Thursday, February 4, 2021

2020-2021 RESA Essays--1st Per. PURPLE Group

 

“To the Residents of 2071”

By Abigale Strait

 

To the residents of 2071--I hope that you are happy. In this year of 2021 there are many people that are not. Thousands of people are struggling with mental health despite us knowing the most about it that we ever have. People feel like they have to hide their true feelings and cannot ever let people know that they are not okay. This isn’t something that we should let go on any longer, we need to listen to people and do our best to help them.

Those that struggle are often told to “cheer up,” “feel better,” and told to keep themselves busy--not to worry about things like depressive thoughts or anxiety because they’ll “get better soon,” even if it's something they have been struggling with for years. While many of these people might be able to go to therapy or talk to someone close, many can’t. They cannot afford a therapist, or they don’t have someone to talk to, in turn only making their struggle worse. Those that can afford a therapist often don’t go because they fear that people will judge them; people don’t talk to friends and family because they feel like a burden. Mental health is something that still isn’t talked about enough.

Neurodivergent people are being ignored and spoken for by people who do not have their best interests at heart. Autistic people are represented by charities such as Autism Speaks that take the money of well meaning people to use on advertisements that demonize them. We are forced to mask traits that come with being autistic, because otherwise we will be ostracized and shamed for being “weird,” or “different.” People with ADHD have never been listened to and still aren’t. Everyone sees themselves as an expert on something they aren’t. People who don’t have ADHD often mock those who do and say that if they would just “focus” they would be fine, ignoring the fact that ADHD is something far greater than just and inability to focus and has many more symptoms. People would rather poke fun at and joke about neurodivergent people than listen to them and uphold their stories, so nothing gets done to help them, only leading these people to hate who they are.

Teenagers especially are struggling. No one wants to listen to them because they think that their stresses are so minor compared to adults. I do not know when it turned into a competition to see who is the most worn out, but even if adults do struggle with more, teenagers are the most stressed they have been their whole lives. Once they get into highschool teens are expected to get soaring grades, have their life planned out for themselves, make tons of friends, volunteer, have a job, and do extracurricular activities. It gets to be a lot. Adults often ignore the symptoms that teens have of things like depression and anxiety. Things such as anger, lashing out, moodiness, “laziness,” and avoiding talking with people are all symptoms of this, and yet the only recognition these symptoms get is punishment and mocking by adults. People need to start taking a real look into teenager lives, because depressed teenagers just turn into more depressed adults.

By 2071, I hope that people will finally start to care about those around them that aren’t happy all the time, or who don’t fit the status quo. All of us are people, we need to start treating each other like it. People who flounder as long as some people have eventually start to sink. We don’t need to let our fellow humans suffer any longer. By 2071 I hope--no, expect-- for something to have been done about this. 

 

 “Jimmy Carter’s Life” 

 

By Zane Lassiter

 

Jimmy Carter is a man whom nobody will forget. He was born October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. He was the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. His father, James Earl Carter, was a farmer and businessman, and his mother, Lillian Gordy Carter was a registered nurse. On July 7, 1946 he married Rosalynn Smith.

            Jimmy Carter had a great education. He was educated in the public school of Plains Georgia. He then went on to attend Georgia Southwestern College, and the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received a B.S. degree from the United States Naval Academy in 1946. In the Navy he became a submariner, and eventually became the lieutenant. In 1953, his dad died causing Carter to resign from his naval commission to be with his family. He then took over Carter farms, and him and his wife ran a seed and farm company supply in Plains.

            He became the leader of the community by serving on the county boards, supervising education, hospital authority, and library. He was then elected into the Georgia Senate in 1962. After that he was elected to be Georgia’s 76th governor on January 12, 1971. Carter was one of Georgia’s best governors that was elected. He was the Democratic National Committee chairman for the 1974 Congressional and gubernatorial elections.

    On December 12, 1974 Jimmy Carter announced that he was going to run for the president of the United States. He won the democratic party and was elected president on November 2, 1976. Jimmy Carter had many accomplishments. On August 4, 1977 he signed the Department of Energy Organization Act creating the Department of Energy. This helped to build a long term national energy strategy. Another accomplishment was that he established the Department of Education. “The Department of Education aims to foster educational excellence and to ensure equal access to educational opportunity for all.” These are just a couple, but Jimmy Carter had many accomplishments while he was the President of the United States.

