My Own Essay On the American Dream

The American Dream

By Camylle Wood


Perhaps the answer to the American Dream lies in a few simple lines written at the time of our nation's founding. Thomas Jefferson drafted most of the Declaration of Independence and wrote the following, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men... are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."1 When a typical American imagines the American Dream, what ideas form in their mind? Likely a large home, abundance, and perceived happiness. But this may be a shallow interpretation of the true bounties this country offers.

Liberty is perhaps the most basic of all the rights of mankind. Pure liberty consists of a man doing what he pleases so long it does not impinge upon the rights of others. Liberty gives us the foundation on which to chase our dreams without a fear of authoritative tyranny, a freedom guaranteed by limited government. Often, we Americans look to government as a solution to our problems. Some expect it to replace what we can't or aren't willing to do to reach our dreams of material abundance. The political observer and philosopher Alexander de Tocqueville said this about our government's assumed role in the American Dream," The American Republic will endure, until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own money."2 A Congressman from Texas once said, "To expect government to take care of us from cradle to grave undermines the basic principles of liberty."3 That goes hand in hand with what Benjamin Franklin said about our freedom, "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”4

Happiness is not guaranteed in America- but the pursuit of it is. Those that feel they are entitled to results, lack the right vision into America's destiny. If Thomas Jefferson wanted to write "Life, Liberty, and Happiness" he could have, and many Americans likely wouldn't notice the difference. Imagine if every man acquired every desire of his heart. Is every desire of every man's heart good? This principle is mediated by the principle of pure liberty. This pursuit is guaranteed by liberty that in turn provides opportunity. Through this tremendous opportunity that we enjoy here in this beloved country, comes a route through which we can achieve our dreams.

Anything that restrains our lives, liberty, and inhibits our personal pursuit of happiness in America needs to be eliminated if we are to pass on the American Dream to our children. Entitlement programs, unfair taxes, and unconstitutional laws sap our liberties every day and make the American Dream out to be about security and possessions, when, truly, liberty is at the core. Samuel Adams put our situation this way, "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!”5





Citations
1. "U.S. History Project." The Declaration of Independence. 2010. Independence Hall Association. 16 May 2010
2. "iWise Wisdom On Demand." iWise Quotations. 2010. iWise Inc.. 16 May 2010
3. Ron Paul Quote-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cESC0RaVnM
4. "The Quotations Page." The Quotations Page. 2007. QuotationsPage.com. 16 May 2010
5. "Thinkexist.com." Samuel Adams Quotes. 2010. ThinkExist.com Quotations. 16 May 2010

Bias In Public Schools: One More Reason For a Voucher Program

May 14, 2010
Warner Todd Huston 2005 Kid’s Bush/Hitler Art Gets Award, 2010 Kid’s Obama/Commie Art Gets Censored
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It is, as we all know, the year 2010 and the era of Obama has fairly begun. Accordingly the commissars of good art taste in our schools have spoken: no kid's artwork that makes The Obammessiah out to be a commie will be allowed. Interestingly there was another time, another year when things were different. In 2005, as it happened, another kid's Bush-is-Hitler artwork received a wonderful award for it's inventiveness. How times have changed, eh?

Back in those hoary years of 2005 when the evil, evil Bush was destroying the world, our schools were happy to host kid's art that made Bush out to be one of the worst human beings in history. Bush-is-Hitler was so acceptable to our schools that Jeffery Eden, a 17-year-old student, was celebrated when he created his award-winning Bush diorama that, juxtaposed "Hitler quotes with statements by Mr. Bush, Nazi swastikas with American flags, desert-colored toy soldiers with olive plastic figures."

Young Mr. Eden's "work" was so wonderful he was awarded a "silver key at the Rhode Island Scholastic Art Awards." His Charelstown, New Jersey teacher, Lynn Norton, was so proud of him she gave the budding Leonardo an "A."

Eden's "work" was less than worthy as art being exclusively a political statement. All it consisted of was some photos cut out of a magazine and a couple of kid's toy soldiers pasted on a hunk of cardboard. Junk as art, really. Yet these Bush hating school thugs were overjoyed at this hack-work.

But, that was 2005 when dissing a president was all the rage in our schools. Today is another era, apparently, for today a child in Hallsville, Missouri has had his piece of art pulled because it depicts Obama surrounded by symbols of communism certainly associating Obama with that evil, failed ideology.


Art teacher Brittany Williamson said that her student simply wanted to "get a reaction" with his CommieObammie painting. She thought the painting was quite well done, too. Art wise, she is quite right, too. Compared to the 2005 garbage, this CommieObammie piece is technically good. But school administrators were not so sanguine.


Although Williamson thought the Hallsville High School sophomore’s painting was “an amazing piece,” it received not-so-amazing critiques from some school staff and visitors who complained to Williamson and Superintendent John Robertson. The painting was taken down Monday after being displayed for nearly two weeks.

The school would not identify the name of the student.

So, here we have a wonderful juxtaposition of how our schools treat presidents. Unsurprisingly it looks like what we have here is the idea that Bush/Hitler is goood, but Obama/Commie is very, very baaaad. Should we be surprised that our left intoxicated schools excoriated Bush and were consequently happy to allow students to wallow in Bush Derangement Syndrome while they are now so sycophantic for Obama that they will allow no criticism at all?

I guess there is no reason to be surprised as it seems pretty much par for the course for our fetid elementary school systems, but it is worth noting nonetheless.