Larry Feldman - FIRST PLACE WINNER

Age: 15

Hometown: Marlboro, NJ

"Let us place there, carved high, as close to heaven as we can, the words of our leaders, their faces, to show posterity what manner of men they were."
                     - Gutzon Borglum

These words, spoken by the artist who sculptured the Mount Rushmore Monument, summaries the motivation behind his creation. They allude to the traditional practice of depicting leaders perched on high, looking up to heaven for inspiration, visible to all citizens for inspiration. But, either by subconscious design or happenstance, this monument functions in a very different manner. It reinforces that the principles of these leaders are part of the landscape of this country-truly part of its bedrock.

The image of President Washington reminds us of his personal strength and endurance in maintaining an army in the face of overwhelming opposition. That army was facing annihilation from the opposition, the elements, and even from the bureaucracy of many of our early political leaders. He endured-and fought on for victory, and the birth of a new nation. His personal strength also held that nation together in times of uncertainty during his presidency. This was a time without civil precedents, where his strength of character and sound judgment alone had to fill the void.

From Thomas Jefferson, we are reminded of the true democratic principles and the natural rights that belong to the citizens of this country. These are the ideas that this president gave voice to from his earliest days as a statesman, to his authoring of the Declaration of Independence, through his term as president of a young country. They are the principles that found their way into our constitution and our national conscience. They were easily exported to other nations seeking a roadmap from authoritarianism to a society based on human dignity and rights.

Teddy Roosevelt gives hope to all of those souls seeking to overcome their own personal limitations-just as Roosevelt overcame his physical limits early in his childhood. Here is the monument to rugged individualism-seeking adventure, righting the wrongs of society, and appealing to the individual characters of our citizens from his "bully pulpit."

And finally, from President Lincoln, we observe the devotion of a man to the dignity and integrity of this nation and its citizens-all of its citizens! He took a nation seeking to split in two, and gave his life so that the singular entity that is the United States would endure. Further, it would continue to endure with the promise of equality for all of its people.

Endurance, Democracy, Individualism, and National Integrity are fundamental characteristics of this nation and its bedrock foundation. These are the attributes that the artist has carved into our national landscape, our national identity-to last for the centuries. The faces look out in different directions so that all will hear. They are grounded in a common base-the rock of this country.