American Creed Analysis

I attended and graduated from William Tyler Page Elementary school in 1989. So you can imagine my excitement about this assignment. Especially considering my school was named for the author of the American Creed. Written in 1917 as a response to a contest on patriotism. It was later turned into a resolution that was passed by the House of Representatives in April of 1918. Within the creed rests an implicit and deeply-held conviction in freedom and equality. Embedded within are several inherent including the right to democracy, liberty, and freedom of religion. On the other hand, it also outlined the obligation of citizens for what is owed to the country in exchange for these liberties.

The American government is a Democracy. That is as defined by Mr. Page as “of the people, by the people and for the people”. It is was intended to remind us that our government should always adhere to democratic principles. Liberty means our government

should not impose upon us and leave us to exercise our natural rights as much as possible. This does not mean citizens can do as they please. There are laws we should and must obey in order to prevent from anarchy from ensuing. It does however, mean the government is responsible for helping protect the rights of individuals. In addition to these is the freedom of the individuals to practice his or her own religious faith. This has been one of the main reasons people, but especially Europeans immigrated to this land, long before the creed was written. It also means there is no one religion that is considered particularly American. Of the five points outlined in the creed, these to me are the most significant.

The creed has shaped the political culture of America and has had a strong influence on how we govern ourselves and how we do business.

The creed at times has been conflicting and depending on the interpretation in the moment, controversial and not without its challenges on both sides of the hill. Some of the challenges posed by the creed center around equality issues such as race, gender, and most recently, the right to marriage. I would like to take the time to examine the idea of equality. It is important to analyze this because America is still struggling to understand what this value is and how it should be applied to citizens. Equality is defined as everyone is equal in status, rights and opportunities. The idea that everything is the same for all citizens. However, equality is not the same is equity. Equity, is something much more significant. It is about making sure all people get access to all the same opportunities, and that any special circumstances are adjusted based on the needs of the

individual.

As we continue to grow as a country and re-interpret the documents that have served as a Foundation for the nation, we must alter them where necessary to better ensure all citizens have a level playing field from which to play the game.