AMERICAN DREAM MYTH OR REALITY

"I lift my lamp beside the Golden Door!"

This final line to "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus, which is engraved on the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, has welcomed millions of hopeful immigrants coming to Americ driven on by a dream, the American Dream. What is this dream that so many come looking for? The American Dream means freedom, success, opportunities, equality, justice, and safety for all. The chance so unique, it only exists in a single country. But how many actually achieve it? Is it a myth or reality? It can be fact or fiction. America is like a double-edged¹ sword, with the ability² to strengthen your heart and the risk of stabbing³ you in the stomach.

Each aspect of the American Dream can lead to succeed or failure. "I think we forget that just the opportunity to succeed is a basic freedom that eludes many people on this planet." - Mike W.

When people come to America trying to make the dream come true, everyone is given a chance to succeed. However, it is extremely rare to exceed⁴ social barrier. Although this may seem pessimistic, one's surroundings⁵ often shape the character and one's incentive⁶ to succeed. If a person were to grow up in a poverty- stricken area for all of his life, the only experience that person would have with the adult world would be of low income and most likely poor education. From this you can conclude this person may draw the conclusion that all places in the world are like that one area, and their goals or standards will be lowered to the level of life that they know. In America everyone is given chance to succeed. In many countries, the social level in which you are born is the one that you must stay in for your whole life. In the United States, public education is available, as well as many financial aides⁷ given for colleges so that one may go on to achieve one's goals in life. America is a country of equal opportunities, but those who want to succeed must fight the battle to rise⁸ above the standards that were branded⁹ upon them as a child.

A essential aspect of the American democraty is the justice system, which states that all citizens are "innocent until proven guilty" (like in Germany). But what happens when someone is proven innocent¹⁰ for a crime they committed? Many hard core¹¹ criminals destroying the future of the country can get away with crimes by technicalities. For example, an unconstitutional gathering of evidence or witness tampering¹². This allows these criminals to walk away with no punishment for their actions. America is proud of its justice system, which is supposed to help protect the American people, but if so many can get out of discipline, how safe are the citizens? The truth of the matter is an interesting paradox: These mistakes that allow criminals to go free are simultaneously¹³ attributes to the justice system which protects the rights of America's people. This makes justice an honorable system which protects the freedoms and rights of this country.

Each person is guaranteed a fair trial, and if someone believes their trial was unfair (under any circumstances, such as discrimination, etc.) they may appeal a verdict¹⁴, and bring the case to a higher court, sometimes even to the Supreme Court. The justice system in America has an equally sharp blade¹⁵ on each of its two ends, both securing and endangering¹⁶ the citizens of America and their dream.

'I say to you today, my friends, that even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow. I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American Dream.'