By: Brittini Brooks
I will admit that I was not interested in politics when I
was younger. However, when I decided to become a journalist a few years ago, I thought
it was time to start paying attention. I will also admit that I am one of the
few journalists who is not glued to what is going on in the world seven days a
week, 24 hours of the day. But one thing I always enjoy watching is the State
of the Union address given by our nation’s president whoever he is at the time.
I find them enjoyable because I believe you get a sense of the personality and
the passion our leader has.
President Barack
Obama will give his first State of the Union address next week since taking the
oath for his second term. I took a look at his last state address and compared
it to speeches made by America’s former presidents. After reviewing President
Obama’s, Abraham Lincoln’s, Dwight Eisenhower’s and John F. Kennedy’s former
state addresses, I believe Obama will speak about the following subjects: gay
rights, the unemployment rate, health care system, the war in Iraq, taxes and
gun control.
Like President Lincoln, one of the big policies that Obama
has stressed is equality. Lincoln wanted freedom for slaves and succeeded.
Lincoln’s idea has lived on and President Obama is hoping to make his own
history by creating equality for gay rights. I believe President Obama will
speak about gay rights in his upcoming speech because it was a major topic at
this year’s inauguration. President Obama stated in his inauguration speech
that he wanted “equality for all.” In this statement he clarified that equality
for all meant white, black, Latino, gay and straight. He was also the first
president0 to have a gay Latino poet at the inauguration. It is with all of
these things that I believe he will mention gay rights in his address.
In his State of the Union address in 1963, President John F.
Kennedy stated America has enjoyed 22 months of uninterrupted economic
recovery. But recovery is not enough. If we are to prevail in the long run, we
must expand the long-run strength of our economy. We must move along the path
to a higher rate of growth and full employment.
This has been one of the issues Obama has faced. Since the
war in Iraq started, our economy has been on the downhill slide concerning
employment. Before Obama took office, the unemployment rate was 9.2 percent. Today
that number is 7.8 percent. There are people still unhappy with this number and
that is why I believe Obama will address this issue in his upcoming speech.
Health care will forever be a problem in our country. I
believe this will always be a subject that a new president addresses in any
speech he makes. I believe Obama will mention it because part of his new health
care plan has taken effect and people still have concerns about it and the
other parts still to take effect.
President Eisenhower and President Obama both inherited wars
that were not started by them and both men have ended these wars. Since troops
are supposed to come home in 2014, I believe President Obama will make a small
statement about the troops homecoming.
Taxes, like
healthcare, will always be a concern in our country. President Obama will most
likely talk about taxes and any upcoming changes or bills that are to be passed
or in consideration of being passed.
Gun control has been a big controversy in our country since
the Newtown, Conn., shootings. Everyone has had an opinion on it. It has become
a huge debate on social networks and the news. I believe Obama will talk about
gun control and the tragedy that happened. He may even implement a plan that he
plans to put into effect.
I believe it is these issues that Obama will talk about
because they are of high priority to our society. I believe this because all
Americans deserve equal rights, safer schools, jobs, better health care and for
the war to end so we can see they can see their loved ones again.
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