State of the Union?

President Obama began this year's State of the Union Address with his most important accomplishment this past year and probably of his whole 4-year term that is, removing troops from Iraq and the death of Osama bin Laden. He speaks of the courage and bravery of all the troops that fought in Iraq as well as the Navy Seals that brought in the most wanted man in America. From his use of rhetoric one is driven to believe that the "War on Terror" is finally over an in addition, Iraq is now a better country because we were there. He states:

 "At a time when too many of our institutions have let us down, [these achievements have] exceed all expectations. They’re not consumed with personal ambition. They don’t obsess over their differences. They focus on the mission at hand. They work together."

From this statement one perceives that since the war is now over terrorism is now something of the past and it's time to look towards the future when in reality nothing is that simple. This year's State of the Union address served as a launchpad for the democratic campaign for the presidency. The president did not focus on any one theme or policy. His speech was about everything that concerns Americans today and that may affect how they will vote this coming November. Another way to look at this speech is as a rebuttal to the republican campaigns that have been raging on these past few months. The president spoke about education, natural gas, taxes, Iran, foreign trade, supporting innovation, global influence, the list goes on and on. This night was not about the state of the union but about, "What the president can do for you" if reelected.

The president's speech was filled with many promises that we all hope he will keep. As we approach November we should expect to hear many more promises from all sides both Democratic and Republican. As we saw in the film "Lions for Lambs", pretty words or a nice cover story are not sufficient to lead a country in the correct direction. This country is a democracy first and foremost for the people and by the people. This is a privilege of great power handed to the citizens of this country, a privilege that for many individuals around the world is but a distant dream. With great power also comes great responsibilities. Let us not be led astray by rhetoric, let us be guided by facts. When it comes our turn to hand in the ballot let us be well informed and confident in the choices we are making for ourselves and our country as a whole.