoms and rights. Hearing war stories from those whom I respect and have a connection to has made me appreciate them for fighting for our rights and being able to speak freely.