            Jimmy Carter was a great governor of Georgia, but an even better President. He did some great things while he was in charge.. He is a great leader and hard worker that showed throughout his years of being President. He did some great things that helped people and that nobody will ever forget.

 

“To the Residents of 2071”

John Lynch

            To the residents of 2071. Today in our world there are many problems such as pollution, politics, racism, riots, and others, but among those I will be discussing the problem with our modern country music. I don’t want to just come out and say that all their music is bad. I enjoy a few newer artists such as Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, Chris Young, Jason Aldean, Kane Brown and others. The problem with our newer music is what the songs are about. It may have a good beat that I can stomp my foot too, but sometimes I don’t like what they are trying to say in the song. A lot of newer songs involve drinking, partying, drugs, sex, and just rotten stuff. 

We need to get back to our roots and sing songs like “Humble and Kind” instead of cheating and saying I don’t care you could ask “ Any ol’ Barstool.” Way back when George Strait was still performing every weekend there were a lot of good ole cowboy songs that I could appreciate. Songs like “The Thunder Rolls”, “The Dance”, both by Garth Brooks, “I Cross My Heart”, “Carrying Your Love With Me”,both by George Strait. Some might call that the “golden age” of country music. Now I might not have grown up when Hank Williams was performing, but still I much rather prefer his singing than a lot of the newer artists. The golden age of country music is a time that we refer to when memorable people sang about memorable things. They would sing their song, they wouldn’t let some big old company write a song for them to perform it. I would rather be a “Troubadour” rather than some thick headed rich guy. 

When people would write songs back then they would write about a story or experience. When people write songs now it's not about their experiences all they do is get a bunch of songwriters together and just write and ask someone to sing. Like in the song “There Goes my Life” by Kenny Chesney he tells the story of how he had a child early and he lost his dream of living and partying on the west coast. Later he talks about how his daughter grows up and says “There Goes My Life.” In this song he tells his experience even though it’s not his song. An artist can express his feelings through words, but it doesn't necessarily have to be their song. This isn't a bad song just because he didn’t write it. They wrote a song that he enjoyed so he sang about it because the experience in the song can be relatable to a lot of people. 

Some artists want to get back to the good ol’ days. Luke Combs knows this, in his song “Can I Get an Outlaw” he says “These days, it's all wannabes singing someone else's songs. Everybody's doing the same d*mn thing where have the rebels gone?” Then he says, “It ain't the banjo or the fiddle, no It's the words and what they mean.” The golden ages of country music were awesome. We had some of the best country artists in the 80s, 90s, and the 2000s like Brooks and Dunn, Hank Williams Jr, Alan Jackson, Chris Stapelton, Tim Mcgraw, Kenny Chesney and many others. 

 

“An American Hero: Jimmy Carter”

By Marli Jones

 

On August 19th of 2018, I woke up at four in the morning to drive to Plains, Georgia. My dad, sister, her friend, and mine all attended a Sunday service at his home church. Although I was tired from the drive and walking, his words never once bored me. Through his mannerisms and words, you understood his morals and what he believed in. He believed in love, in freedom, and in kindness. After the service, I got to meet and talk to Carter. Every person he met, he made feel special by taking a few minutes to talk to them. I left thankful for attending his service.

            Our 39th president, Jimmy Carter, was a man who cared more for his people, and others, than the power that his title held. Carter was born in Plains, Georgia on October first, 1924. His life revolved around his Baptist faith, farming peanuts, and talking about politics. 

Carter came back to Plains to become involved in state politics as a senator, after having served seven years in the Navy and becoming a naval officer. Eight years after this, Carter found himself as the new Governor of Georgia in 1970. Carter’s motivations were to aid racial integration, to create more efficiency within the government, and to emphasize ecology.  

In 1974, Carter had announced his interest in being president, and from there, his two-year campaign launched. He won, making him our 39th president of the United States of America.

Inside our country, Carter was an excellent leader. Working diligently, Carter helped with a decrease in a budget deficit, which helped inflation, and helped produce roughly eight million jobs for the unemployed. Since Carter was a farmer in his younger years, he had become an agriculturist and deeply cared for the environment. Establishing the national energy policy, Carter helped aid the energy shortage. He did this by stimulating production: he stopped controlling domestic petroleum prices. 103 million acres of Alaskan land were added to the expansion of a national park system. With the deregulation of airline and trucking companies, Carter encouraged government efficiency. He also had his hand in human affairs. He reinforced the Social Security system; appointed many blacks, Hispanics, and women into government positions; and created the Department of Education.

