At the Veteran's Day Assembly, Brett Mayfield introduced a speech written by his brother by saying "Our brave men and women of service have shaped the nation into the historic beauty she is today.  They have inspired other Americans, given us freedom to pursue a brighter future and to become the land of true opportunity.  Without the impact of service, bravery, and diligence, our people would not uphold the mix of communities, ideas, freedoms, cultures, passions, motivations, art, togetherness that our country has truly become.  A speech written by my brother, Brice Mayfield, truly illustrates what American has been able to become and what her future holds.  After all, American's history is ultimately the hope for the future."

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Humanity is known to often tell stories, whether of the ancient times, a boy and a girl in love, or simply a rabbit scrambling away from a hungry fox.  These tales we tell are an image of us.  They are a canvas of who we are and what we've done and what we will do.  We use them to document, to learn, and to ultimately entertain our supple hearts.  Our American too has her own story to tell.  This one has no "Once Upon a Time" or "Happily Ever After," but has "We Did" and "We Hope" and "We Dream."  This is the tale of our America.

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She first tells of her revolutions, from industry to independence--from suffrage to the Star Spangled Banner.  The great states have stained the earth with red, white, and blue, as America has surely left her mark of change upon the landscape.  We the People have been known to sculpt morals, set examples, construct success, and ultimately lead the world.  Our nations is in her own self a maestro, conducting the symphony that the world must play in order to thrive, to live, to love.

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She secondly tells of her brawn.  We as citizens have all been witness to the famous textbook images of soldiers on the forefront of battle or the clean dressed nurses tending to the wounds of the fearless and the fallen.  For every time we utter "O say can you see" or "I pledge allegiance," we honor these mighty beings for their service to our America, as she prospers through the actions of such bravery.  We as the people are fearless to speak and to write and to create and to serve and to protect; it is through such measures that we have been blessed with one of the strongest organized systems in the world.  America stands proudly with her sword and shield, ready to defend all her has created.

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She thirdly tells of her zeal.  Who of us has not heard a marching band stroll down Main Street on a Saturday afternoon playing "The Stars and Stripes Forever"?  What of the lone soldier crying through his bugle the haunting "Taps" melody at a memorial service?  We do not simply attend mass displays of fireworks spritzing and booming in the night sky just to have a fun time.  We as America are the proud.  We are the excited, we are the exuberant.  We are the crafty and we are the creative.  As one of the most revolutionary and brave counties in the world, we also stand as one of the most exultant in our achievements and growths.  American celebrates herself, as she stands delighted in her product.

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We the people gaze upon these qualities of our America and view her in all her grandeur.  Through all the accomplished, she is inspired to accomplish more, and through all the hardships, she is inspired to make amends.  Our duty as her citizens, then, is to use our hope for the better of this nation.  We shall become more revolutionary, we shall become more gallant, and we shall become more passionate.  Every event leads to another, and we shall be sure that no matter what event this shall be, whether positive or negative, shall be painted with our stripes as we bravely take the challenge and make the world a more united place.  Just as our nation's flag lifted its stitched stars to the ones the resembled, so too we must lift our eyes, in hope of the brighter America to be.