Better than that other guy
Daniel Schott
Issue date: 1/27/10 Section: Opinion
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Arriving early at Truax on my first day back, in order to catch the six bus and get to my downtown 10:30 a.m. class, I decided to get myself some breakfast foods from the cafeteria. However, in the hall I was approached by a student forcing a flyer into my hands faster than you can shout "Yatzee!," and then he immediately turned to prey on another victim.
Blinking a few times, I raised the paper to reading level, attempting to decipher the amazingly annoying font that the creator had decided to use. It read, "Obama: what happened to CHANGE? Come speak against him, tonight on the capital square at…"
It was at this point that I was bent over with laughter, my sides beginning to hurt. After a minute or so of this, I decided it was time to dispose of this properly. A quick crumple and toss and the idea behind the flyer was back with its kind, in the trash disposal.
Moving on with my day, I thought about this flyer a lot. My first, most understandable thought was the most obvious one to me, "What did Bush do his first, second, third or even fourth year?" However a little voice nagged me a bit, telling me to be objective and at least consider the flyer for what it's trying to convey.
So, applying the same question to the current President of the United States, I decided to do some research.
Some of the major changes that Obama put into motion his first week were, but not limited to:
Jan. 22, 2009 - He called for the closure of Guantanamo Bay, one of the largest contradictions to the idea of American Freedom, within a year.
Jan. 23, 2009 - He rescinded the "Mexico City Policy", which was unlawfully undermining the promotion of safe family planning in developing countries.
Jan. 25, 2009 - He worked on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which was later signed into law, ensuring women who are victims of pay discrimination can effectively challenge unequal pay.
This was only his first week, and to try and list everything the president has accomplished in the last year would encompass this entire newspaper. President Obama is, by far, one of the most successful presidents for the amount of time he has spent in office. Many times, you hear people refer to the first year of presidency as the year when they are just getting their foot in the door, or getting "into the swing of things." Unlike most others, the current president has jumped into his role, becoming an extremely active president, and changing a lot in a very short time.
Many criticize him and his ideas, saying that he "has yet to deliver on his promises," and should not be president. These people are utterly ignorant of the enormity of his job and the fact that he has already done so much for the country. No, he did not immediately change the entire structure of our society, give jobs to every single person alive in the borders of the United States and supply us with a universal healthcare system that is unrivaled in all of history.
Quite simply, he is not God. He cannot make anything appear out of nowhere, or magically fix every problem in the United States by simply clapping his hands. He has made great strides to drive this country out of the depression that has started to rear its ugly head and affect everyone.
Patience is a virtue that many college students seem to lack. All I have to say is become less ignorant before you speak.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
noname
posted 2/11/10 @ 11:20 AM CST
Indeed, Obama has already done a lot and he will do even more. The fact that he got the Nobel Prize for Peace speaks for itself.
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