Dear Americans, what is your responsibility?

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The American Dream. What is it? In 1931 James Truslow Adams said "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream (note: OPPORTUNITY not handouts) wow sounds great. Benjamin Franklin (you remember him) describes his way from a poor, unknown son of a candle-maker to a very successful business man and highly acknowledged member of the American society. Franklin creates the archetype of someone coming from low origins, who, against all odds, breaks out of his inherited social position, climbs up the social ladder and creates a new identity for himself. Key factors in this rise from rags to riches are hard work and a solid moral foundation. Franklin also stresses the significance of education for self-improvement http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-Made_Men_%28Frederick_Douglass%29 frederick Douglas (think back to social studies class) - Self-made men […] are the men who owe little or nothing to birth, relationship, friendly surroundings; to wealth inherited or to early approved means of education; who are what they are, without the aid of any of the favoring conditions by which other men usually rise in the world and achieve great results. Andrew Carnegie - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Carnegie John D Rockefeller - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._Rockefeller Vanderbilt - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelius_Vanderbilt modern day - to show the American Dream is still alive http://www.forbes.com/2008/03/05/self-made-billionaires-billionaires08-cx_dp_0305selfmade_slide_3.html Sheldon Adelson Kirk Kerkorian Oprah Steve Jobs Im sure you get the point. So in order to achieve the American Dream, we have deemed 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. With these freedoms (see Bill of Rights) there comes personal responsibility. Meaning responsibility for yourself. Responsibility for your own housing, healthcare, food, energy, actions, decisions and the list goes on and on. I am curious why people believe that We should have all of these freedoms and the government should take care of them. Decide what they should eat, where they should live, how they should live. “Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.” ~ Benjamin Franklin “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. “Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear” ~ George Orwell So I ask Americans and people interested in America, what is your responsibility to freedom? When do you stop depending on your government and become free?