There are many ways to look at the quote.

Start from the idea that just about everyone wants to improve his lot in life. But, since the country is made up of mere humans, the best your country can do for you, is give you what someone else thinks you need. But, if you see a way the country can be improved, and YOU don’t complain, but set out to improve it, then, since you’ll be giving of yourself, the country is more likely to become more to your liking. I don’t see it as blindly following someone, but,using your own ideas and strengths to make things better.

It means that if you want something, you need to go out and work to get it. You shouldn’t expect it to be handed to you just because you live in America and this is the land of opportunity.

Also, he’s asking you to ask yourself what can I do to make myself an equal contributor to the nation? In other words, what can I do to make myself more a part of this nation as it’s son/daughter instead of demanding that it give me money when I am not willing to work for it (such as welfare being abused along with unemployment). For example, the people that serve in the military are doing for their country instead of asking what their country can do for them. The same can be said of police officers, fire fighters, doctors and anyone else that works in the public service arena including teachers.

Be a Doer and not a Rider of Society.

It means…

Dont look for everything to be done for you… do what you can to make this country a better place for all to live. The country belongs to us so we have a responcibility to build it into what we want it to be.

Those who look for a handout or always look for someone to blame do a disservice to the nation. We should be working to better the nation, not take as much as we can get by with and not get caught.

Sadly, many still don’t understand or care about this concept. I wish they did.