On November 21st, 1620, 41 men signed what was then called the Agreement Between the Settlers of New Plymouth. The document now known as the Mayflower Compact was described by future President Calvin Coolidge as “...the first real constitution of modern times.” The 41 men who drafted and signed the Mayflower Compact helped to lay the groundwork for what would become America. They risked their lives to sail halfway around the world just so their children, and their children’s children, could have a chance at a better life, free from religious persecution and the tyranny of the crown. One of these men was Edward Doty. He came aboard the ship as the servant of another man but later in life became a successful landowner. He was one of the first people to achieve what many would call the American Dream. I am a descendant of Edward Doty, and the dream of my forefathers is being taken away.

But what is the American Dream? It’s a term thrown around a lot without a clear definition. There’s a lot of debate on what that term means, but I think there’s a pretty simple answer. The American Dream is being able to provide for your family at a higher standard of living than the generation before. And that was the case for centuries in America. In the three centuries following the signing of the Mayflower Compact, America went from a small British colony to a global superpower. At her height, America could go from covered wagons to rocket ships in a single lifespan. And as much pride as I feel for what my country has accomplished, I can’t help but feel a sense of despair for what she has become. I don’t know if my children will grow up in an America that is better than what I had. We can no longer afford basic necessities like our parents could. Families are being torn apart. And worst of all, we’ve lost our faith in God. But how did we get here? And can the American Dream even be saved?

Before we entered the age of consumerism, business was a lot more localized. The people you bought goods from weren’t elites in ivory towers. They were your neighbors. You saw them at church every Sunday. Your kids went to school with their kids. But now we’ve entered the age of economic globalization. Now goods and services are being controlled by people who live in completely different states, or even countries. These people don’t care about you. They would sell the soul of every American for a dime. Even if you don’t do business with large, multinational corporations, they’ve effectively taken over the supply chain. They’re shipping our jobs overseas because the labor markets are cheaper. They are replacing us with millions of third-world migrants every year because they’re willing to work for dirt-poor wages. It is wreaking havoc on our livelihoods. We can’t afford homes. We can’t afford to live on a single income. We’re struggling to pay for basic things like food, gas, and medical care. All so the elites can make a couple extra million. And we keep assisting in this destruction. We love the convenience Amazon provides, but it is destroying local businesses.

But how do we fix it? Here’s what the government needs to do: Put a stop to businesses shipping our jobs overseas and stop letting every migrant with a pulse into this country. You can’t just lower the corporate tax rate and hope to compete with other nations. You can’t economically compete with borderline slave labor. You need to put up trade protections and you need strong tariffs. And you need to put an end to mass migration. They are artificially lowering wages and our economy cannot handle it anymore. But we can’t rely solely on the government. This whole problem started because we lost our sense of community. The Bible talks a lot about the importance of community. 1 Corinthians 1:10 says “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” America used to be closer at the local level. We had social clubs and neighborhood get-togethers, and we all went to church. It’s time to bring that back. Go to church every Sunday, host a neighborhood block party, and shop locally whenever you can.

But we aren’t just struggling economically. The family, the very lifeblood of a nation, is dying. God created family for a very specific purpose and it was meant to run in a very specific way. The father was to be the head of the household, to provide for the family, and to make whatever sacrifices he had to so they could thrive. He was to sacrifice for his family as Jesus sacrificed for us. The mother was to be the one who raised the family, to teach the children how to be Godly, loving, and strong people. She was to submit to the husband, as we submit to Jesus because he makes the sacrifices. Both of these roles were incredibly important and necessary for the healthy growth of a family and a community. But now we see that system crumbling. Divorce rates are sky-high, feminism is teaching young women that marriage is oppressive and men are taught by online incels that women are objects for their pleasure. And this has led to broken homes and broken children. The younger generations are looking at marriage and family and deciding it's not worth the effort. Hookup culture is the new norm and it will destroy us. And for the families that do get together and stay together, the economy is also working against them. Mothers are being forced to become providers as well, which leaves the children to be raised by the state, where they will be taught to hate their country, hate God, and hate the very fabric of a healthy society.

This problem has been permeating for decades, but we can fix it. The government needs to strengthen the bonds of marriage. End no-fault divorce, provide free marriage counseling, and don’t approve divorces for at least a year to allow couples to reconcile. The government also needs to set up incentives for people to get married and have children. And they need to create an economic system that can accommodate a single income again. We need to completely restructure the economic system around the nuclear family, not multinational corporations. We need Maternal Basic Income, marriage stipends, more tax breaks for children, free birth, and so much more. But again, we can’t just rely on the government to make changes. True change starts from within. We need to reject hookup culture, feminism, and actual toxic masculinity. Embrace family. Get married. Have kids. Men, sacrifice everything to provide for your family. Women, submit to that love and raise your children.

But we’re ignoring what is probably the biggest issue facing America today. We have turned our backs on God. It's the root of all the problems we’ve been discussing in this article. We have stopped worshiping our creator and have begun worshiping the self. The entire culture tells you to focus on yourself, but that's not what God wants. That kind of mentality is what leads to people engaging in selfish business practices at the expense of American workers. That kind of mentality is what leads us to ignore the rest of our community and just do what’s best for us. It leads to people rejecting the self-sacrifice that marriage requires and embracing the self-destructive behaviors of hookup culture. This country was founded on Christian principles. We give credit to our creator in the Declaration of Independence. A nation that strays from God will eventually crumble. A People who are focused only on themselves will lead themselves to destruction. And the government is facilitating this war of Christianity. Schools ban prayer. Catholics are stopped from adopting children on the basis of their religion. They are trying to remove all references to God on government documents and they are trying to tax the church. They take the separation of Church and state, a principle that protected the church from state, and they’ve flipped it on its head. They are trying to create a secular government and we can’t let them.

The United States government must once again embrace its Christian foundations. End this war on God, which they can never win. Let the church run free. But we take most of the responsibility here. The government can’t bring you the foot of the cross. You must do that yourself. Submit your life to Christ and end the cycle of self-worship. Love thy neighbor as thyself. Go to church, read your Bible, pray every day, explore God’s creation, and follow his teachings. I promise you, you will live a more fulfilling life if you do.

Regaining the American Dream will take a lot of effort. Our government needs to fight back against economic globalization, invest in the future of American families, and end its war on Christianity. But we need to put in the work as well. Why should America fight for you if you’re not willing to put in the work to fight for her? We need to reclaim pride in our local communities, get married, have kids, and return to God. Only then can we begin to achieve our American Dream.