The word "my" is defined as "of or relating to me or myself especially as possessor, agent, object of an action, or familiar person." I don't think this word correctly describes my relationship with our country. If I could, somehow, own this nation, I would be able to control what happens; but I'm not. Citizens in general (especially minors) have very little control over our government; even adult citizens who can elect their own representatives are motivated by false pretenses. Potential voters bombarded by a multitude of facades put up by professional actors trying to corner the largest demographic group... so... (?) that they can force them to support their candidacy even if voters' opinions do not agree with that of the candidate. Politics is a land of half-truths and empty promises. I believe our government could be run more truthfully “by the people” if we conducted nationwide votes on all proposals, laws, etc. that would otherwise pass through the legislative branch. . These referendums, in effect, could be used to eliminate the current legislative branch and replace it with a much larger and more representative one: the American people. I think it would be an interesting idea to try at the county or state level. The Internet would make this much more feasible today than it would have been 15 years ago. While this is a rather radical idea, I think it would be an improvement to elect representatives with their own personal agendas which may differ largely from their "courageous" causes which are trumpeted through the media and which are said to be what the candidates they represent. . This action would help reduce the possibility of corruption in our government but not completely remedy it. C...... middle of paper ......but the normal elections we hold every two, four and six years). I recently took a field trip to Purdue University where we learned about computer science as a career opportunity. This opened my eyes to how attractive careers in that field truly are and the great impact this field has on our country. If I am to follow this path, perhaps one day I can help improve our voting process. America is seen as a land of great promise to many people from other countries, but it still has many flaws that show how greedy and power-hungry they are. our culture is. Once we stop being self-centered and caring only about money, then we can govern our country fairly and in a true democracy. Until these changes occur, as a normal powerless citizen I will always be the Self of America. But when perhaps too optimistic? these wrongs are finally righted and I will be proud to say “This is my America.”