The American Dream has been taken to a new level, for many, since Barack Obama was elected to be our new president. White males have headed our country since 1789, now a whole new dream has opened up for minorities. (1) I have been told since I was in grade school that there would come a day when a woman would be president. Funny, I never remember being told that an African American or a Hispanic could or would one day be chosen to run our country. This is truly a dream come true for those who marched and fought for civil rights. Many had hoped this day would come, but for others the doubt remained. Now and forever history has been changed. We have all witnessed the American Dream coming true for a whole new generation.
Although a woman was not chosen to head this country this election, women are making great strides. Just this week Gen. Ann Dunwoody became the first female four-star general in the U.S. military. (2) Again, this opens the doors for girls and women to dream even bigger. They now know that it is possible to achieve military greatness and be recognized for their accomplishments. This was just a dream for thousands of women in the past.
The American Dream means different things to different people, but the shear fact that we have the right to dream is such a great feeling. People may snicker at your personal dream, or they may even try to build obstacles to keep you from obtaining your dream, but with diligence and hard work your dream can come true. George Carlin once said, "It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it". (3) I would have to disagree with him. This is, without a doubt, the best country in the world, and you can do or become anything you want if you believe in yourself and work hard.
(1) http://americanhistory.about.com/od/georgewashington/p/pwashington.htm
(2) http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/14/woman.4.star.general/index.html
(3) http://dialogic.blogspot.com/2008/02/george-carlin-its-called-american-dream.html
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Education
The opportunity to get an education is an American opportunity that is often taken for granted. Last week in my class, we were talking about high school dropouts. The ninth grade class was in agreement that they should not be forced to go to school. A.J. stated, “It’s my life. If I want to quit school and get a job, then I should have that choice.”
When I was young, I know that there were moments I hated school and was bored with the mindless work, but I never felt that I would be better off not having an education. Perhaps this is because my parents put a strong emphasis on school. They both had bad experiences with public education. Dad did finish high school, but my mom decided to quit in the 11th grade. Because of their lack of education, good jobs were hard to find. Starting a family and the need to pay bills made going back to school nearly impossible for them. Because of their decisions, I never remember having a choice of whether or not I would attend college. My parents wanted more for their children than what they had. They knew that a college education would give us more opportunities.
I feel that an education is a great opportunity, and apparently Oprah Winfrey believes the same way. In 2007, she opened her leadership school for girls in South Africa. Oprah spent $40 million to build the school for 152 girls. Although I am happy for those few who get to attend this school, I can not help but wonder why Oprah did not put that money into America’s educational system. We obviously need more funding for education. (1)
I wish I could instill the importance of school to my students. I wish I could get my students to understand how lucky they are to live in America where everyone can get an education. It is easy, however, to take things for granted. Because they do not know any other way of life, these students feel as if they are “forced” to attend school. They just do not realize that it is one of the greatest opportunities in the world.
(1) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16435995/
When I was young, I know that there were moments I hated school and was bored with the mindless work, but I never felt that I would be better off not having an education. Perhaps this is because my parents put a strong emphasis on school. They both had bad experiences with public education. Dad did finish high school, but my mom decided to quit in the 11th grade. Because of their lack of education, good jobs were hard to find. Starting a family and the need to pay bills made going back to school nearly impossible for them. Because of their decisions, I never remember having a choice of whether or not I would attend college. My parents wanted more for their children than what they had. They knew that a college education would give us more opportunities.
I feel that an education is a great opportunity, and apparently Oprah Winfrey believes the same way. In 2007, she opened her leadership school for girls in South Africa. Oprah spent $40 million to build the school for 152 girls. Although I am happy for those few who get to attend this school, I can not help but wonder why Oprah did not put that money into America’s educational system. We obviously need more funding for education. (1)
I wish I could instill the importance of school to my students. I wish I could get my students to understand how lucky they are to live in America where everyone can get an education. It is easy, however, to take things for granted. Because they do not know any other way of life, these students feel as if they are “forced” to attend school. They just do not realize that it is one of the greatest opportunities in the world.
(1) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16435995/
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Opportunity
When I was young, Arkansas’ motto was “Land of Opportunity.” This motto was proudly displayed on our license plates, and I distinctly remember asking my mother what it meant. She explained to me that opportunities were chances or choices that we have. At the time, I thought that only people living in Arkansas could benefit from opportunities. I have since learned that America is the land of opportunity, and all Americans have chances and choices.
