2010 State of the Union Address by President Barack Obama
Nothing could summarize Washington better. And it’s too bad that such a description is closer to the truth than not, but distrust and lack of faith is just about all Americans have in our government these days. At least it feels that way.
And whether those feelings are justified, whether they were caused by one party or the other, cynicism toward our government seems untouched and unchanged.
Nearing his conclusion, the president showed a great deal of humility, when he admitted that some Americans are skeptical of the change he promised during his campaign, and of his ability to deliver that change.
But it was a one-two punch.
He quickly followed up with 1) he never said change would be easy and that 2) he won’t give up.
After outlining his vision for American over the next few years, President Obama also made it clear that while talk of reform (insert the word change here) is good, until Washington and legislators reform (insert again) the way they work with each other, nothing will get done. Until the issues outweigh the mentality of “I win, you lose,” and the strategy of “playing it safe” and letting polls and elections drive actions, real reform — real change — will not be possible.
Yet, as the president underscored the unity of America and the need for continued unity, the chamber remained divided; the ovations remained lop-sided.
The president declared that for so many Americans — specifically those who are unemployed — “Change hasn’t come fast enough.”
But can you really rush change? Did any major movement in our nation’s history reach miles overnight? Of course not. You especially can’t expect a large degree of change after only one year of switching gears … after eight years of going the opposite direction.
The topics du jour were no surprise — all of which are in desperate need of change:
1. Economy
2. Jobs
3. Education
4. Health care
It’s also no surprise that it took the president 45 minutes before he even touched on the hottest topic of all — health care. But one thing that drew a standing ovation from both sides — health care reform is a must. As for what develops in the end, we shall see.
Despite the real and somewhat grim picture President Obama painted during his address re: the Washington way and the political plays, he ended on a positive note, and another undeniable truth.
America is resilient. Her people continue to demonstrate “stubborn resilience in the face of adversity.” Nothing could be better proof of that than the story of the little boy who enclosed his weekly allowance in a letter to the President. That money was not sent to support a political campaign. It wasn’t saved to buy off policy. No, that little boy only wanted that money to be given to the people of Haiti.
Such sweet innocence and sheer good will makes me wonder if our children have better sense than our politicians sometimes.
While I know we can’t have a Congress full of children (though sometimes it doesn’t seem so far from reality), it’s time to have a Congress full of common sense and productivity. It’s time to quit playing games and start producing results. It’s time to get real about change — in our economy, in our jobs, in our education, and in our health care.
Listening to my president describe my agonizing experience of sending out resume after resume with not even so much as a “Thank you for your interest,” only cemented my belief that change is imperative.
Today marks the 220nd time that an American president has addressed the Congress and the people of the United States. This is certainly not the first time change has been identified as an item on our nation’s agenda.
But, maybe it’s time we start making it a priority.
Truth Be Told 