THE AMERICAN DREAM: LIVING LIFE IN CRESCENDO

The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the United States Declaration of Independence which proclaims that “all men are created equal” and that they are “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights” including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” For many immigrants, the Statue of Liberty was their first view of the United States, signifying new opportunities in life. The statue is an iconic symbol of the American Dream. This dream is still vibrant for immigrants, as America has unparalleled opportunities for growth and success compared to most other countries in the world.

But is this dream still cultivated in many naturally born citizens?  Yes and no.  Many will way that Nixon’s Watergate was the beginning of the downhill slide of American’s trust in government leadership. Newscasters of old protected the sins of our leaders, for example hiding the fact that FDR couldn’t walk, or that JFK was having affairs. Today, the media revels in gossip and innuendo. And given the debt of our national, state and local governments, the future price to pay for our next generations is high. So what’s the solution?

Remember when JFK stated that America needed to be the first to put a man on the moon? His vision catapulted our country in pursuit of a dream that fostered new technologies such as the Internet, ceramics, microprocessors and Kevlar. Ronald Reagan’s “Tear down that wall, Mr. Gorbachev!” unified the world to defeat the Soviet Union.  The next leader of America needs to enunciate a crystal clear vision of how America will become great again. Not rhetoric, but a vision. It’s that simple. By enlarge; there is more entrepreneurial firepower in the souls of our citizens than ever before, provided this energy is harnessed for a unified purpose.  Let’s hope that a campaign of vision for America, not Super Pac negativity, will prevail in the next few months.