preview

Persuasive Essay On The American Dream

Decent Essays
Open Document

The American Dream is a term without a true meaning, but is tossed around as a cornerstone of our society. Most see the dream as showing off the achievements of our people, but this idea of focusing only on our successes disregards the failure and struggle that everyone endures. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, they attempt to define the American Dream as "a happy way of living" achieved by "working hard and becoming successful." Nevertheless, many people in this nation are not given equal treatment or equal access to opportunity. Our people are not given the same opportunities to succeed, and the ones currently protected are in the crosshairs of our government as they find ways to subtly attack the most vulnerable men and women in their crosshairs.
The American Dream is not entirely accessible because not every free, American citizen is able to see the same dreams as others in better situations than them. While the rhetoric of our politicians and media, as well as the atmosphere in D.C. tells of a nation with no racial or other social boundaries, our history and actions portray a different America. The Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created equal" and that they are deserving of, "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," but even the nation's founding fathers, such as George Washington, owned more than ten slaves - slaves being men that were denied their "unalienable" rights for another hundred years, and hundreds beforehand (Jefferson

Get Access