Beyond our country’s borders, Carter actively pursued peace by helping others. The Panama Canal treaties were successfully collected by Carter. The negotiation of the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union was finalized by him. In 1978, through the Camp David agreement, Carter helped create a friendship between Israel and Egypt. He initiated a full diplomatic relation with the People’s Republic of China. 

Whether you agree with Jimmy Carter’s political beliefs or not, he deserves the love he is shown today. He bettered his country and other nations while in office. He is an America hero and is worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize that he won in 2002.

 

“To the Residents of 2071”

By Joshua Hendrix

 

It is finally 2021. The year 2020 was long and eventful. Especially one thing in particular that I will probably never forget. Let's start a little over a year ago. In 2019 everything seemed fine. I mean it's not like any was expected what was coming their way. Everyone was going places for the holidays and everyone was ready for the new year. I remember while I was on break for Christmas seeing something on the news about a new virus outbreak in China. Of course, no one thought anything about it here in the U.S. In my head, it was just another sickness like the flu.

Then it was 2020, another new year. Everyone was heading back to school for the second semester and people were heading back to work after the holidays. Even though in America we were all doing fine, but that wasn't the case in China. That virus that was mentioned on the news was spreading like wildfire over in eastern Asia. People were getting really sick and even losing their lives. It started to spread more and more around the world and eventually, it came to the U.S.

It started to get so bad that they canceled school for the rest of the year around March. Also, most Americans were either working from home or just unemployed. People were basically on lockdown for the rest of the spring. Everyone was wearing masks and they were only allowing a certain amount of people in stores at a time. They had long lines outside of grocery stores, and it was recommended that only one person went in per family. Also, you had to follow arrows in the store to keep from getting too close to other people. I remember I didn't step foot into a grocery store until summer. Once summer started and we were still wearing masks I knew it wasn't going away any time soon. The first place I went since the lockdown was the beach. It was a quick little beach trip that we didn't even know we were going on until that morning. 

            When we got there I figured everyone would be wearing masks, but to my surprise I was wrong. It was the complete opposite. Once we got to our condo I didn't see anyone wearing masks. After being there for the night it felt like normal. I didn't have to stay inside. I got to go and do stuff with people and everything seemed fine.

            Once we got back home it only felt like a couple of weeks until school started again. It didn't feel like a normal first day of school though. First off it was the first year of high school which isn't too bad, but I hated that it had to start like the way it did. We had to get our temperature check to enter the school, we had to wear masks and weren't allowed to take them off. If you didn't have a normal temperature you couldn't enter the school. Also, you had to wear masks unless your teacher let you take them off in their class. Besides certain teacher's classrooms, the only other place you could take your mask off was lunch. If you were to ask me how I would have thought the first day of high school would go I would have never imagined it going the way it did. 

            Once school started everything seemed to be fine, well at least I thought so. Soon enough people were starting to quarantine due to other people getting sick. Then students started to get even sicker. Then everyone around them started to have to quarantine. Next thing I knew I was sitting right next to someone at lunch with no mask who tested positive for the virus. The bad thing about it being someone I eat lunch with is that no one was wearing masks, we were sitting all right next to each other, and it was a group of us. It didn't even feel like a week of school had gone by and I was already out for two weeks.

            After a day or two in quarantine, I later figured out one of my best friends whom I see every day has it. I realized that I might get it. Then I was wondering if I were to get it if my mom would get it also. Even though a lot of people had the virus around me I never showed symptoms. Usually, I never get sick, so I figured I had it and never realized it. Surprisingly, no one in my immediate family got it or at least showed symptoms. 

            Once I was able to go back to school, everything changed. To stop the spread of the virus and students having to get quarantined the school staff decided to have an A and B schedule. That meant that I only went to school two to three times a week. One week I go to school Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Then the next week I got to school Tuesday and Thursday. So the days I wasn't at school I had to do my work at home. The day we were at school we all had to sit six feet apart and sat multiple chairs away at lunch. So if a student got sick no one would have to quarantine because we were all socially distancing.

