Description, Prizes & Deadline: The NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund(NRACRDF) is once again sponsoring an essay contest celebrating the Second Amendment as an integral part of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The theme for the essay is “The Second Amendment to the Constitution: Why it is important to our nation.”

Essays will be judged in two categories: Senior (grades 10-12) and Junior (grades 9 and below), with separate prizes awarded to the winners in each category. First prizes are $1,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds; second prizes, $600 in Savings Bonds; third prizes, $200 in Savings Bonds; and honorable mention, $100 in Savings Bonds.

The entry deadline for this contest is December 1, 2009. Essay contest winners will be selected by the NRACRDF and notified in early 2010. Winners will have their names published in InSights, and one of the Official Journals.

Eligibility: The contest is open to all students enrolled, or who will be enrolled, in an elementary, junior high or high school during the 2009-2010 academic year, or homeschooled students in an equivalent grade level, who have not previously received a prize.

Format and Contents: All essays should be about 1,000 words, neat, and legible (double spaced, typed preferred). Essays will be judged on originality, scholarship (including works cited) and presentation (including grammar and spelling). The fund historically receives a large number of entries and the contest is highly competitive. Include your name, age, address, telephone number, school and grade on the essay and also submit a statement from a teacher or parent saying that the paper is your original work. All entries become the property of the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund.