start: 1:40 end: 3:47
"We are here in partnership on behalf of an idea – that no matter who your parents are, no matter where you come from, you should have the opportunity in America to rise, to escape from poverty, and to achieve whatever your God-given talents and hard work enable you to achieve.
In so many ways, our nation’s history has been a long struggle to bring opportunity into every life. Our nation was founded on the creed that “all men are created equal” – that we all possess equal rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But, of course, equality of opportunity hasn’t always been a fact of life in our country – it’s been something we’ve had to constantly fight for. It’s a cause that continues to this day.
Even though so many barriers to equality have fallen, too many old inequities persist. Too many children, especially African-American and Hispanic children, are sent into mediocre schools and expected to perform with excellence. African-American and Hispanic children make up only 38 percent of the nation’s overall students, but they are 69 percent of the students in schools identified as lowest performing.
That’s unacceptable. We owe every child a chance to succeed. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, we owe them “an unfettered start and a fair chance in the race of life.” Upward mobility is the central promise of life in America. But right now, America’s engines of upward mobility aren’t working the way they should."
This snippet from Paul's speech really exemplifies the inability to reach the american dream while impoverished, he also exposes the disadvantage children have. He touches on upward mobility, and the "promise" of America that is becoming more and more of a myth. This quote "no matter who your parents are, no matter where you come from, you should have the opportunity in America to rise, to escape from poverty, and to achieve whatever your God-given talents and hard work enable you to achieve." really puts in words my views on the "american dream" no matter where you come from, rich or poor, everyone deserves the opportunity to rise in america. The county was built on the phrase "all men are created equally" but how can that be true when children, african americans, hispanics, gays, etc are still fighting to achieve these supposedly accessible equal rights. And the worst part is, if you're born into a poor family your chances to succeed are almost non existent, and every child deserves the chance to succeed.
In so many ways, our nation’s history has been a long struggle to bring opportunity into every life. Our nation was founded on the creed that “all men are created equal” – that we all possess equal rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But, of course, equality of opportunity hasn’t always been a fact of life in our country – it’s been something we’ve had to constantly fight for. It’s a cause that continues to this day.
Even though so many barriers to equality have fallen, too many old inequities persist. Too many children, especially African-American and Hispanic children, are sent into mediocre schools and expected to perform with excellence. African-American and Hispanic children make up only 38 percent of the nation’s overall students, but they are 69 percent of the students in schools identified as lowest performing.
That’s unacceptable. We owe every child a chance to succeed. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, we owe them “an unfettered start and a fair chance in the race of life.” Upward mobility is the central promise of life in America. But right now, America’s engines of upward mobility aren’t working the way they should."
This snippet from Paul's speech really exemplifies the inability to reach the american dream while impoverished, he also exposes the disadvantage children have. He touches on upward mobility, and the "promise" of America that is becoming more and more of a myth. This quote "no matter who your parents are, no matter where you come from, you should have the opportunity in America to rise, to escape from poverty, and to achieve whatever your God-given talents and hard work enable you to achieve." really puts in words my views on the "american dream" no matter where you come from, rich or poor, everyone deserves the opportunity to rise in america. The county was built on the phrase "all men are created equally" but how can that be true when children, african americans, hispanics, gays, etc are still fighting to achieve these supposedly accessible equal rights. And the worst part is, if you're born into a poor family your chances to succeed are almost non existent, and every child deserves the chance to succeed.