The American Dream

“I believe in America because we have great dreams - and because we have the opportunity to make those dreams come true.”

The above quote was made around World War II, a time when American patriotism and pride meant the most to citizens and everyone felt they could at some point live the American dream through hard work and persistence. Today, more than 65 years later amid a recession and a dramatic rise in our unemployment rate, the question arises: is the American dream just that – a dream? Or is it something that can truly be attained by all American citizens through time and hard work? Is our country really providing the opportunities Americans need to succeed in every possible way?

James Truslow Adams gave the best definition of the American dream in his book “Epic of America”. “Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” It is equally important to add that he later stated “The American dream, that has lured tens of millions of all nations to our shores in the past century has not been a dream of material plenty, though that has doubtlessly counted heavily. It has been a dream of being able to grow to fullest development as a man and woman unhampered by barriers which had slowly been erected in older civilizations…”
So are there any barriers hindering the better, richer and fuller life of Americans today? It is safe to say the two largest contributors to the fulfillment of development and success in our society today are education and job opportunities. Both allow for personal growth and advancement in our society. Statistics say these elements have been hit the most as of recently.

In terms of education, right after World War II the United States had the #1 graduation rate. Today our country has dropped to #21 among industrialized nations. According to The Eli and Edythe Urban educational foundation American students rank 25th in math and 21st in science compared to students in 30 industrialized countries. This affects our country as a whole – jobs are been shifted overseas and American employers say students today lack the basic skills to do even the simplest jobs. Without dramatic changes, the U.S. economy will continue to suffer, crime rates will increase and our children won’t be able to find a job or afford a house. Education is an issue that affects our national strength and security. If nothing changes and no opportunities are created to educate our youth, our standard of living will decline, our democracy will be at risk and we will continue to fall behind as other countries surpass us.

In regards to job opportunities – it goes hand in hand with education. With poor education, our citizens cannot advance and those “barriers” mentioned by James Adams will hamper and chance of receiving the better, richer and fuller life promised by the American dream. Today our unemployment rate is at 9.1 % meaning there are 13.9 million Americans looking for work. Poor education and jobs being moved to overseas companies are just a couple factors that explain why the rate is so high.

So, based on the facts presented, our American dream has become a harder goal to reach – but not impossible. Americans have opportunity and freedom to make choices – to dream. And standing up for our rights to obtain better education and job opportunities is a small feat compared to other issues faced in the past.

Screaming in a Crowded Room

Have you ever screamed in a crowded room before?

I'm not talking about senselessly yelling at the top of your lungs, but actually howling for some sort of help from people around you. I imagine not many of us have been drawn close to that point. But if we were, we'd expect immediate action from the closest bystanders to us... right?
Before you answer, I'd like to tell you of an event that I've recently witnessed.

I sat in the hallway of a crowded emergency room with my mother yesterday. My mom had a freak accident and had to go to receive emergency care. Apparently, everyone else and their mothers had experienced the same thing because it was so crowded my mom had to be parked on a gurney in the middle of a hallway in front of a nurse's reception area between two other patients. It was horribly crowded and hectic. Patients were talking, screaming, crying and exhibiting every other emotion under the sun. It had been a few hours into our visit when my mom and I heard a faint shout at the far side of the reception area. It sounded like an elderly woman and she was saying something like:

"I've been testing for 4 days! I want to go home! I don't want any more tests!"

My mom and I brushed it off as the complaints of a disgruntled patient anxious to get home after rigorous testing for only God knows what.

But then she cried "I'm not crazy! I'm not crazy! I just want to go home! You are keeping me here illegally!"

A female nurse answered in a stern tone "I did not call you crazy mam! I am trying to help you!"

"I don't want anymore of your help!" The old woman cried. "I want a legal nurse! I want to go home! There is nothing wrong with me!"

At this point she's getting louder, so naturally a few heads are turning her way in the hallway, mine included. Security was slowly making their way towards her.

The nurse repeated sternly. "I did not call you crazy mam! I did not call you crazy. We're trying to help you. You need more tests."

"I've been testing here for 4 days and at another hospital before here for 3 days! There is nothing wrong with me! You have found nothing wrong! Why can't I just go home?"

"We're just going to transfer you to another hospital for better tests. So calm down mam and let us help you!"

At this point, the elderly woman has erupted into a full on scream and everyone's attention is focused on her.

"Help somebody! Help! They are keeping me here illegally!"

She is trying to walk across the reception area and get out but security is blocking her.

The nurse stated "You can either let us take you out mam or let the cops take you."

The woman shouted "Let the cops take me! I trust them! Let the cops take me away!"

There is now a huge crowd in the hall of onlookers, security and staff. A wheelchair with hand and feet clasps has been pulled up close to her...ready and waiting. I call this the 'crazy chair'.
Soon a middle aged man in a red jacket comes up to the hysterical woman's side. She looks to him and identifies him as her son.

"Romy," she cries. "Why am I still here? I want to go home! There is nothing wrong with me!"

Neither my mom nor I could ever make out what her son was saying, but we do know it only served to infuriate her more and agitate her despair.

"Please kill me! Somebody kill me! They are taking me away and my son is a criminal!"

For a split second there was a silence in the halls. Not a sound could be heard and my heart suddenly sank. I wasn't sure why.

The elderly woman was suddenly being forced into the crazy chair by a mass or security guards and staff.

"Please give me a needle and kill me! Romy, you are a criminal! Please somebody; I have no identification on me! No one knows where I am!"

One of the nurses came with a needle towards her.

"We're only trying to help you mam." She said.

"How can you help me? You don't even know me!" the woman screamed. She proceeded to shout and scream as the staff closed in around her and muffled her screams as they injected her.

"Help somebody! My son is a criminal and no one knows where I am!"

She proceeded to cry as her hands were clasped down along with her feet. She was soon rolled away with her son not too far behind. I assumed she was being taken to a mental institution.

Work in the halls commenced as usual. The 15 minute long incident may well have not even happened by the way everyone returned to their tasks so quickly.

My mom looked to me and said "I wouldn't take what she said lightly."

I nodded in agreement.

But it seems everyone else did.

Now for this sort of situation, you have two cases.

1) She is either really crazy and the tests the doctors have been running on her for days have been to check her mental stability.

2) She was completely sane and her outbursts were desperate pleas for help from the crowd around her. Cries uttered in vain.

From what I heard, I questioned the validity of her being admitted to the hospital for so long with out any sort of identification. And why would she suddenly proclaim that her son was a criminal.
Could she have been an unfortunate witness to an illegal operation run by her son and now be suffering hospital imprisonment at his doing to keep her mouth shut?

This is just speculation of course, as just an onlooker I don't know the whole story. So how could I have intervened? How could any one have intervened?

Being witnesses to an undercover scheme is something we only see in the movies right? So the safest option is to assume she's crazy. That's the right thing...or is it?

When someone screams for help, do we immediately rush to assist or watch the situation unfold to establish whose side to be on? Or maybe, we choose to look the other way, perhaps afraid to get involved for our own safety.

Either way, society today is more likely choose the "safest route" to public disturbances and not get involved in a potentially dangerous situation. This is good for general bystander public safety, but what about the victim?

There is a quote I read once that states “I am invisible; understand, simply because people refuse to see me."

What do you think? Are people victimized in the public eye today suddenly invisible because bystanders choose to look the other way?

And is the word “Help” so out dated and over used that we no longer take it seriously?