The Oak Tree: A Symbol for America and our Values as Americans.
America, our great country, is strong, powerful, and influential. Americans exemplify positive values: selflessness, hospitality, and a high quality of life. The mighty oak tree that stands taller, bigger, and stronger than all others best represents this grand country. Each part of the tree illustrates a facet of our nation. .
Shapely emerald leaves covering the tree symbolize the values many Americans cherish concerning themselves, others, and their nation. Leaves help the tree grow and flourish, just as our value of caring for our neighbors help us to unite and become more successful as a whole. As the multi-colored leaves blend together in fall to make the tree more attractive and unique, so do the many cultures and values that make America. Our values often differ from values of other countries due to cultural contrasts such as with religious, racial, and educational issues. We give much more freedom than many other countries do to those of different races and religions. Also, we hold education in a much higher regard than in most countries. It is these differences which sometimes make our country seem more appealing to those of foreign lands. Without leaves in the spring, the mighty oak would have no means of nourishment and would die. Our common, basic American values bind us together as one unit just as all the leaves work together to benefit the oak. Without them we would be millions of separate bodies aimlessly wandering about a common ground, and our country would fall to pieces. Thus, there would be no country as there would be no tree. .
The lonely oak's long, gnarled limbs seem to reach out as far as they can just to touch another tree. One limb reaches far to the east until it finds a maple. Our brave troops fought in the east to fend off the Czechoslovakians and Serbians from nearly defenseless Bosnia. Another limb bends down and softly touches the fresh buds of a young sapling, just as our soldiers are currently freeing the Iraqi people to create a new life and government for them.