Where else, except America, could a homeless child grow up to be a national reporter for MSNBC? Jeannette Walls was born into poverty. Her mother and father were both well educated, but they lived as nomads. Tents and cars were their homes. After lunch, Jeannette and her siblings searched for food in the cafeteria dumpers; food they could take home for supper. They never had a home, but this did not stop Jeannette from dreaming of someday living in a house with real furniture and curtains on the windows. At 17, she left her family and went to New York City to pursue her American Dream. Jeannette wanted something that she never had and that was a home. She now lives in the house of her dreams. (1)
I felt that Jeannette's story was a perfect fit to what one of my friends said about the American Dream. When I asked my friend what her American Dream was, she told me it was having the opportunity to have a job, a family and to live in a comfortable house. After a short pause she looked at me and just said, "I guess it's really just about having opportunities."
America is a place where people do have opportunities. We have the opportunity to worship what we believe, get an education, raise a family, have a house, have a career, etc. We are the only ones who can limit our opportunities. As the old saying goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Of course, opportunities have changed over the years. Since America was formed, we have seen minorities and women continually gain rights and freedoms, which give them more opportunities. Americans have more choices and chances today than ever before. It is up to each individual to take advantage of them.
(1) http://gothamist.com/2005/05/27/jeannette_walls_author_the_glass_castle_gossip_columnist_msnbccom.php
Where else, except America, could a homeless child grow up to be a national reporter for MSNBC? Jeannette Walls was born into poverty. Her mother and father were both well educated, but they lived as nomads. Tents and cars were their homes. After lunch, Jeannette and her siblings searched for food in the cafeteria dumpers; food they could take home for supper. They never had a home, but this did not stop Jeannette from dreaming of someday living in a house with real furniture and curtains on the windows. At 17, she left her family and went to New York City to pursue her American Dream. Jeannette wanted something that she never had and that was a home. She now lives in the house of her dreams. (1)
I felt that Jeannette's story was a perfect fit to what one of my friends said about the American Dream. When I asked my friend what her American Dream was, she told me it was having the opportunity to have a job, a family and to live in a comfortable house. After a short pause she looked at me and just said, "I guess it's really just about having opportunities."
America is a place where people do have opportunities. We have the opportunity to worship what we believe, get an education, raise a family, have a house, have a career, etc. We are the only ones who can limit our opportunities. As the old saying goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Of course, opportunities have changed over the years. Since America was formed, we have seen minorities and women continually gain rights and freedoms, which give them more opportunities. Americans have more choices and chances today than ever before. It is up to each individual to take advantage of them.
(1) http://gothamist.com/2005/05/27/jeannette_walls_author_the_glass_castle_gossip_columnist_msnbccom.php
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Voting
With a presidential election just days away, we cannot overlook the freedom to vote. However, this freedom was a long time coming for blacks and women. The 15th Amendment gave black men the right to vote, but many states in the South found a loophole around it. Poll taxes and literacy tests often kept black men from voting in the elections. The poverty level was high among the newly freed slaves, and these men had little or no educational background. Although the right to vote was given to them in 1870, it was almost a century before a majority of blacks in the South were registered to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 stopped literacy tests and poll taxes, and blacks were encouraged to vote. Within months, a quarter of a million had registered to vote for the first time.(1) Lyndon B. Johnson said, “Every American citizen must have an equal right to vote. There is no reason which can excuse the denial of that right. There is no duty which weighs more heavily on us than the duty we have to ensure that right.”(2)
Women had to fight for voting rights, too. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton crusaded for women’s right to vote. To help spread the word, they organized the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1869.(3) They dedicated most of their lives for something that they would never see happen. Both women died before the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920. It states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”(4)
It has taken decades for women and blacks to gain the political power that white men have enjoyed for centuries. This presidential election is particularly interesting. We have a black man running for president and a woman running for vice-president. Whatever happens, history will be made this year.
Since the chance to vote is right around the corner, I could not help asking the women I work with if they actually exercise their right to vote. I was surprised to find that the older women all said that they did, but out of the women in their twenties and thirties only about half of them vote. Some are not even registered. I find this so sad. We have the chance to have a voice in politics. This is an opportunity so many worked and fought to give us. We should take advantage of this right.
(1) http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/15thamendment.html
(2) http://www.hpol.org/lbj/voting/
(3) http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761553231/susan_b_anthony.html
(4) http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1920womensvote.html
Women had to fight for voting rights, too. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton crusaded for women’s right to vote. To help spread the word, they organized the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1869.(3) They dedicated most of their lives for something that they would never see happen. Both women died before the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920. It states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”(4)
It has taken decades for women and blacks to gain the political power that white men have enjoyed for centuries. This presidential election is particularly interesting. We have a black man running for president and a woman running for vice-president. Whatever happens, history will be made this year.
