How a Different America Responded to the Great Depression

At the end of this article titled How a Different America Responded to the Great Depression the author, Jodi T Allen, explains the 2 things she wants the reader to take away from this article is that Americans need to remember the success of the programs installed during the new era. The other thing she concludes is a reminder to Americans implying for them to be more optimistic.

I think both of these are valid points, but comparing the statistics between such long time periods is not like comparing apples and oranges. Life back in the 1930’s compared to life today are 2 completely different worlds. Everything from our means of communication to our means of transportation is completely different. I think one of the reasons people were more optimistic back in the 1930’s is because there was not media like there is today back then. In today’s society there is so much publicity all over the TV, the internet, even billboards on the way to work.  When something goes bad happens, or a public official makes a mistake, it’s all over the TV in an instant for the whole country to see. From my point of view, as someone who was born in 1992, the country seems like it has been in recession and unsatisfied since 9/11.

I think that as Americans we are coming into a more modernized method of thinking, trying to create new change that the old way of how things worked is being forgotten. The ridiculous increasing debt casting a shadow over America, followed by the war in the Middle East, with the transition of the Bush administration to the Obama administration has Americans wanting some problems to get fixed. Problems seem to be the same thing different day, and with little progression shown, Americans are getting relentless and are not seeing anything to inspire change.

People thought that it was going to come with Obama. “Yes We Can”, people chanted in the trees of Washington when Obama was elected as the first black president. He brought his message of hope and change but after 3 years in office there hasn’t been much change. We are still at was overseas, still in a recession, and still unhappy. As a college student that is going to be entering the real world and the work force in the near future I am optimistic. I’m also excited to see where America will end up in the future and looking forward to the day gas is under $3 a gallon again.