Alex Carr's Optimist Speech “America: Why Me? Why Not?”

Welcome students, teachers, and guests.

Why me? Why not? Those are two very important and meaningful questions every American must ask him or herself at some point in their lives-if they are willing to accept the responsibility the answers to those questions demands.

First, why me? Why do I get to live in a free country when so many other people in the world not only now but throughout history have not had the right to openly express their opinions without fear of being punished by their own government? Why am I guaranteed that I can be whomever and whatever I want no matter what my race, gender, or religious beliefs?

The answer to the question is deceptively simple:

Because I got lucky.

Lucky to have been born in a nation where nothing can limit you from fulfilling your dreams but your own imagination. Lucky to have had ancestors with the courage to dream.

Our forefathers asked themselves "Why me?" at the birth of our nation nearly 250 years ago, but came up with a very different answer.

When they posed that question, they weren't asking themselves, "Why am I so lucky?"-because our nation did not yet exist.

They were asking themselves, "Why must this monumental task of creating a free nation fall on my shoulders? Why must I be the one who has to stand up to tyranny and injustice? Why can't someone else do it?"

Fortunately for all of us, their courageous answer was, "I must make a stand so that, hundreds of years from now, my descendents will never know a life without freedom." Precious freedom for which so many have died.

John Quincy Adams, our nation's sixth President, understood this when he said, "Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it."

Yet, the birth of our nation wasn't the only time Americans have been called to answer.

In World War I, Allied forces successfully fought off the evil of totalitarianism, preserving freedom for the modern age.

Not long after that, our nation was attacked, causing us to enter World War II where, once again, we were challenged to fend off the enemies of liberty.

In many other conflicts before and since these terrible wars, America's resolve has been tested.

And now, as our nation once again faces a time of great uncertainty, we must all pose that same question our forefathers asked themselves so many years ago: "Why me?"

Because somebody's got to do it.

The enemies of freedom are always present in the world, so freedom must continuously be defended.

I consider it an honor and a privilege to do my part to keep America free so that later generations may also experience all I have been given.

I like to think of it as payment in advance for the peace of mind that comes from knowing that my own children and their descendants will know the life which I have been bestowed.

As the great American patriot, Thomas Paine, wrote, "If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace."

And now we come to the second question: "Why not?" To me, that's an even more important one than "Why me?"

Another deceptively simple answer:

Why not? Because we were meant to be free.

Why not? Because we were created to be free.

Why not? Because to be free is mankind's destiny.

I feel that.

I know that.

I am that.

Every believer in the ideal that is America must be prepared to fight and, if need be, to make the ultimate sacrifice to preserve liberty for all mankind.

To ask "Why me?" is every American's duty. Having the freedom to answer, "Why not?" is America's gift to her people.