Since the chance to vote is right around the corner, I could not help asking the women I work with if they actually exercise their right to vote. I was surprised to find that the older women all said that they did, but out of the women in their twenties and thirties only about half of them vote. Some are not even registered. I find this so sad. We have the chance to have a voice in politics. This is an opportunity so many worked and fought to give us. We should take advantage of this right.
(1) http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/15thamendment.html
(2) http://www.hpol.org/lbj/voting/
(3) http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761553231/susan_b_anthony.html
(4) http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1920womensvote.html
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Freedom
We are all able to have an American Dream because of freedom. The foundation of this country is based on freedom. Our ancestors came to this country for freedom to worship, freedom from fear, and freedom from oppression. Lady Liberty stood proudly in the harbor welcoming thousands of immigrants who were seeking these freedoms. The base of the Statue of Liberty has these words etched on it: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...”(1) America is a country that welcomes others to enjoy what it has fought so hard to obtain.
Freedom does come with a price, however. Many have fought and died so that we could continue to live in a country where we have choices. Members of my own family have lost their lives defending this country. I admire these soldiers and the soldiers who continue to serve today. We all want our freedom, but it takes true courage to risk your own life for it.
I often wonder if today’s young adults truly grasp the sacrifices made for them. Each day we stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance, and every day I look at the red, white and blue flag and think how grateful I am to be living in this country. I was raised in a patriotic home where we respected the flag, our country, and those who fought for it. My mother taught me to have pride in our country. I often see my students showing disrespect toward the flag and our nation. This truly saddens me. These young people are some of the luckiest people on earth. They have freedoms protected by law, yet they do not appreciate them. Perhaps this is because they are too far removed from the history of this country; or maybe it is because they are young. In 1969, Red Skelton recited the following:
(Red Skelton recalls how his teacher, Mr. Laswell, explained the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance, word by word).
"I've been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester and it seems as though it is
becoming monotonous to you. If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word?"
*I*
me, an individual, a committee of one
*Pledge*
dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity
*Allegiance*
my love and my devotion
*To the flag*
our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom--wherever she waves, there's respect because your loyalty has given her a
dignity that shouts freedom is everybody's job!
*United*
that means that we have all come together
*States*
individual communities that have united into 48 great states-- forty-eight individual communities with pride and
dignity and purpose; all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that's love for country
*And to the republic*
a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern--and government is the
people and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people
*For which it stands, one nation*
one nation, meaning "so blessed by God"
*Indivisible*
incapable of being divided
* With liberty*
which is freedom; the right of power to live one's own life without threats, fear or some sort of retaliation
*And Justice*
the principle or quality of dealing fairly with others
*For all*
which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine
Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country and two words have been added to the
Pledge of Allegiance...
UNDER GOD
Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer and that would be eliminated from schools too?
God Bless America! (2)
From Mr. Laswell's speech, I can conclude that I am not the first teacher to notice students' disinterest in the Pledge of Allegiance.
I have one student, however, who has great respect for the pledge and this country. Jorge came to America from Puerto Rico when he was five years old. I asked him why his family moved here, and he told me it was because his mother wanted a better life for him. He often talks about the crime filled streets and the fear he lived in there. He has a true understanding of how great America is, and I believe that he is proud to be an American.
(1) Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus”
(2) http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/redskeltonpledgeofallegiance.htm
Freedom does come with a price, however. Many have fought and died so that we could continue to live in a country where we have choices. Members of my own family have lost their lives defending this country. I admire these soldiers and the soldiers who continue to serve today. We all want our freedom, but it takes true courage to risk your own life for it.
I often wonder if today’s young adults truly grasp the sacrifices made for them. Each day we stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance, and every day I look at the red, white and blue flag and think how grateful I am to be living in this country. I was raised in a patriotic home where we respected the flag, our country, and those who fought for it. My mother taught me to have pride in our country. I often see my students showing disrespect toward the flag and our nation. This truly saddens me. These young people are some of the luckiest people on earth. They have freedoms protected by law, yet they do not appreciate them. Perhaps this is because they are too far removed from the history of this country; or maybe it is because they are young. In 1969, Red Skelton recited the following:
(Red Skelton recalls how his teacher, Mr. Laswell, explained the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance, word by word).
"I've been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester and it seems as though it is
becoming monotonous to you. If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word?"
