What is your American Dream, or your Dream for America?

<p>Lately, I’ve been wondering if we’re asking the youth of our country the wrong question. All too often, young people are asked in essays or conversations, “What does the American Dream mean to you?”</p><p>When we consider all the advertisements and commercials that young Americans have watched by the time they finish high school, we shouldn’t be surprised that these same youth, if honest, will respond by saying, “I want a nice house, a new car or two, a great-paying job, and lots of leisure time.”</p><p>The key word in that response is not house, car, job, or leisure time, but the word “I.” The American Dream has become about what I want, what I crave, what I think will give me maximum happiness.</p><p>But I’ve observed a fascinating shift that takes place for many students during the college years. Many students are disappointed when education focuses exclusively on training for future careers. While students might struggle when asked to verbalize their dissatisfaction, national surveys reveal that they hoped higher education would help them understand themselves, understand the world in which they live, and, especially, ponder what will make for a meaningful life, not just a hefty payday.</p><p>So what would be the better question to ask youth to ponder? I would suggest this: “What is your dream for America?” The focus now shifts from “me, me, me” to our society, to our common good. It is a way of asking, “What would make our country better for everyone?”</p><p>I can’t help but hear the echo of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, which is, for me, the greatest speech ever given in our nation’s history. When King repeated over and over again in that speech “I have a dream,” he wasn’t focusing on what he wanted for himself or for his family. And as he delivered that speech, the millions who were present on the National Mall that day or who were listening to the speech on our TV sets weren’t dreaming of nice cars or fancy vacations but of justice, equality and racial harmony.</p><p>I think also of John F. Kennedy’s famous challenge “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Both King’s and Kennedy’s speeches provided Americans rare moments when we were invited to dream about something bigger than ourselves. And in those moments, our spirits lifted.</p><p>One of my favorite Bible verses is “Without a vision, the people perish.” Yes, there is a kind of myopic vision that focuses solely on what I want for myself and my family. If that is our only vision, we will perish as a society. It is a paradox but also a certainty that when we dream about something bigger than ourselves — our country and, even better, our world — we find life more meaningful.</p><p>I suggest we try an experiment. If you are parents, ask your children what their dream is for America. If you are young people, ask your parents and teachers what their dream is for our country. We shouldn’t expect to hear well-crafted responses because, sadly, this isn’t a question we’ve likely been asked before.</p><p>But that’s precisely why we should ask this question. Merely asking this question might promote a kind of national conversion, when we change for the better what we aim for in life.</p>