The great depression had a terrible effect on the global economy, and it only ended because of WWII. Even though it did not start during the 1930s the peak of the great depression was during 1932 through 1933. All hope seemed lost for the United States since crime, poverty, and homelessness increased. The dust bowl also happened during the 1930s, and it hit the Midwest. The Dust Bowl was the worst drought in North American history that had occurred during the last 300 years. Since there was no more rain winds would pick up the loose soil on top of crops which would eventually blow dust around, killing the crops. Meaning that there were enormous clouds of dust floating throughout the Midwestern states. This would not be a problem if the dust storms weren’t dangerous, but they kill life stock and they actually cause pneumonia in small children, because it would fill the child’s long with dust. At the peak of the storms, they blew dust as far as Washington DC. This made the great depression even worse because it destroyed the United States crops and livestock meaning their agricultural production was put to a complete stop. This made the depression worse because a lot of people worked in the agricultural section of the United States economy, and since it was completely put to a stop, firm farmers had nothing to sell they were put out of business which led to increased homelessness. This didn’t only have an effect on the workers, it also had an effect on the elite because, since the dominant political party, the Republicans, where the biggest party during this time. The public blame the Republicans for the Great Depression and the Democrats seize the opportunity and presented themselves as the ones who could solve the recession. So weather links in cues mean when he says let America be America again is that he wants to go back to the time before the great depression and to a time before the Democrats were in power, and the time before homelessness wasn’t a problem, and the time before farmers had a job.
The definition of the American dream depends on the eye of the beholder. On the off chance that the American dream is characterized as gaining more money than your parents or gaining more money overall, today's young grown-ups are similarly prone to have a nightmare as they are to accomplish their fantasy. Just half of the individuals conceived in the 1980's are making more than their parents, contrasted with 90% of kids conceived in 1940, as indicated by another review by specialists at Stanford University, Harvard University and the University of California-Berkeley. The review infers that financial inequality is the essential motivation behind why numerous young adults are left behind. Slower rates of monetary development are an auxiliary component, as per the discoveries.
While the American Dream is dead, others say otherwise because of all the inspiring stories of all those people coming from humble beginnings who have risen to riches, for example, Oprah, Mark Zuckerberg, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jay Z, etc. According to http://theconversation.com/is-the-american-dream-dead-57095 “the number of renter households has grown. In fact, renter households are now the majority in nine of the 11 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Renting is no longer limited to recent high school or college graduates as the majority of renters in the country are 40 years or older, up from 43 percent in 1995. While no state, county or major city in the United States has enough affordable housing for its poorest
residents, it’s not just those families who are forced to rent. Even Americans employed full-time are now struggling to find affordable rental housing, in part because demand has surpassed the supply of such units, causing rental prices to rise. Just a decade ago, these middle-income families might have become homeowners, but now they are putting pressure on the rental market because they can’t afford to buy. That leaves fewer affordable rental homes or apartments for everyone else. One of the primary reasons families cannot afford to buy homes or find affordable rental housing is that housing costs have risen quicker than household income.” This proves why housing has become too expensive, making rental housing a go-to-option for ‘stable’ people. As reported by http://theconversation.com/is-the-american-dream-dead-57095 “The fact is that for all but the highest-paid workers, wages have been stagnant for almost 30 years. In addition, American workers must now contend with an unstable and unsteady labor market. While unemployment rates are now below 5 percent, well below the historically high rates during the Great Recession, all but the best-paid workers routinely experience multiple, sustained periods of unemployment. Likewise, workers are now more likely to be under-employed and hold jobs that require less training or education than they have. Also, workers are more likely to hold more than one job at a time and quilt a “patchwork of paychecks” together just to make ends meet.” This shows how economic mobility is decreasing as the years fly by.
One reason the American Dream is dead is that most people can't get ahead financially. http://www.alternet.org/economy/7-facts-show-american-dream-dead says “If the American dream means a reasonable rate of income growth for working people, most people can’t expect to achieve it.” This means that most middle class (Lower class too) won't be able to earn the expected income that the rest of the people enforce upon them.
http://www.alternet.org/economy/7-facts-show-american-dream-dead also states that “the middle class hasn’t seen its wage rise in 15 years. In fact, the percentage of middle-class households in this nation is actually falling. Median household income has fallen since the financial crisis of 2008, while income for the wealthiest of Americans has actually risen. Thomas Edsall wrote in the New York Times that “Not only has the wealth of the very rich doubled since 2000, but corporate revenues are at record levels.” Edsall also observed that “In 2013, according to Goldman Sachs, corporate profits rose five times faster than wages.” This shows how the middle class’ wages haven't changed but the wealthiest people’s wage has actually risen just like the corporate revenue which are at record levels. Eventually, the corporate revenue will surpass the middle class’ wages resulting in them being unaffordable.
