American Creed Argument

 The American Dream affects every person living in America and every person who wants to live in America. David M. Kennedy, history professor at Stanford University and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, states in the PBS American Creed film that “the almost universal psychological response that men had to going unemployed was to feel guilty and ashamed, and personally responsible for their situation.” This happened in the Great Depression, and it happens today. Our main struggle in society is that, when something goes bad, we personally take it out on ourselves, when our communities should be picking us up.

Communities are the building blocks of success. When disaster happens, the people that help you through it are the people in your community. They give you food, help you clean up, and even give you a place to stay while you need it. As humans, we need to have the comfort and companionship that communities give us. They make us feel safe and wanted while giving us the sense of purpose we need as humans.

The community affects all ages of Americans. Jaye Maddon, the wife of Joe Maddon, the general manager for the Chicago Cubs, states, “there’s so many things that we tend to feel like we’re so different from everybody else when, in fact, all of our differences are very small and minor.” The change in our communities has to start with the children when they are still learning about the world and the people in it. If we can change how they see communities, then we can see a change in our country. This is what will bring us closer together in the end and make us a better country.

To help Americans achieve the American Dream, we must start with community. Changes need to be made in how our children see communities by teaching them the value of what a community can do for them. They need to learn the value of unity and carry it on until they have kids. This will make more people feel like they have reached the American Dream. It will make the country a better place for everyone.