The American Dream | Teen Ink

The American Dream

April 19, 2017
By brookelynpaigeb BRONZE, Portsmouth, Ohio
brookelynpaigeb BRONZE, Portsmouth, Ohio
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I will love myself despite the ease with which I lean towards the opposite."


What exactly happened to the American Dream? No, I'm not talking about the WWE superstar Dusty Rhodes. I'm talking about the old school ideologies that people in the 1950's strived for. A dream that everyone, no matter their race, gender, sexuality, or home life would have equal opportunities to achieve success. The American Dream wasn't just about the physicalities that everybody wanted and most strived for - things like white picket fences, a husband or wife, two kids, a house, and a job - it was more about fairness and equality. At some point throughout the years, the American Dream had fallen to narcissism and the harshness of close-minded people. Discrimination rose from the monstrous minds of black-hearted humans. Spreading love turned into mutual hatred for those who were different. The father who once held a steady job now holds a half-empty can of beer, yelling slurs at his children and threatening his wife. The stay-at-home mom who was once a picture of storybook perfection is now homeless, living on the streets and wearing rags. The kids are all grown up now, selling drugs and shooting up schools. The dog is now a subject of backyard breeding experiments. The steady office job is now a current unemployment rate of 4.8%. The picket fence is dry rotted and the picturesque house sits condemned on the corner, half burned down and the other half now a home for the homeless. The dream is now a nightmare, though it is far from being a fiction of anybody's imagination - it is the harsh reality for millions of Americans. The deterioration of the American Dream has ravished America. Freedom for all is now freedom for some. Muslims have now been fitted with a firm label - "terrorists". Blacks are now "coons", being framed for crimes they didn't commit. Immigrants are being ejected and homeless are starving. Young mothers are being attacked. Females are losing planned parenthood. Abstinence is now a 13 year old with two kids and a third on the way. The American Dream is now the Un-American reality, and I'm not sure we can go back.



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This article has 1 comment.


on Mar. 2 2018 at 9:46 am
WriteFreak BRONZE, London, Other
3 articles 0 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Everybody lies." - Hugh Laurie, House MD.

An excellent article. Really impactful and well written.