VFW Voice of Democracy 2024-2025
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Established in 1947. The annual Brainerd VFW Voice of Democracy competition is for students in grades 9 - 12 living within 50 miles of Brainerd, Minnesota. It is a 3 to 5 minute written and spoken essay. Judging is based on originality, content and delivery. Local prizes are $200, $250, and $300. Nationally $35,000. |
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American Journalist Charles Kuralt was once a winner of the VFW's Voice of Democracy competition when he was a young man.
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The local 2024-2025 competition ended October 31, 2024.
The theme was, "Is America Today Our Forefather's Vision?"
Entries came from Brainerd, Aitkin, Baxter, Pequot Lakes and East Gull Lake.
2025-2026 competition theme and rules will be available early in the summer of 2025. Stay tuned for details.
The theme was, "Is America Today Our Forefather's Vision?"
Entries came from Brainerd, Aitkin, Baxter, Pequot Lakes and East Gull Lake.
2025-2026 competition theme and rules will be available early in the summer of 2025. Stay tuned for details.
November 12, 2024: Winners in the annual Voice of Democracy competition were recognized and given awards during a ceremony at the Brainerd VFW. Craig Coonan read his essay for the audience.
(l-r) 3rd place Jovey Goreham, 2nd place Jagger Klecatsky and 1st place Craig Coonan.
November 8, 2024: Craig Coonan of Brainerd, a 12th grader at Brainerd High School was declared the first-place winner of the annual Voice of Democracy competition at the Brainerd VFW. $300 plus Craig's entry will go on to 6th District VFW for judging.
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His speech --> |
Is America Today Our Forefather’s Vision?
America rivals all nations. We are bigger, better, faster, stronger, and more powerful than the rest of this planet. Our military capability is unrivaled, and our economy is as successful as can be. We have made a name for ourselves. We rose from nothing. A handful of outcasts in a foreign land with tyrannical monarchs as overwatch. Opportunity leads to growth and the chance at new life brought people into the land of the free. The handful of outcasts grew into a few good men, those men built this country and rescued us from the grip of a demon called England. For this we shall be eternally grateful. They gave us freedom. They gave us opportunity. Opportunity and freedom that are now being lessened by a group of individuals called politicians.
The Founding Fathers wrote three documents that this country is built upon. The first of which is the Declaration of Independence, the second the Constitution, and the third the Bill of Rights. In these documents there are specific rules that are to not be changed written plain as day as to the way the United States is to remain free and how it is to be run and ruled. Over the last two hundred years the constitution has been misinterpreted, the meanings of the amendments marred, and laws passed that defy these sacred texts entirely. The Fathers of this country gave us ten rights in the Bill of Rights, more added as amendments later on, rights that include but are not limited to, the right to free speech, and the right to bear arms. Both of these rights are highly debated topics in today's political field. People misinterpret the First Amendment to the Constitution in which it says, “Congress shall make no law respecting … or abridging the freedom of speech…,” Those in our country say that freedom of speech should only be freedom of speech if it does not harm others feelings, insult them, or make them feel in any way threatened. The Constitution was not written with emotions in mind, it was written with the freedom of a people in mind. Our forefathers sought it to be a specific and unchangeable fact that a citizen of the United States should be free to speak their mind in whatever way they deem fit. There are no statements declaring that freedom of speech is only limited to speech that does not contradict the thoughts of others or challenge their feelings or ideals. With this in mind does the law of hate speech violate this constitutional right of ours? That just because somebody is insulted by the way in which you are speaking can get you in lawful trouble, is this the Constitution our forefathers wrote or is this a misinterpretation and an injustice to our very own Bill of Rights?
“...The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” This second Amendment is a safeguard for the people of the United States of America to protect themselves from a new tyrannical government such as the one we escaped from in the Revolutionary War. This amendment is a safeguard against people who seek to cause harm to others. The United States has many laws regarding firearms, all of which infringe upon the right to bear arms. The definition of infringement is “act so as to limit or undermine” and I believe that any law that prohibits a person from owning a firearm or prohibits the sale of certain firearms is an unconstitutional statement. the Constitution gives States the right to Pass laws about subjects that are not spoken of in the Constitution, seeing as the right to bear arms is clearly spoken in the Constitution, how is it that our country has many laws that differ from state to state on this issue? Is this not unconstitutional? Is this what our forefathers wrote?
