Bang. The first shot was fired at the Old North Bridge in 1775. It was this very shot that first began the American Revolution and laid the seed for the formation of our nation. Our nation? The United States of America. Through the marshes of New Orleans, the muddied hills of Gettysburg, and even the treacherous march on D-Day, our nation has endured. It was the land of the free. A country founded upon the fundamental rights of all human beings. A country that was responsible for paving the way for future revolutions and the collapse of tyrannical monarchies throughout the world. A country who’s farmers and artisans braved the winter at Valley Forge and the cannon fire at York Town. Our country is the country that to this day, prides itself as the “spearhead” of the free world and still seeks out justice in every corner of the world.

The times of Washington, “Honest Abe”, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin are over. We are no longer fighting for our independence. We are no longer trying to reunite our nation against the flames of Civil War nor are we trying to save the world from Communism’s iron descent. Despite the obstacles we have overcome, this is not our brightest time. As a sophomore in High School, I understand through the depressing news casts and even the strained faces at the gas station that our nation is experiencing trouble. As our nation continues to struggle, we lose a little more of our belief in the fundamentals that our country was based on. As Wall Street declines and our politicians keep singing the same old tune, we lose faith. As teachers are losing jobs and our education system trails that of other countries, we lose hope. As unemployment rises and businesses fail, we lose our drive. As the death toll in the Middle East rises and war critics are louder than ever before, we lose our patriotism. It is in these troubling times that I wonder: will we ever lose our identity as Americans?

The answer is no. We will never lose the American spirit. The same spirit that gave patriots the courage to resist the grasp of tyranny and the same spirit that gave soldiers the strength to resist Hitler still runs through us. As an American, that very spirit is never lost. It is this very time that our nation needs us the most and while the great leaders of the old have long passed away, it is our time to step up to the challenge. Instead of blaming our government, Wall Street, and the War in the Middle East, it’s time we seized our own destinies. Clint Eastwood once said in a Super Bowl Commercial that “it is half time in America”. How we finish that half is no longer dependent on Obama, Romney, or any other politician. It depends on us. Whether you are a student, a doctor, a scientist, a business man, or even a construction worker, I ask you to believe again. Believe again that the American spirit will prevail like is has many times before. Believe again that our nation is not defeated. Believe again that if we unite as a people, as a unit of believers, as an unstoppable force, then we will again triumph. There is no limit to our nation’s greatness. There is no limit to our integrity as a people. This is America.