            So first Covid affected my eighth-grade year. It canceled at least two of the field trips and canceled the rest of the year. Then it affected my ninth grade year. Covid changed the way I go to school, it also canceled most of our marching band events like competitions and away games. It started to affect everyone. It changed the way of schooling, working, and more. Overall it affected the way of life as we know. So I want to know if it's going to be like this long term or just for a little while. Now it's almost a year since this world-wide pandemic started and everyone is adjusting to a new normal. So to the people of 2071, is covid still a thing, or is there a new and more threatening virus. Better yet, what is normalcy?

 

“To the Residents of 2071”

By Sarah Kuhrt

            In fifty years the world will be different no matter what happens. I don’t know what will happen, but I hope whatever happens is good and we can look back on this year and last year and say that we fixed our mistakes. Part of our mistakes is forgetting our past. I know there is that one little saying “those who forget their past are doomed to make the same mistakes.” I don’t know who said it, but it seems to be true. In America, at least, we are once again discriminating against one another. I have noticed that a lot of people who talk about history tend to manipulate the story so it will be in their favor. I know that when I was younger I thought that America had never lost any wars because that's what the people telling me wanted me to believe. I don’t think I’ve ever heard every part of , even one day of, history from the point of view of every major person in that situation. I’ve heard of Lincoln's murder from the point of veiw of he was shot and I’ve heard it from the shooter’s point of veiw ,but I have never heard it from the actor who was on the stage when it happened. Even those views were told by people other than the person it actually happened to. I hope that in fifty years we can learn to see from everyones Point of veiw view not just our own.I hope that by then we learn that this story isn’t just ours but everyones and that in the end we are just as important as our neighbor.

 

“To The Residents of 2071”

By Maddy Land

This is my apology. I am sincerely sorry for what we are leaving you with. This world is so divided and chaotic. Polluted and disgusted. So full of sin and self-absorption. Hopefully you can save it. Maybe in the not so distant future, people will have learned to accept one another, and to praise diversity. Maybe you won’t have to live in fear of being hurt, or caught in a nasty argument because my political or religious beliefs differ from yours.

This is something we genuinely have to worry about in 2021 America. You seriously have to consider your audience before you say anything regarding politics, or religion, or the environment, or even wearing a mask during a pandemic.

There is no sense of unity among us. There is only chaos and destruction and loathing. The entire country is at odds on every topic imaginable. The Democrats are in complete control, and Republican protesters have destroyed the capital because of it. People are arguing about the most ridiculous things, and half the time the only facts they have is what they’ve gathered from CNN or Fox News.

 As someone living in the future, you’ve probably read about the Black Lives Matter movement in your textbook, or had a unit at school on how the pandemic has greatly affected the international economy, or the way that the 2020 election results were so insanely unexpected, and yet completely inevitable at the same time.

And I, as someone living through each of these events that you’re not doing your homework on, can tell you how anarchic it’s been. I don’t know how the government will choose to portray these unprecedented times to future generations. I don’t know if they will be honest, or if they’ll make it as big of a deal as it truly is, but as a citizen of the US who lived through this, I can tell you what it’s really been like.

It’s been completely insane, and no one knows what they’re doing! We’ve had nationwide lockdowns, where we haven’t been allowed to leave our homes, and so many schools across the country have gone completely virtual. Masks are usually mandatory everywhere you go, and in some states you can be fined if you aren’t wearing one.

Many people refuse to obey, because it’s a common belief that the government is overstepping their boundaries by forcing people to wear masks. Another major point of division, but that has also brought such awareness to racism and the mistreatment of people based on skin color, is the BLM (black lives matter) movement. Should it have even been an argument in the first place? 

In my personal opinion, this has been such a major revolution that so desperately needed to happen. Although many protests have turned into violent riots in large cities, which I do not condone in any way, BLM has shed so much light on racism, and brought attention to the fact that discrimination is still present in today’s world. 

I know that throughout this letter, I have heavily touched on how divided America is, and how I hope that the future generations will have solved this, but BLM is something that I feel has really brought a sense of togetherness to people. It’s made so many of us join together to fight this unending battle that is racism, creating a sort of odd little community, where each and every member is striving towards the same end goal.

It’s also started to give everyone the feeling that they do have a voice! That no opinion is insignificant, no matter how small it may seem. I feel as if I can make a difference, even though I’m very young, and that what I believe really does matter.

I know that I am white, and I’ve never personally been affected by racism, but it just irks me that it’s so completely normal for someone to say they have been. It makes me so frustrated that treating people with equality is a political argument, or that it seems typical for yet another innocent life to be lost at the hands of discrimination.

I am writing you this letter 8 days from the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden, and I think everyone is a little on edge. Many people think someone’s going to get shot, or something bad is going to happen. President Trump, who was elected out of office in this past year, has said that he won’t even be attending the event.

You probably think I’m a very radical leftist, or a small-minded person after reading this, but I’m not. That’s just how insanely divided the country currently is, to the point where I say that I don’t support racism, and end up being labeled as a liberal.

I’m scared for the next four years. Democrats have complete control over the Senate, the House of Representatives, and a Democrat is in the presidential office, meaning there is no political balance throughout Washington D.C., and the Left is nearly guaranteed anything they want.

Hopefully, by the time you’re reading this, all will be healed. People will love one another without condition, and it won’t be an argument whether one skin color matters any more than the next, Republicans and Democrats can be friends, the economy won’t be in terrifying condition, and this life-altering pandemic will finally be over. 

My expectations for the upcoming generation are so very high. Hopefully you can look back at our mistakes, and not let history repeat itself. I hope and pray that you all long to care for your world, and more importantly, care for one another. I believe that you can be the light at the end of the tunnel. After all, the rain has to come before the rainbow.

Sending my highest regards,

  -a wishful resident of 2021



  “To the Residents of 2071”

By Katie Thompson

             What most people think about when they hear about the future is how well technology will have advanced or what will our world turn out to be after Covid-19. One thing that everyone around the world has are questions. Which after 2020 was probably a given, everyone’s worlds were turned upside down. Many people lost their jobs or for some lost their homes, showing just how hard this year has hit people. It has hit their sources of income, how these people buy food for their family. They also lost the one of the one true places someone can feel safe, their home. 

            People look to the future for hope, but the future will probably look back at how we could have prevented so many things.  In 2020, no one could agree on anything like the pandemic or the 2020 U. S presidential election, the world was divided. Now that 2021 has begun and the world has begun to see some changes take place, we notice that the world may be starting to go uphill. The first rounds of the Covid vaccine have been distributed and a new President has been inaugurated. People of the future could be looking back on these years and how they have impacted history. The people of 2071 could think of the new ways to include these years into textbooks, or how to advance our world to become bigger and brighter. In 2071 many may hope that the world is better and has learned from the grueling year of 2020. 

            With 2021 just beginning, opening up many new doors for improvement we will have to look at how the pandemic has affected our school system. How it has changed how students learn about the basic life skills they need to be able to function in the real world. How students will be taught will then proceed to how they will do in college and how well did they pay attention in their online classes. Did they retain that information that they could barely keep their eyes open, then how did they listen. In 2071, there could be endless possibilities to what the school system has turned into, and how it will be changed to fit the new needs of the world. The new challenges that years following 2021 will put forward. 

            People in 2071 should be able to look back and see the changes that have been made to society, and how many people’s standards of equality have changed. Many people’s eyes have been opened to new change, politically and socially. They have seen things that they have never thought to open their eyes to. In 2071, people will be able to see things that no one now will ever be able to see till later. They have a special power that no one in 2021 have they have the ability to use our future and their past to create new opportunities and create new beginnings for our families and schools. They will be able to help keep children with a healthy family and a roof over their heads.

           

 

            “Struggles of United States”

By Timothy Lawson

 

As the 39th president, Jimmy Carter impacted Georgia and left an extraordinary life and legacy, waiting to spit out. Even during the era when energy costs were rising, inflation, and pressed tension in the Middle East, he still went forward. President Carter had a variety of feats to combat this, and he still had more accomplishments. 

In 1976, Jimmy Carter, previously a peanut farmer, was elected as president of the United States. Not having much experience, his goal was to restore honesty and morality in the government. During his presidency, he faced many problems. 

Attempting to combat unemployment, Carter signed many measures to crumble it in 1977. One of them included an extension of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act, which trained workers and provided them with jobs in the public service. In November of 1978, President Carter signed the Revenue Act of 1978, which reduced people's income taxes, corporate tax rates, and increased the standard deduction and capital gains exclusion.

