Effects of the Recession on the American Dream

Starting form the subprime mortgage crisis, America has spun into a recession with bad debts and now a suffering economy with high unemployment rates. This disaster indubitably made many question the American Dream. Is it even still alive? Should one no longer have the expectations of what the American Dream offers anymore?

I think the American Dream is neither reinvented nor abandoned, but is still as it was before. Due to media and television, many have come to misinterpret the American Dream as stumbling upon great riches, without working very hard. However, the original idea of the Dream is that with hard work and diligence, one can achieve his goals and dreams, and live a comfortable life with freedom to believe his own ideas. I believe that even in the midst of the current recession, this Dream still lives on in all of us.

"If you're willing to put in the work, the idea is that you should be able to raise a family and own a home; not go bankrupt because you got sick, because you've got some health insurance that helps you deal with those difficult times; that you can send your kids to college; that you can put some money away for retirement," was a part of President Barrack Obama's speech.

Many a times have we heard of success stories where one persistently refuses to give up, in spite of countless rejections and impediments he or she faces. This recession is just one of those obstacles we have to overcome, and if we are willing to work hard and stop at nothing to achieve what we really desire - a comfortable life - I am certain we can achieve it. The American Dream is still alive in us.