dania's posterous

Believe in Change

"These struggles are the reason I ran for president..."


It comes as no surprise that President Barack Obama is a great orator. More important than that, however, were the contents of his State of the Union speech on January 27, 2010. 
He began by addressing poverty in the United States, claiming the millions of jobs that were restored while simultaneously addressing those that still exist. He did this several times throughout his speech, creating a pattern between his accomplishments over the past year and then acknowledging the issues that still need to be faced and improved. 

As a college student, one of the more appealing parts of his speech was his remarks towards reforming college tuition and loans. He spoke about a bill that would "end the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies that go to banks for student loans" and instead "take that money and give families a $10,000 tax credit for four years of college and increase Pell Grants...tell another one million students that when they graduate, they will be required to pay only 10 percent of their income on student loans, and all of their debt will be forgiven after 20 years -- and forgiven after 10 years if they choose a career in public service." To make those kinds of promises is bold, but President Obama has a way of giving the American public hope. With his many accomplishments this past year, such as the Recovery Act that saved several businesses and the infrastructure plan that provided several new jobs for unemployed Americans, I would think it is safe to say that he can back his promises up. 

President Obama also addressed the rest of the obvious issues, like health care, budgeting and the economy, ending the war in Iraq, and even ending the production of nuclear weapons. However, the issue with the most profound effect, in my opinion, was his argument for Americans to regain their trust in the American government. To address the Washington politics that do not actually help in governing the people is exactly what we the citizens want to hear. Obama provided the public with reassurance about Congress making the right decisions for the well-being of the country and not their political party. Their job is, as Obama stated, to govern and to do so with equality. It was with equality in mind that President Obama also reminded us that all citizens, and even immigrants in the United States, should be treated as Americans as long as they "follow the rules" and abide by the law. He reminded us that "America must always stand on the side of freedom and human dignity" and that in and of itself should be what his speech should be praised for and every one of his words made believable. 
To Posterous, Love Metalab