[Not to be confused with The American's Creed, by William Tyler Page.]
Dean Alfange (1897-1989) was an American politician who never won elective office, losing elections for both the House of Representatives and Governor of New York. However, Alfange held numerous appointed positions during his career. He is best known for his statement known as "An American's Creed" which stressed the importance self-reliance and individual & economic freedoms to the American spirit. Alfange won an award from The Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, in 1952, for his creed.
This creed is often misattributed to Thomas Paine, from his pamphlet "Common Sense," and is wrongly called the "Entrepreneur's Creed." It does not appear in Common Sense. Thomas Paine did not write it, nor did Paine write anything called the Entrepreneur's Creed.
An American's Creed
"I do not choose to be a common man. It is my right to be uncommon—if I can. I seek opportunity—not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me. I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed. I refuse to barter incentive for a dole. I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia. I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat. It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations, and to face the world boldly and say, this I have done. All this is what it means to be an American." --Dean Alfange, 1952
I completely agree! Being an American is NOT about being either technically or morally correct. It is about being able to make and learn from mistakes. However, it is also about knowing that with every freedom or right, comes a RESPONSIBILITY.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, FREEDOM OF SPEECH is NOT freedom to yell "FIRE" in a crowded theater or to loot, destroy, or burn property or to indulge in lawlessness and violence. In our republic, each person is expected to accept the responsibility that goes with each and every freedom or right.