Following unemployment, he tried to resolve the energy crisis by creating the national energy program, which conserved oil while promoting alternative energy sources. President Carter managed to convince Congress to form the Department of Energy and begged Americans to control their energy consumption.

Taking the seat during a period of slower economic rates, higher inflation, and unemployment rates, one of President Carter's plans focused on taming inflation by reducing deficits and government spending. He tried to reduce inflation and crack economic weakness by establishing voluntary wage and price guidelines. Through desperation, however, he also attempted to combat it by increasing government spendings.

Supporting the environment, he signed several significant bills to protect the environment, such as the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, which regulates strip mining. In 1980 Carter also signed into law a bill that established Superfund, a federal program designed to clean up mining or factory sites contaminated with hazardous substances. Other signed laws addressed energy conservation, mine safety standards, and pesticide restraining.

Even though President Jimmy Carter was one of the many presidents that had a lasting impact on the United States, he certainly left an extraordinary one on Georgia.

 

“Dear Residents of 2071”

 By Abby Wiegert

 

Everyday many people around the U.S. are having to deal with online school. Some are loving it, but others wish they were back in school. Some days, I sit down at my computer, ready to start my school work. During my breaks, I would text one my friends forgetting she would not be able to respond. Unlike me, she was in class. This particular friend would have to meet in person for school. I would be at home learning virtually.

 Our school has started an every other day schedule. Half of the school goes to school in person while the other half does online learning. The groups are split up by last name, so if your last name starts with a “C” you are in the first group, however if it starts with “S” you are in the second group. To help keep track of which group we are in we call these days purple and gold. The administrators chose these colors because they are our school colors.

            On the days I go to school I only do eye makeup. If I were to wear any other makeup below my eyes, it would either get messed up or be rubbed off. Our school requires us students to wear masks for our, and other students  and faculties, safety. Throughout the day, our faces tend to get sweaty and oily from continuously breathing in hot air that is in our masks. Wearing a full face of makeup to school has now become pointless for most girls.

 From time to time, we are allowed to take off our masks. These times include lunch, weightlifting, gym, and during some classes, this really depends on who is teaching. The only mandatory time we must keep our masks on is in the hallway. This is when we are switching classes and we are so close together. In the classroom our teachers have us in a seating chart where we are socially distanced. 

Covid-19 caught us by surprise last year. We had to stop school and quarantine at home. Of course we continued our schoolwork at home but the teachers did not know what to do so we were all struggling. This year, 2021, the online school days have become much easier, the teachers now know what to do. Since we do not know if  Covid-19 will hit hard in our area, our school system has become very prepared for whatever may happen. To the residents of 2071, I hope you have a vaccine for the coronavirus and do not continue to have terrible outbreaks of this disease every year. 



“To the Residents of 2070”

By Joshua Morris

In 2020, it was one of the most absurd years of my life up to this point, granted my lifetime spans about 14-15 years. I have been bombarded with school, work, family, friends, and wanting some time to myself.

When I did have free time, and when I had gotten my homework done, when my chores were done, and all of the social interactions that I've needed to do for the day were done, I would sit down in my chair and watch the Atlanta Braves “put a hurting” on the Philadelphia Phillies. While I was watching the Braves I found out that my favorite baseball player is Freddie Freeman. He is the first baseman of the Atlanta Braves, and he won the MVP award last season. The Braves seem like they could win the World Series if they get another valuable batter in their lineup. 

When I was working, I worked on some big projects and some small ones, one of the larger projects that I did was a porch that I built, it took about one to two months. One of the smaller projects that I did was putting Siding on a house, it took about four hours.

 When I was spending time with my friends, I was playing soccer, playing video games, and I was just talking to them, sometimes wondering what was going on in their life, and they would ask me what was happening in mine, as well.

 When I played soccer I was introduced to new people, and I am glad that I met those people. When I was playing video games, I was just having fun and talk to my friends that I can’t talk to because of a pandemic that is happening right now. When I talked to them I talk about all sorts of things like who was going to win the World Series and who was going to be on the Braves in 2021, what tactics were better to use in soccer, and even what we thought of this dog “playing” soccer. When we were talking about their life they would say that they didn’t know how they were going to wake up at five-thirty every morning, or how they had to dry their shoes because the day before we had a little game of soccer with each other and it was pouring rain on us.