The vision of our forefathers is being marred by people who do not see the United States as a safe haven for freedom but as a way to gain power over others. Our Forefathers saw a country in which everyone was an equal in which everyone had the freedoms that they deserve and in which the government was in the hands of the people and for the people. I believe that if our forefathers were to see the country that we have today they would be both impressed by what we have accomplished and scared by what we are becoming. This country used to be self-sufficient. Now we rely on imports from other countries and many people take advantage of the freedoms that they have and are not appreciative of the blood that was shed that got us here. I believe that the America today is not our forefathers’ vision and that it is still in our power to bring our country back on track to give and maintain the rights of the citizens of the United States of America.
A line that many of us are familiar with is the oath that we swear when we become a part of the forces that protect freedom. “I, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;... so help me God.” This oath gives us the mindset that there are threats to our freedom in our very own domestic life; this is not only by means of force, but also in ways that undermine the Constitution that we swear to support and defend. The Constitution of the United States of America, a masterpiece that our Forefathers created and fought for, is the lifeblood of freedom. We must protect it at all costs.
America rivals all nations. We are bigger, better, faster, stronger, and more powerful than the rest of this planet. Our military capability is unrivaled, and our economy is as successful as can be. We have made a name for ourselves. We rose from nothing. A handful of outcasts in a foreign land with tyrannical monarchs as overwatch. Opportunity leads to growth and the chance at new life brought people into the land of the free. The handful of outcasts grew into a few good men, those men built this country and rescued us from the grip of a demon called England. For this we shall be eternally grateful. They gave us freedom. They gave us opportunity. Opportunity and freedom that are now being lessened by a group of individuals called politicians.
The Founding Fathers wrote three documents that this country is built upon. The first of which is the Declaration of Independence, the second the Constitution, and the third the Bill of Rights. In these documents there are specific rules that are to not be changed written plain as day as to the way the United States is to remain free and how it is to be run and ruled. Over the last two hundred years the constitution has been misinterpreted, the meanings of the amendments marred, and laws passed that defy these sacred texts entirely. The Fathers of this country gave us ten rights in the Bill of Rights, more added as amendments later on, rights that include but are not limited to, the right to free speech, and the right to bear arms. Both of these rights are highly debated topics in today's political field. People misinterpret the First Amendment to the Constitution in which it says, “Congress shall make no law respecting … or abridging the freedom of speech…,” Those in our country say that freedom of speech should only be freedom of speech if it does not harm others feelings, insult them, or make them feel in any way threatened. The Constitution was not written with emotions in mind, it was written with the freedom of a people in mind. Our forefathers sought it to be a specific and unchangeable fact that a citizen of the United States should be free to speak their mind in whatever way they deem fit. There are no statements declaring that freedom of speech is only limited to speech that does not contradict the thoughts of others or challenge their feelings or ideals. With this in mind does the law of hate speech violate this constitutional right of ours? That just because somebody is insulted by the way in which you are speaking can get you in lawful trouble, is this the Constitution our forefathers wrote or is this a misinterpretation and an injustice to our very own Bill of Rights?
“...The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” This second Amendment is a safeguard for the people of the United States of America to protect themselves from a new tyrannical government such as the one we escaped from in the Revolutionary War. This amendment is a safeguard against people who seek to cause harm to others. The United States has many laws regarding firearms, all of which infringe upon the right to bear arms. The definition of infringement is “act so as to limit or undermine” and I believe that any law that prohibits a person from owning a firearm or prohibits the sale of certain firearms is an unconstitutional statement. the Constitution gives States the right to Pass laws about subjects that are not spoken of in the Constitution, seeing as the right to bear arms is clearly spoken in the Constitution, how is it that our country has many laws that differ from state to state on this issue? Is this not unconstitutional? Is this what our forefathers wrote?
The vision of our forefathers is being marred by people who do not see the United States as a safe haven for freedom but as a way to gain power over others. Our Forefathers saw a country in which everyone was an equal in which everyone had the freedoms that they deserve and in which the government was in the hands of the people and for the people. I believe that if our forefathers were to see the country that we have today they would be both impressed by what we have accomplished and scared by what we are becoming. This country used to be self-sufficient. Now we rely on imports from other countries and many people take advantage of the freedoms that they have and are not appreciative of the blood that was shed that got us here. I believe that the America today is not our forefathers’ vision and that it is still in our power to bring our country back on track to give and maintain the rights of the citizens of the United States of America.
A line that many of us are familiar with is the oath that we swear when we become a part of the forces that protect freedom. “I, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;... so help me God.” This oath gives us the mindset that there are threats to our freedom in our very own domestic life; this is not only by means of force, but also in ways that undermine the Constitution that we swear to support and defend. The Constitution of the United States of America, a masterpiece that our Forefathers created and fought for, is the lifeblood of freedom. We must protect it at all costs.
2nd Place Jagger Klecatsky, 12 grade, East Gull Lake $250.
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3rd place Jovy Goreham, 12th grade, Pequot Lakes, $200.
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The award ceremony for these winners will be at 6:45 pm on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.
September 25, 2024: (l-r) Bill Satre, then morning host on B93.3 Radio, Mile Williams and Mark Persons from the Brainerd VFW. They talked about the Voice of Democracy and Patriot's Pen competitions. The interview was also heard on KUAL Radio.
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March 4, 2024: Sophia Lin from Scottsdale, Arizona, became the first-place national winner of the 2023 - 2024 VFW Voice of Democracy competition. Her prize was a $35,000 scholarship check. The award was given at the 2024 VFW Conference in Washington, D.C.
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January 13, 2024: Lydia Prout, a Junior at Melrose Area High School, was the first-place winner of the 2023-2024 Minnesota VFW Voice of Democracy competition. She received $3000 in prize money. The video is from the Minnesota Midwinter Conference. She went on to take third place nationally for $15,000. |
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What are the Greatest Attributes of our Democracy?
Picture… fireworks on the Fourth of July. The day that we celebrate our independence, these pyrotechnical wonders launch, shine, and then they’re gone, the ashes scattered to the wind. One bright burst of patriotism, and then we return to our repetitive circadian rhythms. But our democracy is so much more than fireworks. Beneath all the sparkle of titles, medals and politics, democracy burns bright through the toughest times, its torch held high by our veterans, lit by the sacrifices they have made. Since its formation, America has undergone trials both internal and external, from the Civil War to the Cold War. But always, no matter our politics, Americans burn with a fierce passion to protect our way of government. So let’s light up some of democracy’s greatest attributes.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Democracy as: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them through a system of representation. In other words, a government created by the people, for the people. Everyone's voice is heard; or at least, they’re supposed to be. As much as we like to believe that everyone is granted equal representation, unfortunately that is not the case. Some voices get unnecessarily loud, and some are drowned out. But the more people who participate in democracy, the more we encourage voting, the more equal it becomes. Our democracy is ever evolving into a ‘more perfect union’, and it is our responsibility as citizens to ensure that union.
So, now that we’ve lit the fuse by defining democracy and establishing its purpose, let’s launch into why ours is so important.
America is one of the oldest and largest living democracies. Because of this, it’s also highly developed, tried, and true. And one of our greatest strengths is our diversity. We have been dubbed a ‘salad bowl’--a cultural mosaic. Many different cultures and ethnicities have been tossed together throughout our history to form the rich, diverse, multicultural society that we live in today. Our government represents thousands of people and thousands of ways of life, and that diversity makes us powerful. Women and people of minority backgrounds are rising up to take office, to be represented, and to be heard; from Martin Luther King Jr. to Ruth Bater Ginsburg. The more we can allow this to flourish, the more empathy we build as a nation and the more empowered all of us become.
Now let’s illuminate in a burst of color what is arguably the most important thing about our democracy.
This particular facet is deceivingly simple, and something that many Americans, including myself, often take for granted, our freedom of choice. We all have choices. We all make them, whether good or bad, and they are the ones we live with. But to have as much freedom as we do in this country is rare in the corrupted world we live in today. Our freedom that is paid for every day by the sacrifices made by our men and women in the armed forces-- our veterans. And we must not allow ourselves to forget the privilege they have given us to express ourselves, to worship as we choose, to vote, and to be who we want to be. They have endowed us with choice.