Another reason why the American Dream is dead because in the past, when it was still alive, usually the incomes and earnings of one person was usually enough to keep the whole family stable and comfortable, this is sometimes referred as a stay-at-home parent. As stated in http://www.alternet.org/economy/7-facts-show-american-dream-dead. “There was a time when middle-class families could lead a comfortable lifestyle on one person’s earnings. One parent could work while the other stayed home with the kids. Those days are gone. As Elizabeth Warren and co-author Amelia Warren Tyagi documented in their 2003 book, The Two-Income Trap, the increasing number of two-earner families was matched by rising costs in a number of areas such as education, home costs, and transportation.” This exhibits that one family could live off of one parent's earnings, while the other stayed at home and took care of the house, and the kids. Of course, this can not happen anymore as a result of rising cost in education, home costs, and transportation. As stated in
http://www.alternet.org/economy/7-facts-show-american-dream-dead “These cost increases, combined with wage stagnation, mean that families are struggling to make ends meet and that neither parent has the luxury of staying home any longer. In fact, parenthood has become a financial risk. Warren and Tyagi write that “Having a child is now the single best predictor that a woman will end up in the financial collapse.” This book was written over a decade ago; things are even worse today.”This clarifies that it is becoming a financial risk to have a child and that they will struggle to afford a child because of the increase in cost, not wages
The last reason why the American Dream is dead is because one of the many definitions of it is “to get a better education” but student debt is crushing a generation of non-wealthy Americans. As reported by http://www.alternet.org/economy/7-facts-show-american-dream-dead “Education, as Forbes columnist Steve Odland put it in 2012, is “the great equalizer… the facilitator of the American dream.” But at that point, college costs had risen 500 percent since 1985, while the overall consumer price index rose by 115 percent. As of 2013, tuition at a private university was projected to cost nearly $130,000 on average over four years, and that’s not counting food, lodging, books, or other expenses. Public colleges and universities have long been viewed as the get-ahead option for all Americans, including the poorest among us. Not anymore. The University of California was once considered a national model for free, high-quality public education, but today tuition at UC Berkeley is $12,972 per year. (It was tuition-free until Ronald Reagan became governor.) Room and board are $14,414. The total cost of on-campus attendance at Berkeley, including books and other items, is estimated to be $32,168.” Evidently, if you aren't rich, but you still want to go to college you will be forced to use student loans, and you will be crushed by them. They also went on to say “The California story has been repeated across
the country, as state cutbacks in the wake of the financial crisis, caused the cost of public higher education to soar by 15 percent in a two-year period. With a median national household income of $51,000, even public colleges are quickly becoming unaffordable. Sure, there are still some scholarships and grants available. But even as college costs rise, the availability of those programs is falling, leaving middle-class and lower-income students further in debt as out-of-pocket costs rise." This gives us more information on the rising cost of college tuition further proving that you could only afford it if you come from a high-income family or if you are rich.
As you can see, the American Dream, as previously defined, is dead for three major reasons which are that most people can't get ahead financially, the incomes and earnings of one person aren’t enough to keep the whole family stable and comfortable, and student debt is crushing a generation of non-wealthy Americans. However, at the end of the day it is your choice; what are your opinions on “The American Dream”?
In the United States of America federal law prohibits discrimination by employers and many other entities on the basis of skin color, race, gender, national origin, disability, age, pregnancy, medical background, religion, and genetic information. The problem is that Congress has yet to pass a law which protects LGBTQ+ people from discrimination. Schools are especially unwelcoming for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth, as I have experienced myself. The lack of policies that affirm and protect LGBTQ+ youth means that LGBTQ+ students nationwide continue to face bullying, exclusion, and discrimination in school, putting them at physical and psychological risk and limiting their educational capabilities.
I found out I was gay when I was in 8th grade after I realized that I had a crush on a guy, and before that, I believed I was straight and had girlfriends because I thought that, that was my role to fulfill as a guy. When I came out in 8th grade as gay lost many friends and I also started receiving a lot of bigotry and hate from my classmates. I also made new friends that that helped me figure out my identity, and they also helped blur all the hate which was viscously spewed from people I used to call friends. Keep in mind that this happened during middle school!
When I first arrived at Murphy High School I came out, and my classmates quickly began to discriminate against me. I was also bashed, harassed and mercilessly bullied for being gay. In one of my old classes one particular guy firmly believed that I was gay because I was raped as a child or that I chose to be gay, but the fact of the matter is that no one would choose to live a life that is so full of discrimination, and disadvantages, not to mention all the hardship you go through when you first want to accept yourself. I have lost count of how many nights I have cried myself to self to sleep because of all the countless hours of bullying I received every single day during freshman year.
I made also quickly made friends at Murphy which helped me combat all the hate I received and I am ever so thankful for them. Without them, I would have probably would’ve tried to hurt myself for being the way I am. I try to stay positive when I am faced with homophobia, but the amount I used to receive made it impossible for me to always be in a good mood. The truth is that it is hard to be gay in the south, and it's even harder to stay positive with all the backlash and hate I received every single day.