 When I was spending time with my own family I was playing catch with my dad, I watched after my nephews, played board games with my sisters, watched baseball and football with my grandparents, and cooked with my mom. In school, I just wanted to do really well and maybe get ahead of everything that's happening in school.

 

“The Extraordinary Life of Jimmy Carter”

By Ella Johnson

Jimmy Earl Carter led an appreciable presidency, but an even more appreciable and extraordinary life. Carter was not only the first President of the United States that was from the state of Georgia, but he was also the only President from Georgia. Carter was from the small town of Plains, Georgia, more specifically. Because of his time in office as President from 1977-1981, most people know about him or have heard of him. During his presidency, Carter changed lots of lives and then proceeded to succor others after his term ended.

On October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, our 39th President was born. Much later, Carter attended the U. S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Carter graduated in 1946. He later married Rosalynn Smith who was also from Plains. The Carters’ had four children: Amy Carter, Donnel Carter, Jack Carter, and James Carter. Carter’s career of seven years in the Navy came to a standstill in 1953 when his father, James Earl Carter Sr., passed away. He then went back home and began working at the family peanut warehouse. The business was struggling, as they had just undergone a drought. 

            In 1962, Jimmy Carter was elected to the Georgia State Senate and was re-elected in 1964 to this position. After a few years, Carter ran for governor. He landed in third place and was downhearted. This loss sent him into a state of depression that, through his Christian faith, he overcame with time. With new expectations, in 1970, Carter again ran for the office of governor and won the seat. He was featured in many magazines, known for his “moderate racial views” and “progressive economic and social policies.” 

            Jimmy Carter declared in 1974 that he would be running for the position of U.S. President. He made speeches all over the nation and met as many people as he could to help him win votes in the election. He pledged "returned honesty" and "elimination of government secrecy." Carter also promised he would never lie to many people. He was running against Republican Gerald R. Ford, who, after Richard Nixon's resignation, was already popular as president. With 51% of the popular vote and 297 electoral votes, Carter ended up in first place. Jimmy Earl Carter then became the United States' 39th president.

 

“To the Residents of 2071”

By Marley Jarrell 

It is the beginning of the year 2021. I can definitely say I do not think 2020 was our year. The 2020 presidential election, which caused many problems, just recently ended. Since 2020 just ended, I want to address some of the bigger issues that happened throughout the year. There continue to be disputes over religion, race, politics, climate change, world hunger, lack of education, government corruption, and so on. To add on to that, a global pandemic is going on right now that makes things slightly more difficult. 

            I believe riots was one of the biggest issues of 2020. One major thing that caused the riots was the death of George Floyd. A policeman knelt on his neck even though George was telling him that he could not breathe. Shortly after, he was lying there unresponsive. The Police Officer that did this to George Floyd walked free for four days until he was finally charged. This made people believe that the only right answer was to defund the police. This event caused citizens to breakout with riots and protests all around the country. A few of the cities where the riots started include Minneapolis, Memphis, and Los Angeles. 

            I also believe politics was a big part of why all of the riots happened. The United States 2020 presidential election has caused many problems, and is continuing to cause problems. When the election started in November, I knew there would be issues with both parties no matter who was going to win. Everywhere I went all I would hear was people arguing about the election, arguing about who should win. I never knew it would lead to riots. Next thing I knew, the United States as a country was falling apart.  

             Riots started to break out all throughout the United States. A riot recently just happened at the United States Capitol. Buildings are being burned. People are being killed. Citizens are turning against each other just because of their political views. All of this just because of an election. My hope is that by 2071, our society will learn how to respect each other’s political views more than we do now. 

            I hope people will begin to realize that no matter who is president, we are all citizens of the same country. Even if we disagree with one another, we should still be able to respect each other. We need to learn how to work together, so these problems will not be as bad in the future. Too many people have been injured or killed over politics. Too many buildings have been burned or destroyed due to riots. These problems are not worth losing lives over. 

            By the time the year 2071 gets here, most of these problems will still be happening. I hope more people will pitch in to help, so maybe they will not be as bad as they are today. We are far from solving some problems such as climate change and world hunger. I imagine they will be solved one day or another, just not in my lifetime. Even though some problems will most likely not be solved anytime soon, one thing we can do is try to help prevent more riots from happening. 

 

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