The Ever Changing Reality of the American Dream

This was a fun essay to right. We had to write an exampled filled essay on a topic that we have covered in class this term. I chose the American Dream. Please enjoy.

“The Ever Changing Reality of the American Dream”

     Nothing is more exciting about being an American then chasing the American Dream. From an early age, we are all told that if we work hard that we will succeed in life. Things like a large house in the city, that brand new Maserati in the driveway, and all the money that you could ask for have all been synonymous to chasing the American Dream. Yeah, OK. To be honest, I don’t know anyone with a Maserati or even a small pile of cash to call their own. We have come to know the American Dream as a rag to riches kind of story, and yet, most of us do not know anyone personally who has accomplished this. Does that mean that the American Dream is dead as we know it? I think so, but I do not believe it is dead in its entirety; I am very positive that the American Dream is just changing with the times. There is a man by the name of Brandon King who wrote an article called, “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold”. According to Mr. King, “[He] would redefine the American Dream today as the potential to work for an honest, secure way of life and save for the future.” The essence of Mr. King’s argument is that the American Dream is not dead, gone, or forgotten, but how it has changed, dare I say, evolved over time since the “American Dream” was conceptualized. It is no longer about starting off poor and ending up rich, but more about leading a genuinely happy and stable lifestyle.

     On the one hand, I can remember hearing stories from my grandfather, who was a World War II veteran, about when he came home from the war you “got a good job and stayed with it for the rest of your life.” My grandfather worked for the local power company as a line layer for about forty years. He was the guy that hung the new power lines from pole to pole, and in the case of a disaster, repaired said lines. He had insurance, steady raises, and a retirement package. He was never a rich man, but he provided for his family and that was all that mattered to him. Looking back on my grandfather’s life story, I would say he lived the American Dream in his own way. No, he didn’t retire with a seven-figure bank account, but he was secure and content with himself. On the other hand, nowadays it’s hard to find a job that wants to keep you for 5 years, let alone forty. My grandfather did not go to college; he didn’t have to go to college. In today’s job marketplace, the bachelor's degree is becoming the new high school diploma. In order to land even a good job here in the 21^st century, a higher education is almost necessary to compete with other applicants. Because of this, people are now going to school between two and six years at the least. Now, it’s not to say that we cannot obtain the same sort of “American Dream” vision as my grandfather did, but due to the rise in population, increases in technology, and the ever changing economy, we have to work that much harder to obtain that same level of personal victory. And if you think about it, that’s what the American Dream is all about to begin with! If we work hard, the potential is there and we will succeed. It’s just different than it used to be. In that sense, yes, the American dream is still alive.

     Americans have been fighting inequality since this nation was born. The American Revolution was due to unfair taxation by the British government, the Civil War due to slavery, and the Civil Rights movement was to grant equal rights to all. Even now, we deal with issues like gay marriage and equal rights for women in the workplace. With all of these very real inequality issues ongoing to this day, does inequality play any part in the fundamentals of the American Dream? Lets just say if Inequality was the name of a pony at the races, I would bet the whole farm and the neighbors new Maserati on his or her's next race and win by default! Like I said before, historically the American Dream is a rag to riches story. So how is a college drop out working as a Sandwich Artist at the local sub shop, making minimum wage, supposed to culminate his life in the Nirvana that is the American Dream? This is a trick question; he does it just like anyone else! Who is to say that this man's version of the American Dream is any better then the next man's? Brandon King agrees when he writes, “We may have genuine inequality issues and a sizable divide between the rich and the poor. . . .The American Dream, however, is based on perception, on the way someone imagines how to be successful.” In making this comment, Mr. King urges us to to think outside the box in that being rich doesn't always mean fat back accounts and fancy cars, but in what way we value our own lives and how we live it. Sure, if your idea of the American Dream is to get a M.B.A. and make it big in business or on the stock market, then go ahead and do so. Others will be just as happy growing organic fruits and vegetables for the local farmer's market. The point is, if you can start with nothing more then an idea and make a living doing something you love to do, who is to say that you’re not living the American Dream! No one and this is a big deal! If the American Dream involved starting a multimillion dollar company that manufactures designer belts for chipmunks just to be successful in life, no one would want to follow through. It is important to find your own way to the American Dream.

