The American Dream

Over 400 years ago there was a group of people who left their mother country in search of freedom, freedom from religious persecution. They braved the frigid waters of the Atlantic and settled in a land unknown to them. Coming from an industrialized nation such as England these people had little knowledge and skill when it came to tilling and taking care of the land. Had it not been for the indigenous people of the time, these early settlers would have perished. But providence wouldn't have it, so this people flourished in the land. Years later they would rise up in a declaration of independence against that same mother land whom they still paid tribute to. Again the battle cry of freedom was raised; freedom from wrongful taxation, freedom from an oppressive monarchy, freedom to live how they chose to live. The war progressed and many feared that this little nation would easily be suppressed by the powerful English infantry and navy. Again, providence wouldn't have it and this nation prevailed against all odds. As history looks back on this war there are many who still marvel that these thirteen little colonies could defeat the most powerful nation in the world. An thus the United States of America was born.
Over the years the United States gradually turned into a land of opportunity, a land of hope, a land of new beginnings. Millions would immigrate from their homelands, where their families have lived for thousands of years, in hopes of obtaining a better life for their children. Many came to escape oppression from their government. Despite their situation these people came to live the "American Dream." This concept continues this day with thousands of people immigrating every year (be it legally or illegally).
However, what is this "American Dream"? The Declaration of Independence states that "…held certain truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." James Truslow Adams, who coined the term "American Dream" in his book Epic America (1931), states the following: "The American Dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position." If you were to look up "American Dream" in Wikipedia you would find this statement: "The American Dream is belief in the freedom that allows citizens and residents of the United States to pursue their goals in life through hard work and bravery. Today, it often refers to one's material prosperity, which is dependent upon one's abilities and work ethic, and not on a rigid class structure."
I ask you this question...do you still believe in the American Dream? Do you believe that through hard work, personal sacrifice, and personal responsibility you can achieve your goals? Do you believe that each person is "innately capable" of making their own progress? Or have you abandoned this dream and sought out a new one, one of entitlement and "I deserve"? Unfortunately it is my belief that the people of this country are living that new dream.


Now I don't want people getting confused with my motives for that last video. It was not in any way an attack against President Elect Barack Obama, but more against the mindset of miss Peggy Joe and the millions of other Americans out there that have that same sense of entitlement about them. There are many who believe that the government owes them or should regulate all aspects of human life; healthcare, education, business, oil, etc. With the government running everything these people, like Peggy Joe, believe that all their problems will be solved. "If I help him then he'll help me," she says.
Our founding fathers did not believe in this principle. Those Rights that they (and we) believe in are 1)Life 2)Liberty and 3)Pursuit of Happiness and they established this democratic government to protect those rights. You have the right to life and liberty and our government must and will protect those rights. However, you do not have the right to be happy but rather to pursue after happiness. That right to pursue happiness is protected by our government but it doesn't guarantee it, nor will it ever. In essence what this means is that you have the right of protection from your government, but not to free handouts.
Why wouldn't our founding fathers establish a government that helped offered more programs to its people, or offered more help? Because they knew that if the people depended upon its government to provide for them then this people could never become self sufficient. It's the whole "Give a man/Teach a man to fish" concept. Another important lesson to learn here is that if there is a problem, then we the people need to step up and fix it. We should take care of the poor among us, not the government. A colleague of mine wrote about this in his blog about Universal Healthcare. In a nutshell he states that the spirit of charity and gratitude are taken away with this type of believe.
To finish my ranting and raving, live the American Dream! Live it to its fullest potential but realize that you have to pursue after it, it's not going to be given to you. Don't let a sense of entitlement persuade you into thinking that the government is going to make everything all right, because it won't. Socialism didn't work for Russia and it surely won't work for us. President Benson counseled back in 1977 that "the people should support the government but the government shouldn't support the people." Abraham Lincoln coined a "government of the people, by the people, and for the people," a urged the American people in his Gettysburg Address to work and make every effort possible towards maintaining that government and our American Dream.

2/4/09
I was perusing the Glenn Beck Page and found this article. Read point 6.