Individually, we are all so different and so unique. But still we are unified by a fire that blazes in all of us. We are one people. One nation. One democracy. Today, we lit the fuse by defining democracy as a government by the people, for the people. Then, we launched into why our differences are one of our greatest strengths. And finally, we illuminated the privilege of choices, and the sacrifices made for us to have them. There are many aspects that make our nation great, and still there are areas we can improve. But we are not fireworks-- short and passing with a legacy of ash. No, we are a blazing forge, a flame that does not waver with the strongest wind. Democracy may flicker, but it will never burn out.
Picture… fireworks on the Fourth of July. The day that we celebrate our independence, these pyrotechnical wonders launch, shine, and then they’re gone, the ashes scattered to the wind. One bright burst of patriotism, and then we return to our repetitive circadian rhythms. But our democracy is so much more than fireworks. Beneath all the sparkle of titles, medals and politics, democracy burns bright through the toughest times, its torch held high by our veterans, lit by the sacrifices they have made. Since its formation, America has undergone trials both internal and external, from the Civil War to the Cold War. But always, no matter our politics, Americans burn with a fierce passion to protect our way of government. So let’s light up some of democracy’s greatest attributes.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Democracy as: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them through a system of representation. In other words, a government created by the people, for the people. Everyone's voice is heard; or at least, they’re supposed to be. As much as we like to believe that everyone is granted equal representation, unfortunately that is not the case. Some voices get unnecessarily loud, and some are drowned out. But the more people who participate in democracy, the more we encourage voting, the more equal it becomes. Our democracy is ever evolving into a ‘more perfect union’, and it is our responsibility as citizens to ensure that union.
So, now that we’ve lit the fuse by defining democracy and establishing its purpose, let’s launch into why ours is so important.
America is one of the oldest and largest living democracies. Because of this, it’s also highly developed, tried, and true. And one of our greatest strengths is our diversity. We have been dubbed a ‘salad bowl’--a cultural mosaic. Many different cultures and ethnicities have been tossed together throughout our history to form the rich, diverse, multicultural society that we live in today. Our government represents thousands of people and thousands of ways of life, and that diversity makes us powerful. Women and people of minority backgrounds are rising up to take office, to be represented, and to be heard; from Martin Luther King Jr. to Ruth Bater Ginsburg. The more we can allow this to flourish, the more empathy we build as a nation and the more empowered all of us become.
Now let’s illuminate in a burst of color what is arguably the most important thing about our democracy.
This particular facet is deceivingly simple, and something that many Americans, including myself, often take for granted, our freedom of choice. We all have choices. We all make them, whether good or bad, and they are the ones we live with. But to have as much freedom as we do in this country is rare in the corrupted world we live in today. Our freedom that is paid for every day by the sacrifices made by our men and women in the armed forces-- our veterans. And we must not allow ourselves to forget the privilege they have given us to express ourselves, to worship as we choose, to vote, and to be who we want to be. They have endowed us with choice.
Individually, we are all so different and so unique. But still we are unified by a fire that blazes in all of us. We are one people. One nation. One democracy. Today, we lit the fuse by defining democracy as a government by the people, for the people. Then, we launched into why our differences are one of our greatest strengths. And finally, we illuminated the privilege of choices, and the sacrifices made for us to have them. There are many aspects that make our nation great, and still there are areas we can improve. But we are not fireworks-- short and passing with a legacy of ash. No, we are a blazing forge, a flame that does not waver with the strongest wind. Democracy may flicker, but it will never burn out.
2022-2023 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
2021-2022 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
2020-2021 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
2019-2020 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
2018-2019 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
2017-2018 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
2016-2017 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
2015-2016 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
2021-2022 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
2020-2021 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
2019-2020 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
2018-2019 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
2017-2018 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
2016-2017 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
2015-2016 VFW Voice of Democracy National Winner
4th and 5th graders participate in the Essay Competition
Students in grades 6 - 8 competed in the Patriot's Pen competition
Scouts K-12 compete for Scout of the Year
Students in grades 6 - 8 competed in the Patriot's Pen competition
Scouts K-12 compete for Scout of the Year
