Growing up I was always told that America was the land of hopes and dreams. I thought Americans were known globally as hard workers striving for the American Dream. But hearing that people all around the world think that Americans are slovenly and lazy, has caused me to take a step back and examine what America has become. America started off with people wanting to make a better life for themselves and their families. People migrated from all over the world to the USA to find new opportunity and hope. I believe that hard working was an understatement for those who came here with nothing. Families stayed together and fought threw the hard times to insure a better life for the generations to follow. Now, I believe that for many new to this country, pulling families together to achieve success in America is still their approach and they can still be successful. Sadly, those of us that have been here for generations appear to have become lazy and acquired a sense of entitlement. We have become a country of individuals living beyond our means, trying to keep up with neighbors that may or may not be able to afford the lifestyle they are living. Yes, we can blame Wall Street and banks for the mortgage crisis but who was responsible for taking out the mega mortgages that they could not afford? Yes there is a credit crisis, but who is responsible for the excessive spending and running up individual credit limits far beyond their annual incomes? At some point, Middle America disappeared and everyone decided they were entitled to live like reality stars and athletes. Saving for a big ticket item became a thing of the past; we had instant credit and a mindset that we would worry about paying for it later. Americans are suppose to be strong willed, intelligent, and have the drive to give every challenge in life their absolute everything, but I think America has lost the ideas and values that our founding fathers originally had for us.
