Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard
Although I am not a bettor - I harbor no doubts in the resiliency of the idea which is America.
Richard  |
Over the last several years, I've conducted an informal experiment. I've asked people "What, in your opinion, is the American dream?"
In general, the answers have boiled down to: Own a big house and make a lot of money. Things such as are covered in the Bill of Rights are never (yes, seriously - never over the course of years) mentioned.
This semester, I probed deeper. I asked if they would repudiate some rights - the example I used was freedom of speech - for a one time payment. The consensus was that for $50,000 or so, they would be glad to sell their rights.
Does my informal sample cover everyone? No. There are people, including many here, who have done much to defend and protect the idea you mention. But it seems that there is some ambiguity on what, exactly, the idea is.
AKV points out the cultural shift that has occurred in the past, and by implication may occur in the future. Great point! But this suggests we might need to distill some idea that remained true from 1860 to present - some idea that will still define America.
Will the idea prove resilient? I hope it does. If the light goes out, it may be a long time before another spark appears.