President
Barack Obama delivered his fourth State of the Union address Monday night and
shared his plan for the future of the United States of America. In my previous
column I shared my predictions of what his likely key points would be. While I
was able to correctly predict some, other topics he discussed caught me
completely off guard.
My previous predictions of key talking points
were immigration, the economy and gun control. While all of these were
discussed at some point throughout the 59 minute and 58 second address, there
were several surprises to me.
One topic that I was unable to predict
was cyber security. I was caught off guard when this topic came up and was
discussed in such great length. “We cannot look back years from now and wonder why
we did nothing in the face of real threats to our security and our economy,”
Obama said. “That’s why, earlier today, I signed a new executive order that
will strengthen our cyber defenses by increasing information sharing, and
developing standards to protect our national security, our jobs and our
privacy.” While the topic is important I was shocked that it was discussed
before gun violence.
After the
multiple shootings that occurred recently and public, as well as politicians,
calling for increased regulation, I was surprised this subject was discussed so
close to the end of the speech. Obama emphasized the topic of gun violence to
be brought to a vote. “Hadiya’s parents, Nate and Cleo, are in this chamber
tonight, along with more than two dozen Americans whose lives have been torn
apart by gun violence. They deserve a vote,” Obama said. “Gabby Giffords
deserves a vote. The families of Newtown deserve a vote. The families of Aurora
deserve a vote. The families of Oak Creek, and Tucson, and Blacksburg, and the
countless other communities ripped open by gun violence - they deserve a simple
vote.” I thought this was a strong point of the address. Obama’s listing of
several mass shootings that are still in American’s memories. With the list I
thought that Obama really helped drive home the point that something needs to
be done in order to prevent even more senseless mass shootings.
The war in
Afghanistan also was a key point in the address. Obama said another 34,000
American troops would be coming home from Afghanistan. “And by the end of next
year, our war in Afghanistan will be over,” Obama said. Obama’s bold statement led
to a standing ovation by many. Obama also emphasized equal treatment for all
service members as well as equal benefits for the families regardless of if
they are gay or straight. Another point also discussed was women serving in
combat. As well as investing in veteran’s benefits, education, job
opportunities, families and healthcare.
Obama also
announced an overhaul of the American school system. A redesign of America’s
high schools was announced in order to better equip graduates for the demands
of a high-tech economy. Also, Obama discussed the affordability of college and
said colleges must do their part to keep costs down.
I think I did
an okay job of predicting what the president would discuss. All three topics
that I predicted were discussed throughout the address. My predictions were 100 percent discussed. There were other topics
that I was unable to predict though for example, cyber security as well as the
war in Afghanistan and the state of the military.
The
article by NBC News said gun policy and healthcare were top concerns for voters
as well as the economy and federal deficit. In my opinion, Obama somewhat
discussed what America wanted to hear. Obama definitely spent time on gun
policy and the economy. However when it came to healthcare, not a lot of time
was spent discussing it compared to the other two topics.
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