The American Dream is a concept that has been so tarnished by tired cliches and simplifications that it has become just another one of those sayings that you hear in passing. People no longer recognize the wonderful theme that surrounds the classic ideal. In a sad way, as our country has lost much of the shimmer that made it a bastion of liberty, so has the American Dream degraded in the eyes of its people.

Why do I still care about it then?

I believe there is something special in the individual. A human being, through his own decisions and innate ability, has no limitations to what he can do. The idea that a person can rise from any station in life and rise to the full levels of his potential is a truth that is integral to the American way of life. You see, it’s more than a ‘belief. This isn’t some coined phrase, it’s about who we are as Americans! I love the American Dream because it depicts everything that is great about the human race. It celebrates the virtues of hard work and human potential. It validates the use of logic and key decision making. It is everything that an individual, an American, can be at his or her best. There’s something about seeing that spark of competence, that flare of intelligence in another human being who understands the value of perseverance and big dreams that really helps you understand why you appreciate these virtues.

I love what is possible for the American individual. The futures available to us are not available anywhere else in the world. It’s time that America once again came to the realization that we are not a collective group of one consciousness, but we are a series of INDIVIDUALS who have come together voluntarily. For that I think the founding fathers who established a nation that celebrated the individual foremost. Our founders understood the importance of this and for that I say Thank You.