Forum Post: What Happened to the American Dream?

I feel so blessed to have grown up in a country where I am free to work and pursue the American dream. For as long as I can remember my parents instilled in me the idea that if you work hard and do your best you can make a descent living. As a young child I was always coming up with ways to make money, and when I turned 11 I obtained my first paper route. Throughout high school I held several jobs of which many included less than desirable work, but I knew that if I worked hard and did my best I could earn money and advance myself in order to climb the economic ladder. After I graduated from high school, I decided that I wanted to obtain a professional job that was more lucrative to work at during my summers away from college. I went around to all the banks in my town, and in 2008 during the collapse of the banking system I obtained a job in an industry that was hiring nearly nobody. Now I am a college senior looking to start my first job out of college. I have worked hard to get where I am today, and it annoys me to see an entire group of people saying that just because they can breath they are entitled to everything they haven't worked for. The rich in this country are not holding you back. If you work hard and have a halfway descent work ethic you can prosper in this great country. I am part of the 99% of normal Americans, but I am not jealous of the 1% of the wealthiest Americans. I realize that if I do what I can to advance myself I can become the 1%. There is nothing holding you back people! Get out of the streets, and get onto the job boards! There are jobs out there to be had for those who will work, and if you truly can't find a job consider using your skills in order to create self-employment income for yourself. Who knows, you might come up with the next great idea and become part of the 1%.