Reed's Language Arts Class:

Peter: If I had a star on my dressing room door, it would be for directing a movie. Directing movies is what I plan on doing when I grow up. It would be cool to direct a movie, because you plan whatever you want to do. You make a movie how you want it. It may be a very hard job for you to do, but it is worth doing all the work to see you succeed. Plus, you get to say, "Action!" or "Cut!" It would be one of the greatest things I could do.

Mitchell: My star would say, "Mitchell, Writer." It would say this because they would be making a movie based on my Newberry Award winning book. It will have lots of action, thrill, comedy and maybe a little romance. The movie will break box office records, making trillions of dollars. I'll get billions of dollars and be filthy rich!

Brianna: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do! Oh, sorry, didn't see you there! I have a star on my door because of my musical performances. Sorry, got to go and perform. Sounds like they might want an encore tonight!

Joshua: A man walks into my dressing room and yells, "It will be show time in five minutes!" I hurry up outside and look on my dressing room door. There is a gold star that said, "Star" on it. I hear another voice, it said, "We'll be on air in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1….. Show Time!" I am a talk show host.

Should a President have to be born in the United States?

Shianne: If, for example, a Mexican person came to our country for money reasons and decided he wanted to run for President, he would not win. First off, he doesn't have enough experience in this country. Even if he was thoroughly aware of our Constitution, laws and politics, he still wouldn't win. He doesn't know our economy. He doesn't know of programs or funds and he doesn't know anyone in our governmental staff.

Jordan: People from anywhere should be able to be president. Where you come from was either good, or not so good. Such as Africa, there's not much water you can find out there. People who lived there struggled through life. They understand the needs of countries. People who lived in Africa and have moved to a nicer place could make a great president. They could help countries because they know what people want and need.

Shana: If the president lives in the United States, he/she is more likely to know about the United States. Someone who does not live there might not know the rules or cultures. The United States is a free country, and if anyone outside the U.S. were allowed to be elected, we may lose some of the freedom. Not all countries are free, so they might want to implement some of their rules. We may also take on some of the enemies of their country.

Tevon: The reason I think the president should be born in America is because he wouldn't know enough about our country. What would he/she know about our past? He probably wouldn't know what to do with the future of our country. Also, whoever would try out from a different country probably wouldn't speak English all that well. If the voters found out he is from another country, no one would vote for him so there is no reason to run.

Ahmad H: A United States president should be born in the United States! If we had a president who was not born in the U.S., he or she could have been planning a terrorist attack in his or her own country. They could tell the coordinates of our Army or nuclear stockpile. They could tell their previous country to come and attack. This could weaken our defenses by leading their country right towards us.

Emily M: If he came from a different country than the U.S., he may give more support to his own country than to the U.S. If he's concentrating on other countries, he may overlook our problems. He might let more immigrants into our country. He might spend a lot of money to help other countries. If he's the President of the United States, he should be an American!

Nick M: The president should be born in the United States because the president should know American culture. I think the president should also be taught American history and American literature. I also think the president should know the American ways. He should know the laws. The president should be able to interact with the people of his country.

Liam: Presidents should be able to be from other countries. If you live here you should be given the same opportunities as those born here. It could also help stop wars or deal with political feuds. Also, it could prevent future wars. We could better share resources or help other countries with problems. There are very good car ideas or ideas on how to save the environment in other countries. They would help us understand other cultures and maybe improve the economy.

Morgan: I don't think you have to be born in America just to be able to run for president. As long as they have citizenship papers and the right to vote, they should get the right to run. If a person from another country has a good idea to make our country better, then they should get to run. If a bunch of people get to move here from other countries and become citizens, then they are entitled to run for any position. When they are citizens they have the same government as we do. Besides, even if they get to run it doesn't mean that they have to win. I think that as long as they get to run and have a fair chance that it would be better.

Alex K: Presidents should only be born in the U.S. because of what they might do as president. What if his old country was in a war? Would he use the U.S.'s resources in the war? What if he wasted all of our money? We would be vulnerable. We might get attacked. People born here know what it's like to live in the United States. They know what needs to be fixed. They also know how to help.

Alex H: Election of a president is decided by people who live in the U.S. It is an honor to be president. People want someone who is loyal to their country. If you are born and raised in the U.S. you would have a better commitment to the people. A U.S. citizen would have common roots. Our forefathers in history voted on the first president. That candidate was a U.S. citizen. Our nation fought for freedom with the direction of a born leader. His goal was a for a greater good for his country. These traditions were passed on.

Frankie: A person should have to be born in the United Sates to be president. If a person was president from a different country, they might show favoritism to that country. Or, if we were at war, they may not want to fight their country. Another reason is that they may want to change our laws to be like the country they are from. They may even want to change the language. A foreign person may bring in too many people from their country and make it a different country. Even though people not born in the United States cannot be president, they can join in our laws. They can become citizens, vote, and run for office. In a lot of different countries, they do not have any rights. The United States has always taken in people from other countries. Our founding fathers thought the president should be born here to make sure they were American.

Jimmy: The president has to be born in the U.S.A. A true born U.S. citizen understands our culture and our freedoms because they have grown up with them. In addition, they would have to know the people in order to put the people first. I honestly don't think it's possible to serve two countries. If you're born with the heart and spirit of America, that is the only way to be a good president!