Grace Notes for May 18

The focus of the Law Day Essay Contest sponsored by the Kitsap County Bar Association was DEMOCRACY.  Saint Cecilia Catholic School students made a clean sweep, winning 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place.  Excerpts from the winning essays are below:

A lively debate is about respect for the other person, but first you have to give respect to get respect.  Once people are comfortable with each other you have to look for common ground, often the common ground is when both people care about making things better for everyone.

(3^rd place, Common Good and Common Ground, Colette Bower, 7^th)

My position on the matter of preventing people from having absolute power is to elect people who are humble and understand that our laws apply to them too.  We can try to make everyone follow rules, but we must also allow them to question those rules if they hurt people or limit their ability to pursue the goals of life, liberty, and happiness.

(2^nd place, Dictatorship From Democracy, Nolan Riley, 7^th)

George Washington wanted the people of the United States to know that these factions or political parties are likely to usurp the reins of power and destroy the very power of the people that was laid down for them by the framers of the constitution. The predictions that Washington made are becoming true. They will soon be fully fulfilled if something is not done to help the political factions work together to make decisions.

(1^st place, The Instability of Political Factions, Logan Maxwell, 8^th)

The awards ceremony at the Court House in Port Orchard was attended by all three students, their parents and teacher Mrs. Amy Lee-Despard.  $350, $250 and $150 were given to 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners.