From my title you’re guessing this blog is going to be about our country moving toward socialism or a dictatorship. Well, you’re wrong! I skipped last week because I wasn’t feeling well and I didn’t want to add another opinion about the election. However, this week I will discuss something that really bothered me.
The day after the election, my nurse came in and said, “Well I guess there are more poor people than rich people in America.” I found it disturbing that we are becoming the Un-United States of America.
In ancient times, people were divided among classes. The wealthy were called Patricians and the poor, Plebeians. This was very present in the Roman Empire, hence the title, “Hail Caesar.” Over the next few thousand years, man learned the error of his ways and realized that people were created equal. It doesn’t matter if we have $10 or $10 million, we get one vote.
In America’s infancy, only white male landowners were allowed to vote. Our country was founded on equal opportunity, but we had to make corrections along the way. It took a Civil War, women fighting for the right to vote, the civil rights movement, and many other fights for equality. In North Carolina, we even had the Battle of Alamance, so that the capitol could be moved to Raleigh from New Bern in order for the politicians to hear the voices of those in western NC. The voting age was eventually changed to 18 because it was wrong that soldiers could die for our freedom before they had the right to vote.
All of these things improved our country and gave everyone a chance to make a difference in the world. We were a land of ambition. We were a people that when life was hard, we pushed forward and we did it together…UNITED. I am disappointed in how the campaign managers of both parties divided our country. As I said before, the president of the United States is the most respected office in the world. It should be applied for, not paraded creating a rivalry like a college football game. This election didn’t do anything, but anger half of the population and create tension among the “classes.”
So we’re back to classes now? Well the America I love was founded on the concept that ANYONE can become great through hard work. This concept is why I went to college with the goal of becoming a financial advisor. I wanted to take the average person and help them build wealth through time and disciplined investing. That plan hasn’t worked out yet, but I still believe it can. Winston Churchill said, “Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking your potential.”
All of us have potential for greatness. We cannot stop dreaming just because we may not agree with the decisions of our lawmakers. What would our forefathers say? Would they want us to blame the rich for taking all the money or blame the poor for not working hard enough? No! They would want us to suck it up and again become ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!
It’s up to you America. I am going to honor the dream of our founding fathers and continue chasing my potential. I’m not interested in going back 2500 years to a class system with rioting and hatred for others. We’re better than that!
