The State of the Union Speech occurred on January 12, 2016, and it was President Obama’s final State of the Union Speech. Towards the beginning of the speech, President Obama had a few proposals such as raising the minimum wage, fixing the immigration system, equal pay for work, protecting children from gun violence, and paid leave. After the proposals, President Obama spoke about his vision for the future, which was a consistent theme throughout the speech. Since Obama has less than a year in office, he felt it was important to focus on the future rather than many proposals. Throughout our history, Americans have dealt with significant changes like wars and depressions, and we have not feared the future. President Obama said our optimistic spirit and our choices have helped make economic progress during his presidency that will continue in years to come.
The future was an important element to President Obama’s speech. There were four essential questions that encompassed the remainder of his speech. Obama asked, “First, how do we give everyone a fair shot at opportunity and security in this new economy? Second, how do we make technology work for us, and not against us -- especially when it comes to solving urgent challenges like climate change? Third, how do we keep America safe and lead the world without becoming its policeman? And finally, how can we make our politics reflect what’s best in us, and not what’s worst?”
After stating the four questions, President Obama addressed each question. Initially, Obama stated that the United States currently has the strongest, most durable economy in the world. Obama also said the unemployment rate has been cut in half since the 1990s because approximately 14 million jobs have been created. Then, Obama shifted to technology and discussed how it has replaced assembly line jobs or jobs that can be automated. He mentioned his goals to make college more affordable by reducing student loans, and giving students two years of free community college. Although Obama felt education was significant, he also emphasized the importance of health and retirement. Obama stressed the importance of Social Security and Medicare and how we should work to strengthen them.
As Americans, Obama said, “That spirit of discovery is in our DNA.” He placed Vice President Biden in charge of leading the medical research for finding a cure for cancer. Since we are dedicated to medical research, Obama wants us to advance clean energy sources. Obama provided facts about how clean energy sources has affected us positively. Next discussion point was the security of America and how it is the strongest nation in the world. Since ISIS is currently a common topic, Obama said ISIS is using propaganda to try and place fear in Americans. Obama’s first priority is to protect Americans by sending forces to Iraq and Syria to reclaim territory. While Obama talked about global matters, he mentioned the significance of improving diplomatic relations.
Our Constitution begins with “We the People”, and Obama said this means all Americans, which led him to his fourth point. We must work together towards the future that we want. After addressing his last point, Obama explained how he wanted to make the political process easier. Obama ended with saying it would be easier to not make changes, but we cannot stop or we will abandon our future.
As I reflect upon President Obama’s speech, I agree with some of his points, but disagree with others. Though the economy has improved, the national debt is rising rapidly. During Obama’s presidency, we reached the peak of our most recent recession with very high unemployment rates. Our economy is getting stronger, but we must recognize the level of debt our country is facing. I also think it would be helpful to make community college free for two years. I believe medical research is very important, and we should strive to find cures for many diseases. President Obama noted that the political process must be easier. One of the areas needing improvement is the voting procedure. It is imperative to make the voting process more stringent. Voters should be informed and understand who they are voting for because we are selecting a person who leads and shapes our country. In order to fix the future, I believe there are changes we must make in the present.
No comments:
Post a Comment