Patriotism, unity, division and reflection on the state of the nation were abound on Pearl Harbor Day at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4031 in Durango on Saturday.
About 40 people, including veterans, high school students and their families, gathered at the VFW for the lowering of a United States flag to half-staff in recognition of the 83rd anniversary of Pearl Harbor, followed by recognition of regional winners of the VFW’s annual Voices of Democracy scholarship program.
The prize of $1,300 was distributed among the top four regional Voices of Democracy winners. Zoe Golden took first place, followed by Aspen Machicek in second place, Brianna Bennet in third place and Ty Wong in fourth place.
Golden is also the city of Durango’s first Rising Poet Laureate.
The theme this year was “Is America Today Our Forefathers’ Vision?”
Not according to the Voices of Democracy winners, whose essays were recorded and played for attendees.
“I fear if (America’s forefathers) witnessed some aspects of America today, they would be distraught, not because there are women in positions of power or racial equality in education or strange diplomatic communications, but because there is no longer enough power in the word united,” Golden said in her first-place essay.
She said America’s forefathers would not be impressed with the United States today. Despite America being among the freest nations in the world, the country is rife with economic and political division.
Citing American journalist Ezra Klein’s 2020 book, “Why We’re Polarized,” Golden said Americans used to be united through their country, but today they are brought together by their core political beliefs – and separated from others who don’t share those beliefs.
She said war has been the most unifying force in history because the ability to grieve, paired with a desire for progressively driven change, connects people.
“The moment we strayed from the path of our forefathers was the moment we stopped acknowledging human emotion and the value in others’ opinions,” she said.
Despite the difference among Americans, she said the military still holds mastery over unity. Service members don’t choose their comrades and they don’t always agree with how to build democracy, but they always fight together and they respect the power of unity.
She never knew her grandfather, who was enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Based on the stories and descriptions relayed by her mother, she said “he fought for our country because he believed in a united people.”
Bennet, the third-place winner, said her grandfather was a Blue Water Navy Vietnam veteran who provided gunfire and logistics support and received the National Defense Service Medal and a Combat Action Ribbon for honorable service during the Vietnam War.
She said her grandfather didn’t talk about his experiences in Okinawa, Japan. He was exposed to Agent Orange, the chemical that American forces sprayed over Vietnamese lands to kill their crops. And her grandfather would answer the prompt – is America what its forefathers envisioned? – “no.”
She said the country’s economy is failing to put Americans first, citing the U.S. Department of State’s and U.S. Agency for International Development’s 2024 budget request for $63.1 billion in foreign assistance and diplomatic engagement as an example.
“Our country is not as great as our forefathers envisioned it, but it can be,” she said. “It can be a truly united nation if we the people work harder to unify it, work harder to put the people first and work harder to stay true to the virtues of our founders. We can make a difference.”
Tracy Padilla, regional VFW Voices of Democracy chair, said high school students from Durango, Silverton and Pagosa Springs participated in the region’s Voices of Democracy scholarship this year.
The scholarship is a way to reach young people and get them engaged with veterans, she said. About 10 students participated in the local and regional contests this year, and she hopes to see that number grow in the coming years.
The state and national championships will follow the regional contest.
The national first place winner will receive a $35,000 scholarship paid directly to the recipient’s American college or vocational school, according to the national VFW.
cburney@durangoherald.com
