Obama should push for inaugural speech goals
On Monday, President Barack Obama officially retook the oath of office to begin his second term. He also gave an eloquent speech that touched on many issues that America faces and emphasized unity in the face of trials. It was reminiscent of the speech that propelled him into the national consciousness back at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. But as inspiring as the rhetoric may have been, words alone are not going to fix the issues that ail this nation. In his second term, Obama must work with Congress to pass more substantial legislation to address the problems that he mentioned in his speech.
That is not to say that nothing was accomplished during Obama’s first term. The Affordable Care Act, though far from perfect, was extremely significant and will always be associated with Obama. Likewise, the stimulus packages went a long way towards helping our economy recover. But certain issues like immigration did not see the solution that was originally promised, and that should not be the case this time around.
One of the bigger issues brought up by Obama was climate change and its effect on the world we live in. There is a myriad of data proving that climate change is real and should be of concern to all Americans. Protecting the environment and making sure that it is safe for our future generations shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but it has become one. The Obama administration must give priority to the development of renewable and clean energy sources. In his speech, Obama said that he wants the U.S. to be on the cutting edge of this type of technology, and there is no reason we shouldn’t be.
Obama also spoke at length about equality. Specifically he mentioned equality on two fronts: for women in the workplace and for gays and lesbians to be able to marry. He made progress on both of those issues in his first term by signing the Lilly Ledbetter Act and by becoming the first president to favor the legalization of same-sex marriage. Earlier this week, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta removed the ban on women in combat duty in the military. That was a tremendous step forward toward the goal of gender equality. And the question of same-sex marriage will come before the Supreme Court this March, but Obama must use his influence to pressure the Supreme Court into the right decision.
Obama’s speech painted a portrait of an America that we have not realized yet. But that vision is not unreasonable. It would take tremendous determination and a lot of battles, but if both Obama and Congress are to somehow put the best interests of the country over partisan bickering, then actual progress can be achieved. That’s not very likely to happen; in fact, the odds are abysmally low. But it’s possible.