Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 1-15-16 Edition

State Of Union
Residents Comment On President Obama’s Final State Of Union Speech
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
31 Million Tuned In For Final State Of Union Speech
Launching into his final “State of the Union” Speech, President Barack
Obama said that although he promised to keep the speech short, “I’ve got plenty, from helping students learn to write computer code to personalizing medical treatments for patients.
“And I will keep pushing for progress on work that I believe still needs to be done. Fixing a broken immigration system. Protecting our kids from gun vi- olence. Raising the minimum wage. All these things still mat- ter to hardworking families.”
Some Tampa residents who listened to the speech shared their comments with Sentinel readers.
Ms. Ann Porter said, “I am so
proud of
our Presi-
dent. He
has been
the best
president
that I have
ever had the opportunity to read about, know about, and vote for. We couldn’t have asked for a better President.
“His speech was just out- standing. It gave us confidence again in the spirit of America and why our founding fathers put the rules and Constitution in
place and he held very close to that.
“It is remarkable. He voiced the opinions of those of us who are loyal, loving this country, and aspire to do whatever we can in government to serve mankind.”
Bobby Bowden said, “I thought I
would never
live to see an
African
American
president,
standing
there with
the Vice President on his right and the Speaker of the House on his left. This is something Blacks can be proud of. We have the perfect family in the White House.
“In his very historical State of the Union Speech, President Obama assured us that ISIS doesn’t threaten our national se- curity. He said it is one of the strongest and most durable.
“He inherited a royal mess. But he has cut the deficit, and the unemployment rate is down to 5%. Some of the things he still plans to address are the criminal justice reform, his cancer initia- tive, which is something all Americans can be proud of. He has directed the Vice President to work on a cure for cancer, and that will be his lasting legacy.
“Republicans have stated that the economy is not recover- ing, but lowering gas prices helps everyone every time you go to the pumps. The money you save can be utilized for other things such as food, clothing, and other goods.
“He talked about not giving up on addressing the immigra- tion system and said gun control is sorely needed to address the
potential of situations such as Columbine and Sandy Hook.
“If President Obama had had just a little cooperation, he could have done so much more,” Bowden said.
Danny Green said, “The President of
the United
States
Barack
Obama
State of the
Union ad-
dress, once
again a great speech. He talked about the great growth of the economy and gas prices over the last 7 years, which have im- proved.
“Also, about 18 million American people have health care now. He also addressed both parties working together as Americans. Also touched on fighting terrorism. About other country pulling their own weight.
“Americans don't want to be the World Police. But, the most important part is helping veter- ans in healthcare. Great job Mr. President.”
Billy Wheeler said, “President Obama di- rectly ac- knowledged ‘We, the Peo- ple,’ during his final SOTU ad- dress. He reached out to all of America with his four-point focus on the economy, technol- ogy, global safety, and better government. It’s sad that people who uphold division through hyper-partisan politics attract
the most media attention.
“So, we must reject the igno- rant, cynical voices that promote
fear and support gridlock. Is- sues should supersede personal- ities and voting is part of the process to make change vital to our families, our country, and the world.”
Rev. Karen Jackson Sims said,
“How can
you sum up
President
Obama's
last State of
the Union
Address?
One word- Classy (with a capitol c)...but what should we expect from such an intelligent, on the mark President?
“He did not give the tradi- tional speech listing all the pro- grams and changes he accomplished during his tenure. We all know he could have filled all the time with this list. No, he set the stage for the country to move forward as a better country, building on the foundation that he has laid with six principles.
“Unlike those running for the office he holds, he also very tastefully told them what they don't know, nor understand. Did ya hear him Trump, Cruz and Rubio (who found his way to work)? To stay the course he laid out, we must now do our part, register and vote! The only untraditional part I didn't like - he never introduced his wife, who stayed and worked by his side during his 7 years.”
Ross Anderson said, “I had my son
watch the
speech with
me because
it gave me an
opportunity
to share
with him the
successes of
Barack Obama why the Re- publicans won’t give the presi- dent any credit for any success for the last seven years. I wanted him to hear all the great things that he's done for our country. Also, I want him to un- derstand if his generation does- n't become actively involved in the state and local political process that his generation will be in trouble.
“They MUST exercise their voting rights and ask the tough questions to OUR elected offi- cials on what they are doing to support them. I loved that part on FREE community college to students. He stated that "forty percent of our college students choose community college" and for Tampa I'm sure that the number is even higher. We must do more to support our students that attend college.
“President Barack Obama took over in exceed- ingly hard times and has strug- gled ever since to inspire in office the way he did on the cam- paign trail. But as he begins his final stretch, he has a bully pul- pit and he made clear Tuesday night that he intends to use it.”
President
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