     In short, the American Dream is not only a rag to riches story, but it is what you make it. The American Dream in nothing shy of finding that right moment in life and seizing the day. Sure, there will be times of hardship, vast inequality, and moments in life where the towel gets tossed in the ring. Just remember, nothing in this world is free, and when you're down and out, you just have to keep getting back up. With enough hard work and perseverance, anyone can and will achieve their own version of the American Dream. I'm sure of it.

Zackary Bruley ©2013

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

"Remembering 9/11 - Ten Years Later" A responce.

Today I have an essay for you on the topic of 9/ll. I was given the Forward and the Introduction from Life magazine book, "LIFE One Nation: America Remembers September 11, 2001, 10 Years Later." I needed to write a response to both articles and include both a quote and a summery. I have mixed feelings about both the subject/assignment and my work. So, let me know on Facebook, Twitter, by E-Mail, or right here in the comments section below. Please enjoy.

Update: I have updated this to a second draft. Thanks go to my peer editors in my ENC class.

Remembering 9/11 – Ten Years Later*

     *Second Draft

     Ten years is a very long time. People, old and young, go through an astronomically large amount of events over the course of ten years. Young couples get married, the elderly say good bye to their family and friends, new children are born, and life goes on. For those of us old enough to remember that early morning in September of 2001, it is a day that many find unnerving to talk about. It was an event that changed the lives of everyone forever. The fact that this great and powerful nation was fiercely ambushed in the early morning took many by complete surprise and shocked everyone. As we glued ourselves to the television in anticipation of more strikes, we could only wonder what was in store for the United States and all of its citizens. After ten years, many things are different, and nothing will ever be the same again.

      During and after the attack, no one was more important then emergency first responders. These are the men and woman who risked it all to help total strangers. Firefighters that scaled the Two Towers, police officers that coordinated on the streets below, EMS and ambulance drivers shuttling the injured to local hospitals, and even the everyday person rushing to the hospital to donate blood played a vital roll in the recovery effort. These acts of selfless kindness are best described by the then-mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani, “In the aftermath of this unimaginable tragedy, New Yorkers, and all Americans, have united as never before. Inspired by countless examples of courage and generosity, we have met the worst of humanity with the best of humanity.” Living in Florida at the time of September 11^th, I still remember local veteran firefighters and EMS workings traveling to New York to assist area first responders with relief such as handing out supplies and working in mobile first aid clinics. Actions like this is what makes us American, and in the long run, makes us better human beings.

      September 11^th is now an important day in American history. The United States had never been attacked directly by another country before September 11^th. Writing in the magazine LIFE, Tom Brokaw recounts the morning of September 11^th. From the time he is awoken by a phone call asking him to report to the Today Show studio, Tom reported with Matt Lauer and Katie Couric throughout the day covering all of the days events. Tom states that, “September 11^th, 2001, will always be a date in bold print in future history books. How it will ultimately be remembered is for the rest of us to determine.” What Mr. Brokaw is trying to convey here is that September 11^th is just as important to American history as the Attack on Pearl Harbor that occurred in December of 1941. Both were attacks on American citizens that culminated in War with another nation. As with the Attack on Pearl Harbor, many of the survivors and spectators of September 11^th have personal stories telling where they were or what they were doing at the time of the attack. Especially for the younger generation of children who were not alive in 2001, the telling of personal stories is a fantastic way to share and educate about September 11^th.

