The American Dream

As I sit at my kitchen counter, home from school for Memorial Day Weekend, I'm watching the History Channel as I do my weekly online Philosophy 101 homework. America: The History of US has been on for the majority of the evening. I have always been terribly interested in history, especially American history, so naturally I'm glued to the TV.

As I have watched this show for the last couple of hours, one strong theme has seemed to emerge - The American Dream. Yes, I'm capitalizing it - I think it's a proper noun. Although many think The American Dream is having 2.5 children a home, a job, and a car - it isn't. I have watched the emergence of the Industrial Revolution - the cotton gin, the Eerie Canal, the trans-continental railroad, an interstate that spans the entire country and how life-changing these innovations were, and still are today.

People came to America searching for refuge and freedom often from the oppressive countries in which they lived. In America, they were able to become entrepreneurs of their own lives. Those who came here in those early days had a drive and a want for something more then they had previously been able to attain. There was a drive for accomplishment. Our nation is known for being ambitious and go-getting. If there is something an American wants to achieve, we find away to achieve it. We are the masters of our own destiny.


When you come to America, you are assured unalienable rights. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Those are the core values and beliefs that disenfranchised peoples came to America in hopes of establishing, and fought against those trying to take those rights away. Our struggles became a nation.
As I watch these people building our great country from nothing, it seems many of those in my generation have lost this sense of leadership, drive and want to build a better life. People have become more complacent, even laissez-faire in their lives. Why? Why sit back with the attitude that 'someone else will do it', 'someone else will take care of it'? We have been known for our drive for our entire history. It is what makes the U.S. US - where did the American drive go?

I was always raised to believe that I would do 'better' than my parents, as they had done better than their parents and so on, and so on. But it seems as though the attitude of a great number of my generation seems content with the idea of settling.

Doesn't anyone want to work anymore? It definietly doesn't seem like it.

I raise these questions without any real answers. I do however, propose a challenge for everyone. Step up. Follow your dreams. It's what millions of people have died for our country, for you to be able to do - so do it.