American Dream Faded
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
By many of my fellow readers standards, my 28 years of life as an American citizen is not long enough to justify my thoughts, but I can no longer sit idle and watch the America that I was raised to believe in vanish. I do this for my two young sons, who know nothing of what I am writing, and again, I hope, do not have to live it.
I have compiled some of my thoughts as to why the American Dream has expired. I grew up during the Reagan/Bush Sr. years (this will not be a political rant, so you can breathe again). My biggest take on this time is that America Rocks! The Red Scare was crumbling, along with the wall. The word on the street was don't mess with America, we will kick your - well you know how that goes. The American worker had pride in their products and pride in their companies. Many fathers were tailoring their sons to follow in their footsteps. Mothers, the most sacred of parental figures, still had a "majority stake" in their children's upbringing. Life was not perfect, but it was respectable, and it was what made America great.
Ok, now fade to black and zoom in on "USA Today." This almost sounds like treason, but dare to ask 10 people if they are proud to be an American (I have asked many more). Their answers may shock you. We, as Americans, from the top down, have lost our calling. The clock and the "$" rules every bit of our lives. Our businesses have reaped the benefits of American ingenuity, only to sell us out to the lowest bidder in the global labor market. (Both my parents were "downsizing victims.") Even in our community, local job fairs attract thousands of people (I was told sometime in my life that this was the land of opportunity?). Was anyone watching CNN, ABC, CBS or any other news provider during the collapse of the USSR?
No jobs = economic collapse!
Period!
Recently, I viewed on the news that reported corporate profits see the biggest percentage increases in 50 years, but the average salaries remained flat with inflation. That means you and I work harder, not for more, but out of fear of losing our jobs. The tycoons are back, and in full force!
This country focused on ENRON and lawyered Ken Lay into the grave, but the CEOs of companies like Exxon/Mobile, BP, Shell and other Gas-O-Barons perpetrate the largest price fraud in world history and are laughing at us every time their limo passes us at the pump. Our allowance of faith is dictated to us by the ever infamous ACLU, whom has never once asked my opinion, or that of my family or peers, but claim to be "watching my back."
You may not agree with any or all of what I have said. You may fee the urge to whip out the "Love It or Leave It" speech, but ask yourself if the state of our country is what you want to leave as your legacy. If not, take it back. Stand up! Be counted! Refuse to be just another victim! It is time that America by the People and for the People to mean something again.
Eric S Fletcher
Warsaw, via e-mail
Editor's Note: This letter was edited to conform more closely to the 500-word limit stated in our Letters Policy.[[In-content Ad]]
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By many of my fellow readers standards, my 28 years of life as an American citizen is not long enough to justify my thoughts, but I can no longer sit idle and watch the America that I was raised to believe in vanish. I do this for my two young sons, who know nothing of what I am writing, and again, I hope, do not have to live it.
I have compiled some of my thoughts as to why the American Dream has expired. I grew up during the Reagan/Bush Sr. years (this will not be a political rant, so you can breathe again). My biggest take on this time is that America Rocks! The Red Scare was crumbling, along with the wall. The word on the street was don't mess with America, we will kick your - well you know how that goes. The American worker had pride in their products and pride in their companies. Many fathers were tailoring their sons to follow in their footsteps. Mothers, the most sacred of parental figures, still had a "majority stake" in their children's upbringing. Life was not perfect, but it was respectable, and it was what made America great.
Ok, now fade to black and zoom in on "USA Today." This almost sounds like treason, but dare to ask 10 people if they are proud to be an American (I have asked many more). Their answers may shock you. We, as Americans, from the top down, have lost our calling. The clock and the "$" rules every bit of our lives. Our businesses have reaped the benefits of American ingenuity, only to sell us out to the lowest bidder in the global labor market. (Both my parents were "downsizing victims.") Even in our community, local job fairs attract thousands of people (I was told sometime in my life that this was the land of opportunity?). Was anyone watching CNN, ABC, CBS or any other news provider during the collapse of the USSR?
No jobs = economic collapse!
Period!
Recently, I viewed on the news that reported corporate profits see the biggest percentage increases in 50 years, but the average salaries remained flat with inflation. That means you and I work harder, not for more, but out of fear of losing our jobs. The tycoons are back, and in full force!
This country focused on ENRON and lawyered Ken Lay into the grave, but the CEOs of companies like Exxon/Mobile, BP, Shell and other Gas-O-Barons perpetrate the largest price fraud in world history and are laughing at us every time their limo passes us at the pump. Our allowance of faith is dictated to us by the ever infamous ACLU, whom has never once asked my opinion, or that of my family or peers, but claim to be "watching my back."
You may not agree with any or all of what I have said. You may fee the urge to whip out the "Love It or Leave It" speech, but ask yourself if the state of our country is what you want to leave as your legacy. If not, take it back. Stand up! Be counted! Refuse to be just another victim! It is time that America by the People and for the People to mean something again.
Eric S Fletcher
Warsaw, via e-mail
Editor's Note: This letter was edited to conform more closely to the 500-word limit stated in our Letters Policy.[[In-content Ad]]
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