When my grandparents were growing up, being an American meant something great. It meant you were blessed to live in a truly exceptional nation where government was limited and freedom was nearly unlimited―a shining City on a Hill. Being an American meant the possibility of achieving economic upward mobility—living in the land of opportunity, economic freedom and most of all the American Dream. Our founders knew that economic liberty was paramount in establishing our system of governance. In his first inaugural address, Thomas Jefferson proclaimed, “a wise and frugal Government shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not …show more content…
From the lightbulb to the assembly line—the freedoms and opportunities that came with being an American fostered innovation and societal development for generations. These opportunities allowed countless downtrodden individuals to lift themselves and their families out of poverty while changing the world in the process. This is what it truly means to be American. Unfortunately, recent years have seen an erosion of the American Dream and a complete departure from our founding principles. The very fabric of what it means to be an American is under assault. Americans’ entrepreneurial spirit, self-sufficiency and liberty are starting to be constricted by the establishment our founders created to protect those ideals. We cannot allow drastic government expansion at the price of freedom. If current trends persist, the American Dream will never again become the American Reality. I believe America can become great again. The ideals of Americanism can be restored. But, this restoration will require dedication and change. It will require us to revisit and stand firm on our founding principles. The fact that future generations may grow up in an America worse than that of my grandparents, parents and I