American Creed Essay

Try putting this equation — 1 divided by 332 — into your calculator. This is not even equivalent to 1% or even 0.1%. Now imagine: instead of dividing it by 332, it is being divided by 332 million. Likewise, there are 332 million people living in America. With 332 million different backgrounds and experiences, every single person’s point of view is unique and different. That means not everyone is going to agree on a topic — American Dream and the American Creed specifically. This means that not everyone is going to believe they will be able to achieve their American Dream following their understanding of the American Creed.

One common American’s point of view on the American Creed is that education will help them achieve their American Dream. This can be seen throughout the interview from Condoleezza Rice. She mentioned that education was a shield for her and her family to defend against prejudice during the Jim Crow era in Alabama. This allowed her to change her perspective on the American Creed. She believed that it is definitely possible to be successful as long as you follow the path with clear direction. She later said that “it doesn’t matter where you come from; it only matters where you are going.” This formed her ideology into a more optimistic mindset. That being an American means you have the ability and opportunity to reinvent yourself. However, not everyone agrees with this perspective, of course. Everyone goes through different experiences and comes from different backgrounds. That is why there are other people who believe otherwise.

Some may be pessimistic towards their belief in the American Dream. An interview from David M. Kennedy and his experience described his perspective on the American Dream less optimistic than Rice. He said that “the promise of this society is not always fulfilled.” He stated this because of the experience he had to go through when he was young. His father dreamed of making a fortune in copper mining, but lost all his money during the great depression. This experience developed his values into thinking more realistically about America. He realized the gap between the promise and the reality and prioritized that importance. With this realization, he started to believe that it is more important to share stories of individuals to bring our society together, and wants the future generation to have a better life by breaking the barrier of the gap between the promise and the reality of the American Dream.

A great contrast to the other perspectives is Tegan Griffith’s. She believes that “it’s a great benefit to be able to serve your country and be able to put food in the mouths of your children.” Serving for one’s country is what she believes to be an American Creed. Her perspective came to this conclusion because of her family. She came from a background where her family is three generations of military service. Of course, this made her belief have a foundation of believing that serving for her country is profoundly important. That is why it is important to look at one’s background as they form different perspectives on the American Creed.

Throughout this film, it shows many people with different backgrounds and they share their view on the American Creed and American Dream. Although it was only 6 people that we were able to look at, imagine taking in everyone’s perspective in America — 332 million different values and beliefs. So, to look at this question in a bigger picture, it is fair enough to say that diverse Americans will understand the American Creed in unique ways.