America’s Two Paths

“In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns.

We’ve discovered that owning things and consuming things do not satisfy our longing for meaning. We’ve learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives that have no confidence or purpose.

The symptoms of this crisis of the American spirit are all around us. The willingness of Americans to save for the future has fallen below that of all other people in the Western world. There is a growing disrespect for government and for churches and schools, the news media, and other institutions.

These changes did not happen overnight. They’ve come upon us gradually over the last generation, years that were filled with shocks and tragedy. These wounds are still very deep. They have never been healed.

We are at a turning point in our history. There are two paths to choose from. One is a path I’ve warned about tonight, the path that leads to fragmentation and self-interest. Down that road lies a mistaken idea of freedom, the right to grasp for ourselves some advantage over others.

That path would be one of constant conflict between narrow interests, ending in chaos and immobility. It is a certain route to failure.

All the traditions of our past, all the lessons of our heritage, all the promises of our future point to another path, the path of common purpose and the restoration of American values. That path leads to true freedom for our Nation and ourselves.”

- President Jimmy Carter