To honor young heroes

Anne and Samantha Day, December 22 and June 20, are days to recognize Anne Frank and Samantha Smith, two young girls who left their mark on history during eras of political tension.

Most of us are familiar with Anne Frank, a thirteen-year old who documented her life for two years while she and her family hid from the Nazis during World War II in the Netherlands. Today, many people know her story by the book The Diary of a Young Girl, which honestly presents the cruelty of the time.

Samantha Smith was only ten years old when she wrote a letter to Yuri Andropov, the paramount leader of the Soviet Union in the 1980s. In her letter, she asked for answers about the Cold War. When she received no answer, she wrote a second time and received an answer from Andropov himself, clarifying his lack of desire for a Nuclear War.

Smith became known as America’s youngest ambassador and she, too, has a book about her, Journey to the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, she also died before she became famous. In her case, it was due to a plane crash.

Anne and Samantha Day actually takes place twice a year, on both the winter and summer solstice. It is especially important for two reasons: 1) It acknowledges the power of young girls by showing what Anne and Samantha were capable of, and 2). It reminds us regularly of the importance of world peace as both Anne and Samantha lived through and addressed with events against world peace.