The Dream of America, The Dream of Man

Growing up in the farm land of the mid-west during the 1960's, I often heard references to The American Dream. The liberal influence in public schools was still in it's infancy and more prevalent in the colleges and universities than in the elementary and high schools. Conservative thought was still in the mainstream in small and medium sized cities throughout the prairie states, in both political parties and for the most part in the white-collar and working class homes. America was celebrated and respected as a unique country that exhibited excellence and independence not found anywhere else. Despite the social injustices and problems we faced, many of us were raised understanding what the American Dream was and how fortunate we were to have access to it.

Today I hear our President, media outlets, lenders and others speaking of how the American Dream is out of reach for so many in our society. I have to say, I agree with them. The American Dream is fading from the collective memory of our society and is resulting in a oppressed class of citizens that is growing each year.  The once great inspiration and hope that the lower classes had of being upwardly mobile is diminishing. At times it seems that access to that dream will never return. However, there is hope.

Somewhere out on the horizon you can still see the dim light of the once brightly shining American Dream. It is hard to see most days, and on some days appears to be totally gone, but it is there. It is waiting on us. It is waiting to rise once again and shine on everyone that is willing to work hard, pay the price, take on the responsibility for themselves, and help their neighbors. It is waiting for room to grow. It is waiting to take it's former place in the sky, a place that has for the past 100 years been inhabited by a large, dark storm cloud that oppresses the spirit of man.  The storm of large, intrusive over-regulating government.

While I agree with those on the left and in the current administration about the need to revive the American Dream, I strongly disagree with their interpretation of what that dream is. The American Dream is not owning a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house in the suburbs. It is not having tuition provided for all your children to go to college. It is not universal, government (or more accurately, tax payer) provided health care. The American Dream is as unique as each individual American citizen that strives to embrace it. In this great country every man and woman is limited only by the size of their dreams and their dedication to that pursuit. In America a person can rise to a position of prominence, power, wealth, success, leadership and service regardless of who their parents were or where they came from. The dream is not about the material things that one can provide for themselves, nor is it about the services that the government can provide for them. It is about much more than that. Small government and individual rights provided a environment where the dreams of man could flourish and grow, unimpeded by a dictator, monarch, or socialist regime that would try and take from those that work and achieve, and give to those that will not.

From the beginning, America was a unique experiment. The citizens of the world have nearly always lived in societies that were organized for the benefit and enrichment of the ruling and privileged classes. America was different. This is a country that allows all men to dream of reaching their God-given potential. A place where men and women can succeed, but are also allowed to fail. This is the common desire of mankind. To be free and exercise the rights granted them by God, but too often limited or denied by governments of man.  

I feel that our time is short to turn back the tide of large, restrictive government. We must work to restore the American Dream to it's proper place. To restore America to that place as the Shining City on the Hill. To carefully guard all that was entrusted to us by the founders, to provide opportunity for all men to achieve that which is their dream. God give us the strength to carry on this fight and the wisdom to constantly pursue that which makes men free.