American Creed

America's creed, written by William Tyler Page, was passed as a resolution on April 3, 1918. He wrote, "I believe in the United States of America as a Government of the people by the people, for the people, whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a Republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States…” To me, this creed stands for people working together and remembering the common ground they share. It is important that people remember that common ground they share with the people who built this country. We share common ground with the people who built this country in that we, like our forefathers, want what is best for the people who come after us. This means showing today's youth what it means to be an American, and sharing with them our American Creed.

Every American is free by right. This is true but not all people understand what being free really means. Being free is about having the right to choose. Everyone has the right to choose to do what they want when they want. Now there are rules and you can break them by making bad choices, but these are your own choices that come with the right of being free. Any one person can do what they want but all must face consequences if they make bad decisions.

I believe that one of the most important parts of being or becoming an American is remembering where we come from. Eric Liu is an American writer and founder of Citizen University. He says that “What holds us together is a creed and that creed, to me, is not just a bunch of legalistic principles.” This means that what ties us together is not as simple as a set of laws set in place for immigrants and new citizens. What ties us together is the same common goals. Achieving the American Dream. For some, the American Dream is the obligation they feel to serve their country. Having an equal opportunity in life makes it possible for everyone to pursue their own goals. In turn, they can build their American Dream.

It is important to bring where we come from to where we’re going. We as Americans either immigrated here, or we stayed here because of the opportunities that are presented to American citizens. If we as Americans can focus on building a better future for each other and the next generation while remembering where we come from, there will be a better tomorrow for our kids and grand kids.