Taking tile place of teaching for an eighth-grade class, I noticed that many of the students were asking for permission to leave the room. So I announced that, since it was Flag Day, anyone who wished to leave had to first write a short essay on 'Why I am proud to be an American.' The departure stepped. Then one youngster handed me a paper with a picture of the flag. Her statement read: 'I am proud to be an American because I am allowed to have certain individual(个人的) fights. These include freedom of religion--which gives me the right to worship(崇拜) as I please; freedom of speech--which gives me the right to speak freely; freedom from cruel and unusual punishment--which gives me the right to leave the room.' We exchanged smiles as I handed her the pass. Why did the teacher ask them to write a short essay?