"We are not Quitters" - A Look at Obama's Address to Congress

I'm sure many of you heard or watched President Obama's address to Congress last night. It was painful for me, since I've never been a fan of listening to the man's speeches. However, I was struck with one thing about his speech - his stories.

This is one story that Obama told last night regarding 8th grader Ty'Sheoma Bethea:

"I think about Ty'Sheoma Bethea, the young girl from that school I visited in Dillon, South Carolina - a place where the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their classroom. She has been told that her school is hopeless, but the other day after class she went to the public library and typed up a letter to the people sitting in this room. She even asked her principal for the money to buy a stamp. The letter asks us for help, and says, 'We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world. We are not quitters.'"

I must admit, I had conflicting thoughts about this story. On the one hand, the story was touching. I must admit, President Obama has always done well at picking out stories for his speeches. The idea that an 8th grader would write to Congress and the President for help was interesting, touching, and her quote, "We are not quitters," is even inspirational. However, let me tell you about my other thoughts.

One hundred years ago, students didn't write to Congress for help. It's a sign of the times we live in that a student would even think to write to Congress for bailout help for their school. Through the 200+ years that this country has been around, many kids have attended schools in less than perfect conditions. They did not quit. They became doctors and lawyers, congressmen, and even president. Yet the didn't have to ask Congress and the President for help.

I don't mean to make light of this girl's story. However, I have to wonder when we became a nation that always ran to the government for help. Making a change in the world is a wonderful thing…why should government help be needed to do it. I believe this story sadly shows that many of the youth in our country seem to have a huge dependence on the government to help them realize their dreams. This is NOT the American dream. The American dream includes making your own way, following your own dream, and achieving it on your own.

Let's just take a look at Abraham Lincoln, since he appears to be one of Obama's favorites. Look at this man's beginnings. He was born in a log cabin with one room in Kentucky. He had poor parents. His mother died while he was young. Lincoln actually only had about a year of "formal education." He learned what he could from others and from books. Still…he became the 16th president of the United States…and no one "bailed" him out with money from the government.

These bailouts have to go. The youth of this nation must learn to "Never quit" even without help from the government. Greatness is something that comes from within - it has nothing to do with the school building you have, the teachers you have, or the amount of money your school district gets from the government.

I would definitely urge today's youth to never give up. Work towards a future where you can change the world. Just don't expect the government to be the one to help you accomplish this. Over time I've heard too many kids try to blame their school, their neighborhood, or their poverty for where they ended up in life. Life is what you make of it. You choose who you become. Let's stop looking for the government to define our success. Let's get back to the REAL American Dream!