When the first pilgrims came to America in the 17th century, they carried with them no illusions of easy wealth or promises of a golden tomorrow. And when European immigrants embarked for New York City a century later, they didn't come here expecting a free ride on the welfare train or other government handouts. They simply wanted the chance to build a life for themselves and their children that would be better than the one they left behind. Even today, with all the domestic turmoil over illegal aliens and concerns about English becoming a second language, many people still come to the United States as a refuge from political tyranny, and with the hope of starting over in a land where freedom and respect for individual rights are not just pop slogans, but an everyday reality.
I don't expect everyone today will agree with this, nor do I expect those born into a life of wealth and privilege to have much sympathy for the dreams of ordinary people. The desire to own your own home is one that is barely imaginable in some parts of the world. But here, in a country that has created more wealth than any nation in human history, the idea of owning a home does not appear to be fantastic. Nor is it something written into law because success or personal happiness can never be guaranteed in a free society. All that can be guaranteed here is the promise that if you work hard, obey the law, and live honorably, you can pursue your dreams without the government or other people getting in your way. All that most people ever want is a chance to succeed. And when the American economy recovers, as it will eventually, regardless of who is elected, this wave of pessimism will subside. The dream endures because it reflects a basic belief in the idea of human progress-- not a prophesy of things to come, but a kind of enduring faith that our good works and our virtue make a difference in the world; because, in the end, the world is exactly what we make of it, neither more nor less than the sum total of our collective endeavors.