There was a time in America when one could start with a small investment, work hard, and wind up with a successful business or a completed dream. America, after all, was the land of opportunity.
Now with rising taxes, permits, fees, government agencies, zoning, and a host of other problems, the American Dream is more difficult to obtain. Or is it? There have always been obstacles, government agencies, taxes, fees, and permits one need to obtain before taking on any adventure or dream. So does bureaucratic red tape kill the American dream?
The American Dream is not some project or business that is open for outside forces to dictate the outcome. The American Dream is not governed by circumstances, conditions, red tape, or even government intervention. The American Dream lives and breathes within the individual person who has liberty and freedom at his disposal to energize and control his destination. The American Dream is inherent to America because it is a land of freedom and liberty. To say it exactly would be to say, “We hold these 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.” This has only been true in the Untied States because our foundation is one of individual freedom. Another large factor is the right to own property. Try building the American Dream in China or Iran. It won’t work. The governing agency does not permit individuals to chart their own course.
Is the American Dream Dead? No, it lives as long as we have libraries, movies, and independent expression. Not as long as we can travel from state to state at our choosing. Not as long as we can openly purchase products or decline a product to choose another. Not as long as we can ask a total stranger for help or give to someone who is in need. Not as long as we can choose a place to worship or have quiet meditation. Not as long as the veteran fights for our right to live in peace and safety.
The American Dream is not determined by government, the right to bear arms, the right to work, the right to keep the money I earn, and spend it the way I want.
What then determines the American Dream? The American Dream is determined by the mindset, attitude, and determination of the individual. A mindset that says, “I will succeed no matter what.” A mindset of intestinal fortitude and bravery to go forth and conquer the obstacles that stand in the way of the American Dream. If you think the dream is dead, then you are correct, and you are defeated. The end of the American Dream is not dead. Only if you are thinking about quitting, then the American Dream is Dead inside you. However, watch out! Someone will come along and prove you wrong.
Is the American Dream Dead? Ask a movie successful movie star, Colonel Sanders, Ray Croc of McDonalds, professional baseball players, race car drivers, airplane pilots, grandparents, and families. Ask any true blooded American if he is free and if the American Dream Stills Lives.
Is the American Dream Dead? No, a thousand times NO!
