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Articles and essays

AMERICAN DREAM: MYTH OR REALITY?

by Allison Trefz, copyright 1998

The author can be reached through Christine Othitis

Allison wrote this essay for her Grade 8 class, and I think you will find it a first class piece of work. Though it doesn't mention HST or gonzo directly, it compliments HST's original assignment from Jim Silberman in 1968, to find the American Dream...Allison used quotes from an old essay I wrote, Notes on Steinbeck, Thompson and The American Dream. I may start collecting submissions for this essay again. --Christine O


"I lift my lamp beside the Golden Door!"

This final line to The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, which is engraved on the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, has been a welcoming to millions of hopeful immigrants coming to America. They search for a dream, the American Dream. What is this dream that so many come looking for? The American Dream is freedom, success, opportunity, perseverance, equality, justice, and safety for all. A chance so unique, it only exists in a single country. But how many actually achieve it? Is it a myth or reality? It can be fact or fiction. America is like a double-edged sword, with the ability to strengthen your heart and the risk of stabbing you in the stomach.

Each aspect of the American Dream has its successes and flaws, one of these being opportunity. “I think we forget that just the opportunity to succeed is a basic freedom that eludes many people on this planet.” - Mike W (found online).

When people come to America searching for the dream, everyone is given a chance to succeed, however, it is extremely rare to exceed the social barrier. Although this may seem pessimistic, one’s surroundings often shape their character and their incentive to succeed. If a person were to grow up in a poverty-stricken area for all of their life, the only experience that person would have with the adult world would be of low income and most likely low education. Due to inductive thinking, this person may draw the conclusion that all places in the world are like that one area, and their goals or standards will be lowered to the level of life that they know. But only in America is everyone given a chance to succeed. In most countries, the social level in which you are born is the one that you must stay in for your whole life. In the United States, public education is available, as well as many financial aides given for colleges so that one may go on to achieve their goals in life. America is a country of equal opportunity, but those who want to succeed must fight the battle to rise above the standards that were branded upon them as a child.

A major part of the American government is the justice system, which states all citizens are "innocent until proven guilty." But what happens when someone is proven innocent for a crime they committed? Many hard core criminals destroying the future of the country can get away with crimes by technicality. For example, an unconstitutional gathering of evidence or witness tampering. This allows these criminals to walk away with no punishment for their actions. America takes pride in this justice system, which is supposed to help protect the American people, but if so many can get out of discipline, how safe are the citizens? The truth of the matter is an interesting paradox: these flaws that allow criminals to go free are simultaneously attributes to the justice system which protects the rights of America’s people. This makes justice an honorable system which protects the freedoms and rights of this country.

Each person is guaranteed a fair trial, and if someone believes their trial was unfair (under any circumstances, such as discrimination, etc.) they may appeal a verdict, and bring the case to a higher court, with a maximum of the Supreme Court. The justice system in America has an equally sharp blade on each of its two ends, both securing and endangering the citizens of America and their dream.

"I say to you today, my friends, that even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow. I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American Dream."

Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke these words in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech focusing on racism in America and the importance of equality. The law guarantees everyone in America is treated equally, no matter their race, gender, social level, or anything else. Although this may be true, America’s past shows slavery, racism, and discrimination. These may all seem like past occurrences, but recent experiences show that some tension still remains. Women, men, African Americans, Caucasians, Hispanics, and people of every other minority are allowed to run and vote for major offices such as the President and Vice President. However, a black person, Hispanic person, Jewish person or a woman has never in the history of America held either of these offices. Susan B. Anthony said, "We are assembled to protect against a form of government existing with out the consent of the governed- to declare our right to be free as man is free, to be represented in the government which we are taxed to support."

Her efforts, and those of many other women, have come about to change the course of history- and today, two women hold some of the highest offices in our government: Secretary of State, Madeline Albright, and Attorney General, Janet Reno. Equality in America is essential for success and is part of living the American Dream. But with every success comes a flaw, and this is no different. Every American is not treated equally, even with all of the laws protecting the citizens.

The American Dream has many aspects, and it can be fact or fiction depending on the efforts of the American people. Perseverance is a shield which protects the dream of the people. But it is also the American people who protect the dream. Only through their perseverance can the dream be achieved. The double-edged sword of the American Dream is protected and fulfilled by the shield of perseverance.

"The American Dream has always been there, but its attainment depends of having the perspective to see what opportunities are in front of you." - Mike W.


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