What comes to mind when you think of the American Dream? For me, I think about my 8-year-old self. I think about the first time my dad told me, "Nothing is free in life." I remember the samples I would receive from the ladies at Costco. I didn't really understand why or how they were "free" because my dad told me that nothing was free. It didn't make any sense.

Growing up, it was drilled in my mind that the path to success is found through hard-work and dedication. No one owes you anything in life. Therefore, it is necessary that you work hard for the things you want. The American Dream has always been a part of my daily life and has personally pushed me to be the best I can be. According to Google, the American Dream is defined as "the ideal that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative."

Millions upon millions of people have come to the United States in order to attain a better life. I have talked with people who have told me that they had come to America in order to receive a better education and unlimited opportunities. That is what I believe to be the American Dream: the overall betterment of yourself by motivation and constant desire to push yourself to be the best you can be. The American Dream was created to remind people that you can become successful if you truly want it, and that you can work for it despite your race, religion or socioeconomic background.

In the Declaration of Independence, it says, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

When some people think about "the American Dream," they think about Gatsby's extravagant journey to success. Gatsby inaccurately represents this dream because of the illegal crime he underwent to receive his wealth. Although he has this lavish and desired lifestyle, he misrepresents the actuality of achieving the American Dream.

In today's society, what do we have? Free housing. Free health-care. People expect way too much from the government nowadays, without even placing a foot in the working industry. The worst part is, people expect this. Some Americans expect the government to supply them with a lifetime supply of whatever they need. I understand that there are people who physically cannot work, and I respect that. I do not understand the idea of implementing higher taxes on those who work extremely hard for the things they have in life.

I am aware of the fact that you can't designate where your taxes go, but I don't want my money going to people sitting on their couches who could be working, or even to people who want free college but have the money to pay for it. I want my tax money to help homeless veterans, or to work towards creating a stronger national border and securing our country. The main point I am making is that I don't believe it is conscientious that some Americans work hard for what they have and are required to financially support those who are capable of working but just don't "feel" like it. To me, this was not our Founding Fathers' intention, and this is not the American Dream.