State of the Union Address

The state of the union address certainly contained powerful words and ideas for every American citizen. President Obama spoke to our fears and our difficulties, and promised hope, reform, and a brighter future. I am a firm believer in hope, in change and in the ability of man to better himself and learn from his mistakes. I even felt inspired by Obama's words, and a sense of pride for the land which has provided for me that I haven't felt in a long time. His words touch on the most urgent topics in politics today, and offered solutions to their problems.

However, at the end of the day. They are simply words. Obama has made great promises about our future as a nation, but whether or not these promises can or will be fulfilled is something only the future can teach us. The overarching beliefs of his speech: the messages of responsibility and commitment, of rewarding hard work as well as reforming what has led to our mistakes and disasters certainly speak to the spirit of the American people. If President Obama truly has the passion and conviction for his cause that he demonstrated in the address, I have faith in a better America.

That being said, specific details about plans of reform, or tactics for achieving these goals were given. I do not know enough about politics or economics to determine whether these plans have a good chance at being successful or not, however the lack of detail calls into question whether these plans are thorough and well-designed. Perhaps the State of the Union Address is not the place for such details, but still, their absence makes the words of hope President Obama gave simply that: hope.

I said that I firmly believe in the power of man to better himself, and I do have faith that power can extend to the betterment of this nation. But today, right now, all I can do is hope that those in power can follow through on their promises and can truly understand the problems that plague us in order to implement the effective solutions. I have faith that Barack Obama is capable of rekindling the spirit of the American people and re-instilling the pride we should have in our nation, but I have no evidence to support this belief. So I leave to you readers the charge of forming your own opinions on this matter, as my voice cannot guide anyone through the twisted, muddied past of politics.