*I*
me, an individual, a committee of one
*Pledge*
dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity
*Allegiance*
my love and my devotion
*To the flag*
our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom--wherever she waves, there's respect because your loyalty has given her a
dignity that shouts freedom is everybody's job!
*United*
that means that we have all come together
*States*
individual communities that have united into 48 great states-- forty-eight individual communities with pride and
dignity and purpose; all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that's love for country
*And to the republic*
a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern--and government is the
people and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people
*For which it stands, one nation*
one nation, meaning "so blessed by God"
*Indivisible*
incapable of being divided
* With liberty*
which is freedom; the right of power to live one's own life without threats, fear or some sort of retaliation
*And Justice*
the principle or quality of dealing fairly with others
*For all*
which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine
Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country and two words have been added to the
Pledge of Allegiance...
UNDER GOD
Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer and that would be eliminated from schools too?
God Bless America! (2)
From Mr. Laswell's speech, I can conclude that I am not the first teacher to notice students' disinterest in the Pledge of Allegiance.
I have one student, however, who has great respect for the pledge and this country. Jorge came to America from Puerto Rico when he was five years old. I asked him why his family moved here, and he told me it was because his mother wanted a better life for him. He often talks about the crime filled streets and the fear he lived in there. He has a true understanding of how great America is, and I believe that he is proud to be an American.
(1) Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus”
(2) http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/redskeltonpledgeofallegiance.htm
Thursday, October 2, 2008
My Idea of the American Dream
I have always felt as if I grew up in the wrong decade. “Leave It to Beaver” is my idealistic time period. With that being said, the first thing that pops in my head when I hear “The American Dream” is a well-kept house in a quiet neighborhood. The yard is adorned with shrubs and brightly colored flowers. The grass is evenly cut with diagonal lines stretching from the sidewalk to the flowerbeds. Vertical, slatted shutters hang next to each window. These white shutters contrast with the muted teal paint on the wood siding. The mailbox is neatly painted with the family’s last name.
The family consists of a mother, father, son and daughter, all living under one roof. The father is a businessman who wears suits and carries a briefcase. His hair is cut short, and his face is free of any facial hair. The mother’s job is to take care of the house and children. She volunteers at the school and is well respected in the community for her charitable work. She is always seen with a smile on her face and pearls around her neck. Of course, the children are well behaved and are good students who are heavily involved in sports, arts, and organizations. Perhaps most importantly, they dress and act appropriately in social situations.
This family is middle to upper-middle class. They have two moderately new vehicles, nice furniture, and plenty of food on the table. Speaking of food, they eat dinner together every night. During this time, the family discusses the events of the day and entertains each other’s thoughts.
While this may all be a little far-fetched, it is the epitome of the American Dream to me. Do I live this way? No. Did I grow up this way? No. Is this really how I want to live? No, but it is what is embedded in my mind to be what everyone strives to have. We want a safe place to grow up, a family for support, and nice things.
When I asked a co-worker what her idea of the American Dream was, I chuckled when she described the neatly kept house and perfect little family. She immediately asked why I was laughing, as if she had said something inappropriate. I simply explained that we had the same idea, despite the difference in our age and upbringing. Perhaps we represent only a few who believe this, but that concept is also a part of the dream. Everyone is entitled to his or her own American Dream.
The family consists of a mother, father, son and daughter, all living under one roof. The father is a businessman who wears suits and carries a briefcase. His hair is cut short, and his face is free of any facial hair. The mother’s job is to take care of the house and children. She volunteers at the school and is well respected in the community for her charitable work. She is always seen with a smile on her face and pearls around her neck. Of course, the children are well behaved and are good students who are heavily involved in sports, arts, and organizations. Perhaps most importantly, they dress and act appropriately in social situations.
This family is middle to upper-middle class. They have two moderately new vehicles, nice furniture, and plenty of food on the table. Speaking of food, they eat dinner together every night. During this time, the family discusses the events of the day and entertains each other’s thoughts.
While this may all be a little far-fetched, it is the epitome of the American Dream to me. Do I live this way? No. Did I grow up this way? No. Is this really how I want to live? No, but it is what is embedded in my mind to be what everyone strives to have. We want a safe place to grow up, a family for support, and nice things.
When I asked a co-worker what her idea of the American Dream was, I chuckled when she described the neatly kept house and perfect little family. She immediately asked why I was laughing, as if she had said something inappropriate. I simply explained that we had the same idea, despite the difference in our age and upbringing. Perhaps we represent only a few who believe this, but that concept is also a part of the dream. Everyone is entitled to his or her own American Dream.
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