"Celebrating Unity Through Diversity" 

by Lauren Straszacker
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque School Grade 4
Sponsoring Teacher -Mrs. Schneider

	The United States of America is made up of many different people who are from many different cultures. God made each person special. We need to respect everyone. Everyone has his own special gifts to share with others.  As Americans, we all want to have freedom and justice. We pray for peace in the world. We are thankful that we are able to practice our religion and that we have freedom of speech. We work hard for our money. Americans also try hard to have their own home and property. Getting an education and choosing a job are also things that we are thankful for. 
	
	In my own experience, I know very few people from different cultures. However, the people I do know are more like me than they are different. They are kind and caring towards others. They also want to live in peace. I think that they respect me and I respect them. We share in many similar activities such as sports and other hobbies. 

	We are blessed to live in a country with many cultures. It gives us the ability to learn from one another. We all have knowledge and talents to share. We are able to enjoy books and movies from other cultures. Sharing different kinds of food is also fun. Appreciation for music and art from other cultures also enriches our lives. We can build on each other's know ledge especially in the areas of science and technology. By doing this, we make a better world for everyone. 

	Even though there are many benefits to living in a country with many cultures, there are also many challenges. It takes a lot of effort to understand people from other cultures. We have to be willing to accept the differences in others. Also it takes time to build trust between cultures. Overcoming fear of the differences in others can also be challenging. Often we fear those that we don't understand. This is why it is important to be educated about other cultures. Another challenge to living with many cultures is trouble communicating with one another. Some may even speak a totally different language. 

	Even though there are these challenges, we all have to work together to come to an under- standing of each other's differences. Through education, we can grow in respect and trust for one another. We all have to do our part to reach out to others. We have to cooperate with each other. There has to be a joint commitment to work together for the common good of all. If we can all respect one another and value each other's differences, we can make the world a more peaceful place. We know that we need God's help in order to live in peace.