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NORWALK, Conn. — Norwalk.DailyVoice.com accepts signed, original letters to the editor. Letters may be emailed to letters@dailyvoice.com.
To the editor:
I love political speeches. We have heard plenty over the past two weeks. We have been able to learn about various interpretations of what the good-ole American Dream is, was and what it could be, moving forward.
That’s where my generation comes in. You see, I am part of that special millennium high school class, the Class of 2000. At that time, my fellow Notre Dame CHS classmates and I shared that traditional American Dream. It’s the one where you invest in your education, work hard and pay your dues, all in solid belief that the path you trek will lead you to the success you seek.
During the 12 years since my graduation, that’s the American Dream I believed in, day in and day out. As I watched other peers give up and accept a lesser fate, I kept working toward a success that I knew was out there. Every time a hurdle presented itself, I battled in the firm faith that it was part of heading in the right direction.
In those 12 years, I have endured the challenges of many: six-figure student loan debt, spells of unemployment, consistency in underemployment, rising cost of living and a culture of uncertainty that have dominated my generation’s quest for accomplishment. We have had to learn quickly that health care is a luxury, raises are nonexistent, and that we will have to come up with our own plan on how we retire decades from now. In 2000, we came out ready to change the world, but we quickly found out that the American Dream was more elusive than ever; the rules had changed.
Now, at 30, I have come to the conclusion that uncertainty isn’t an excuse; it’s a state of mind. The best thing about being an American is that we can succeed as high as we can dream. Make a plan, believe in it and stick to it. Persistence, positivity and perseverance are going to be the attributes that will define our time. You may not be part of our generation but your kids are, your grandkids are.
With all of that considered, we have to fight harder, smarter for that elusive success. That’s why I feel it’s so important that we re-elect President Obama. He’s the only candidate who can relate to where so many of us are at. He knows that we’ll get there quicker by building our communities, reinstalling our collective pride and combining our voices to demand that our futures be bright.
Whether it’s my generation or yours, the American Dream still exists; the terms have just changed, along with the times. It’s still up to each one of us to find our way, make a difference and make it happen.
Comments (8)
The American dream exists today, but its much harder to achieve when we need to support such a big wasteful govt. The Obama American dream is for us to work harder & pay more taxes so that he can redistribute our money as he sees fit. A Vote for Obama is a vote for making the American dream of "Life, Liberty & the pursuit of happiness" even harder than it is now. See the American dream doesnt come with guarantees beyond the guarantee of a chance to make it IF YOU WORK HARD for it. Thats it, nothing in our founding documents suggests that failing corporations should get a couple million, or billion, when they need it, nothing suggests that we should be taxed to provide money & housing to millions of healthy people, nothing suggests that you get anything for being an American except freedom & that includes the freedom to fail. Anybody who says its not harder now isnt thinking clearly. When taxes are many times higher than they were just 30 or so short years ago its quite obvious that earning a living in this state and country are MUCH harder than it was not long ago.
We lived through the last administration where one could hardly enter a conversation without the former President being lambasted. Now, when the current President takes some hammering, folks begin to call others morons. People are going to believe what they want to believe - if things don't change economically in the next 4 years, I pray for everyone.
I don't think it's any harder now that is has been, over and over in past generations, it's just different. Ask anyone who has ' made it '. They'll tell you they had to break their butt to get where they are. Anybody stopping to ask for street directions or searching for a pay phone or even getting to the newspaper publishers to get the first copy of tomorrows classifieds? G.P.S. Smart Phones and the Internet have changed things for you and everybody else who is willing to break their butts to get ahead. Six figure debt or seven figure incomes is not the barometer we measured success by when I was 30. Yes we had instant coffee but instant success, they're still working on. The American Dream is fueled by American ambition and ingenuity. You better have plenty of one or the other. Get back to me when you're fishing with a grandchild. They won't care if it's means sitting on a stone surrounded by mud or off the back of your 100 foot yacht, and that is when you'll know the American Dream.
Come on, he is a member of the party, he needs to speak his piece. The fact that he has no accomplishments to speak of makes him the perfect spokesman for the Norwalk Dems. At least he isn't getting arrested or fighting the cops.
Hi Sally aka PEGGY you truly are a moron
So, you didn't go to college, you're a failure, both during boom times and in bad, and somehow we are supposed to adopt your opinion because a man you've never met, who was ushered through colleges and has never held a job somehow relates to you? Keep dreaming.
Eric
Are you on something
I just wonder if sally (salvator) aka peg is more of a moron than Eric