Sunday, April 12, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
The American Dream?
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.""
"It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the
destiny of a nation."
"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."
"It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail
toward freedom through the darkest of nights."
"I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice."
"It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and
pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness."
"I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."
"It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the
ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land."
"I have a dream."
"Yes we can."
I have a dream: yes we can.
----------------
"It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the
destiny of a nation."
"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."
"It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail
toward freedom through the darkest of nights."
"I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice."
"It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and
pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness."
"I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."
"It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the
ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land."
"I have a dream."
"Yes we can."
I have a dream: yes we can.
----------------
When asked to define the American Dream, one gets a lot of different responses.
"Success, fame and wealth through thrift and hard work."
"Freedom for all."
"To be what I want to be when I was young."
"For all my dreams to come true."
"To live better than our parents did."
"To be number one."
And however rarely,
"To be happy."
But really, what is the American Dream?
I guess it's different for everyone.
In "Death of a Salesman", Willy Loman's American Dream is to be successful - to be well-liked. To come out number one in the hearts of his boys and the heart of his business, a life he never achieves.
In 30 Days on Minimum Wage, Morgan's American Dream is just to survive. To be able to live the life that so many Americans are forced to live with barely enough money to make it, a life he finds himself unable to live.
In Jason Smith's story, his American Dream came true. He went from the depths of the poor neighborhoods he once roamed to the top of the charts for football. He worked hard, and in the end, it payed off - all his dreams came true.
In The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris's American Dream also comes true. Like Jason, he goes from the very bottom to the very top - but not without going falling along the way. His hard work pays off, and he ends up a multimillionaire - a life he most certainly deserves.
In Caroline's story, her American Dream fails. She works hard, but she never gets anywhere. Forced to work in a Walmart stock room, being paid less than minimum wage, her American Dream never even had a chance - all because she didn't have any teeth.
So even though the American Dream may be different for everyone, it's obvious that not everyone achieves it. But why? Why don't we? Why is it that only some of us end up being successful and happy, and the rest of us don't?
I think I know why.
We all grew up being told, "You can be anything you want to be, as long as you set your mind to it. Just work hard, and remember: reach for the moon, and even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
But honestly, it's not that simple. Life doesn't always just depend on us. There are things we cannot control, and sometimes no matter how hard you try to overcome them, you just can't.
In The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris Gardner overcame his troubles. But he didn't do it alone. If you look close enough, you'll see the help and guidance from a thousand different people - the three bosses who gave him the job; the man who told him he could be a stockbroker; his wife, for a while at least. Chris worked extremel hardy to get where he is, and he deserved it more than anyone - but he had help. Some people don't get that help.
Like Caroline. She can't afford dental care, and she has no teeth. She has a family to provide for, and a minimum wage job that's a twenty-minute commute...on foot. She tries so hard...yet where is her American Dream?
My stepmom Shari started out as co-partner of one hair salon. Years later, she was the CEO of Redken Hair Products. She went to a four-year university, and many other workers had much higher education than her. She tells me to work hard, and that my dreams will come true too. She says it happens everywhere - take the Obamas, for example.
Michelle Obama grew up in a house with only one spoon. Now, she goes to third-grade classrooms and says to them, "You can be anything you want to be." Is that wrong of her? To tell third-grade kids that the world out there stops for no one? That sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can't get there?
I guess this brings to my next point: hope. My stepmom asked me today if it is wrong of Michelle Obama to tell those third-graders that they can be anything they want to be. "Is it wrong to give them hope?" she accuses me.
Hope.
"In the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope."
Hope.
We haven't had it for so long, but now that we do, can the American Dream become a reality for all?
We had hope once, in the form of a dream. A dream that came true. One man's dream for freedom and equality for all. He had a dream, and it came true not just for him, but for America.