      As with Tom Brokaw and Mr. Giuliani, September 11^th was an emotional day of events. I was fifteen years old and in my forth week as a freshman in high school. After a month of homework, studies, and association with new acquaintances, I found myself quite acclimated to the philosophy of high school life. While I was sitting in first period, the neighboring teacher from across the hallway barged in and told my teacher to switch the TV over to CNN. Being fifteen years old, I found it quite difficult to grasp the gravity of an event like September 11^th. I remember it being like a cluster of thoughts and ideas rushing through my head at a mile a minute; focus was all but lost by this point. Throughout the day in each and every classroom, the teachers were huddled together discussing the event with other teachers and select students. The students, left to their own devices, calmly sat at their desks also discussing what the impact of an attack like this would have on their own lives. After school the bus ride home was the same; everyone talking about what had happened earlier in the day. It was like my life was a CD set on repeat. I would walk into a room and that same old song would be playing. My family had dinner at the table later that night, something that was not accomplished with ease. Trying to fall asleep that night was like being a five-year-old all over again, not so much because fear of what was in the closet or under the bed, but the fear that my homeland could become a war zone, or worse.

      September 11^th will forevermore be a daunting subject in the eyes of all Americans everywhere, but we will persevere. Even now, we have built a monument at Ground Zero dedicated to the heroes that gave their lives, asking for nothing in return. We will never forget about the lives that were lost on that horrible day. Tom Brokaw said, “Some wounds never completely heal, the scars never disappear, the grieving never ends.” Although I have nothing personally to grieve about, ten years later, I couldn’t agree more with that statement. May this be the last great tragedy we see in our lives and may we always strive for world peace.

Zackary Bruley ©2013

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

"If Wal-Mart has a “comic side”, I'm not laughing..." A responce.

*Update: The final draft is now available below.
This is a response essay to an article by columnist Sebastian Mallaby for my English Comp I class at Pensacola State Collage. If you would like to read his fantastic article, you can find it Here. It really is a well crafted article and you should defiantly read it before taking on my response.  

Final Draft: 

If Wal-Mart Has a “Comic Side,” I'm Not Laughing...

      Although columnist Sebastian Mallaby does not say so directly in his article “Progressive Wal-Mart, Really!” he apparently assumes that the poor in America are doomed without Wal-Mart. So by stating that, if the critics of Wal-Mart prevent the expansion of new branches, they will prevent “ordinary families” from sharing in the gains that the company offers. He continues to even argue that poor Americans will be the number one group to suffer from its absence. At the very least, this is completely preposterous! One could go as far as to say Wal-Mart is one of the major causes of poverty in the United States. Wal-Mart, with its skewed views on what a “Great Value” truly is, has left no one wondering why the critics have a field day at the defense of the company, let alone its ability to stifle the poor.

     Let us focus for a moment on the main argument used by the author: Wal-Mart isn’t bad for poor people; it's good for them. While on the surface, this seems like a point that could have some validity. The fact is that Wal-Mart has lower prices than most retailers on almost anything one could want from food to TVs and even tires. However, at what cost does the customer pay for these low prices? The truth is that nothing in this world is free, and everything has a price. Wal-Mart is the United States' largest employer at just over 2 million employees, second to IBM, which only has 436,000 employees. Yet the average Wal-Mart starting salary is only $18,400 or $8.85 for a 40 hour work week. To top that off, most discount retail companies give its workers only 28-40 hours per week. With the poverty line for a family of five at $27,500, if I'm not mistaken, that makes Wal-Mart not only the USA's top employer, but the top employer of the poor as well. Hey! Poor people need jobs too, right?

      Wal-Mart and wages, wages and Wal-Mart. When you talk to someone about Wal-Mart, as a place of occupation rather than a shopping center, wages will always be part of the conversation. The reason is that wages are a big deal to employees, and Wal-Mart's practices are almost always to blame. Instead of giving workers health care benefits, paid time off, holidays, or any other fringe benefits, it is left up to the employee to find his or her own source of medical insurance. Also, in the case of about 110,000 people, that burden falls to the taxpayers in the form of Medicaid. The author wants to tell you that the average Wal-Mart customer makes around $35,000 per year, but he contradicts himself when he states, “The wage suppression is so small that even its 'victims' may be better off. Retail workers may take home less pay, but their purchasing power probably still grows thanks to Wal-Mart's low prices.” Wait. What? You mean to tell me that because I am allowed to shop at Wal-Mart, my wages are lower by default? No. Just, no! If Wal-Mart were simply to increase its pay for each employee by $14,800, the average cost of one person per year on Medicaid, not only would Wal-Mart be one of the most sought-after jobs world wide, but it would take almost 2 million people out of poverty almost instantly. Doing so would save the country millions of tax dollars in poverty-relief areas such as Medicaid, Food Stamps, Welfare and earned-income credits.