Now, we have a new dream. The dream that everyone can be successful, be happy, be whatever they want to be. It's a dream for the Carolines of the world; it's a dream for the Chris Gardners too. It's a dream infused with hope that someday it will happen - that someday, it won't be a dream anymore. The American Dream.
I have a dream.
The American Dream.
But I can't do it alone.
I need the help of everyone - we all do.
Can we do it?
Can we make it came true?
Yes we can.
"Success, fame and wealth through thrift and hard work."
"Freedom for all."
"To be what I want to be when I was young."
"For all my dreams to come true."
"To live better than our parents did."
"To be number one."
And however rarely,
"To be happy."
But really, what is the American Dream?
I guess it's different for everyone.
In "Death of a Salesman", Willy Loman's American Dream is to be successful - to be well-liked. To come out number one in the hearts of his boys and the heart of his business, a life he never achieves.
In 30 Days on Minimum Wage, Morgan's American Dream is just to survive. To be able to live the life that so many Americans are forced to live with barely enough money to make it, a life he finds himself unable to live.
In Jason Smith's story, his American Dream came true. He went from the depths of the poor neighborhoods he once roamed to the top of the charts for football. He worked hard, and in the end, it payed off - all his dreams came true.
In The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris's American Dream also comes true. Like Jason, he goes from the very bottom to the very top - but not without going falling along the way. His hard work pays off, and he ends up a multimillionaire - a life he most certainly deserves.
In Caroline's story, her American Dream fails. She works hard, but she never gets anywhere. Forced to work in a Walmart stock room, being paid less than minimum wage, her American Dream never even had a chance - all because she didn't have any teeth.
So even though the American Dream may be different for everyone, it's obvious that not everyone achieves it. But why? Why don't we? Why is it that only some of us end up being successful and happy, and the rest of us don't?
I think I know why.
We all grew up being told, "You can be anything you want to be, as long as you set your mind to it. Just work hard, and remember: reach for the moon, and even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
But honestly, it's not that simple. Life doesn't always just depend on us. There are things we cannot control, and sometimes no matter how hard you try to overcome them, you just can't.
In The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris Gardner overcame his troubles. But he didn't do it alone. If you look close enough, you'll see the help and guidance from a thousand different people - the three bosses who gave him the job; the man who told him he could be a stockbroker; his wife, for a while at least. Chris worked extremel hardy to get where he is, and he deserved it more than anyone - but he had help. Some people don't get that help.
Like Caroline. She can't afford dental care, and she has no teeth. She has a family to provide for, and a minimum wage job that's a twenty-minute commute...on foot. She tries so hard...yet where is her American Dream?
My stepmom Shari started out as co-partner of one hair salon. Years later, she was the CEO of Redken Hair Products. She went to a four-year university, and many other workers had much higher education than her. She tells me to work hard, and that my dreams will come true too. She says it happens everywhere - take the Obamas, for example.
Michelle Obama grew up in a house with only one spoon. Now, she goes to third-grade classrooms and says to them, "You can be anything you want to be." Is that wrong of her? To tell third-grade kids that the world out there stops for no one? That sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can't get there?
I guess this brings to my next point: hope. My stepmom asked me today if it is wrong of Michelle Obama to tell those third-graders that they can be anything they want to be. "Is it wrong to give them hope?" she accuses me.
Hope.
"In the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope."
Hope.
We haven't had it for so long, but now that we do, can the American Dream become a reality for all?
We had hope once, in the form of a dream. A dream that came true. One man's dream for freedom and equality for all. He had a dream, and it came true not just for him, but for America.
Now, we have a new dream. The dream that everyone can be successful, be happy, be whatever they want to be. It's a dream for the Carolines of the world; it's a dream for the Chris Gardners too. It's a dream infused with hope that someday it will happen - that someday, it won't be a dream anymore. The American Dream.
I have a dream.
The American Dream.
But I can't do it alone.
I need the help of everyone - we all do.
Can we do it?
Can we make it came true?
Yes we can.
I have a dream: yes we can.
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