      What Mr. Mallaby doesn’t see is the fact that critics are not just professionals that judge a company; everyone is a critic in some way, form, or fashion. Also, if most of the opinions that flood the media about Wal-Mart are negative, then it is obvious that the company needs to make some changes and improvements. In the end, Mr. Mallaby admits, “Companies like Wal-Mart are not run by saints.” At least we can agree upon something, Mr. Mallaby.*

 *Both drafts are covered by the below copyright.

First Draft:

If Wal-Mart has a “comic side”, I'm not laughing...

      

Although columnist Sebastian Mallaby does not say so directly in his article “Progressive Wal-Mart, Really!”, he apparently assumes that the poor in America are doomed without Wal-Mart. Stating that if the critics of Wal-Mart prevent the expansion of new branches, that they will prevent “ordinary families” from sharing in the gains that Wal-Mart offers. It goes on to even state that poor Americans will be the number one group to suffer from it's absence. At the very least, this is completely preposterous! One could go as far as saying that Wal-Mart is one of the major causes of poverty in the United States. Wal-Mart, with its skewed views on what a “Great Value” truly is, has left no one wondering why the critics have a field day at the expense of Wal-Mart, let alone their ability to stifle the poor.

      Lets focus for a moment on the main issue brought up by the author: Wal-Mart isn’t bad for poor people, it's good for them. While on the surface, this seems like a point that could have some validity. Fact is, Wal-Mart has lower then most prices on almost anything you could want from food to TVs and even tires. But, at what cost do we pay for these low prices?! The truth is, nothing in this world is free and everything has a price. Wal-Mart is the United States largest employer at just over 2 million employees, second to IBM , who only has 436,000 employees. But yet, the average Wal-Mart starting salary is only $18,400 or $8.85 for a 40 hour work week. And to top that off, most discount retail companies give it's workers only 28-40 hours per week. With the poverty line for a family of five at $27,500, if I'm not mistaken, that makes Wal-Mart not only the USA's top employer, but the top employer of the poor as well. Hey! Poor people need jobs too, right?!

      Wal-Mart and wages, wages and Wal-Mart. When you talk to someone about Wal-Mart, not so much about shopping, but as a place of work, wages will always be part of the conversation. The reason being is that wages are a big deal to employees and Wal-Mart's practices are almost always to blame. Instead of giving workers health care benefits, paid time off, holidays, or any other fringe benefits, it is left up to the employe to find their own source of medical insurance. And in the case of about 110,000 people, that burden falls to the taxpayers in the form of Medicaid. The author wants to tell you that the average Wal-Mart customer makes around $35,000 per year, but contradicts himself when he states that even if Wal-Mart was suppressing wages, they recover from that with gained purchasing power at Wal-Mart. Wait... what?! You mean to tell me that because I am allowed to shop at Wal-Mart, my wages are lower by default?! No, just no! If Wal-Mart was to just increase its pay for each employee by $14,800, the average cost of one person per year on Medicaid, not only would Wal-Mart be one of the most sought after jobs world wide, but it would take almost 2 million people out of poverty almost instantly. Saving the country tax dollars in ares such as Medicaid, Food Stamps, Welfare and earned-income credits.

      What Mr. Mallaby doesn’t see is the fact that critics are not just professionals that judge a company, everybody is a critic in some way form or fashion. And, if most of the opinions that flood the media about Wal-Mart are in a negative light, what Does that say about Wal-Mart as a company?! “Companies like Wal-Mart are not run by saints.” at least we can agree upon something, Mr. Mallaby

Zackary Bruley ©2013

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.