Cyber-Freewrite
Post your response to the freewrite here.
Reflect on President Obama's State of the Union Address last night, January 25, 2011. If given the opportunity to address the nation, what would you tell the American people?
In both classes, especially the later class, we had a very thoughtful discussion about President Obama's address. Most students in both classes either watched or listened or read the speech. The critique looked at the speech as a political tool as well as a document, that is, a piece of writing, an essay.
Everyone commented on how well it worked as a oral argument and also on how well President Obama is at presenting his ideas to a wide audience, especially one which might not agree with his plans or goals.
This video speaks to the history of the address and why it takes place: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/01/25/inside-white-house-state-union-address
If you have a laptop, bring it on Thursdays. We will meet in A-232 on the final day of the week through May 18, 2011. There are not enough computer terminals presently (30 operable).
We will visit the blog website and practice posting tomorrow and have a few MLA quizzes.
Post your response to the freewrite here.
Reflect on President Obama's State of the Union Address last night, January 25, 2011. If given the opportunity to address the nation, what would you tell the American people?
In both classes, especially the later class, we had a very thoughtful discussion about President Obama's address. Most students in both classes either watched or listened or read the speech. The critique looked at the speech as a political tool as well as a document, that is, a piece of writing, an essay.
Everyone commented on how well it worked as a oral argument and also on how well President Obama is at presenting his ideas to a wide audience, especially one which might not agree with his plans or goals.
This video speaks to the history of the address and why it takes place: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/01/25/inside-white-house-state-union-address
If you have a laptop, bring it on Thursdays. We will meet in A-232 on the final day of the week through May 18, 2011. There are not enough computer terminals presently (30 operable).
We will visit the blog website and practice posting tomorrow and have a few MLA quizzes.
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 11:03 AM
63 Comments:
Sherri Short
English 1A
9-9:50 am M-Th
I enjoyed the SUA, even though I only read it. The things that stood out most for me were the Presidents thoughts on encouraging higher education, ending tax 'loop-holes', tax reform, the investments in clean energy and the undocumented children issue.
I did also feel that there wasn't much information given on how to resolve some of the issues discussed. Maybe that was due to the 'conflict' that was referenced between the opposing political parties involved in making the decisions for movement on any of the issues at hand.
I can also see that even though the country is 'bouncing back' in terms of recovery, California will be the last state to feel it due to the volume and intensity of the 'hit' our state took.
If I were giving the SUA, I would probably want it to be similar to the one delivered last night. My SUA would have discussed a lot more ideas to help cut the budget deficit that didn't include taking funding away from higher education- which the president promoted in last nights SUA.
Tony San Nicolas
English 1A
9-9:50am M-Th
The thing that struck me the most about the State of the Union Address (henceforth referred to as SUA) was the surprising amount of support that the audience showed our President, whether it was by standing ovations, or simply nodding their head in contemplative agreement. Professor Wanda, I believe that you mentioned it in class today during out discussion, the audience gave Mr. Obama a "standing O", which lasted for an abnormal amount of time - an awkward amount of time by most standards. I believe that this was nothing more than political gesturing on part of all three parties present. But, whatever your political bias one thing was clear, this SUA was all about unity and his attempt to bring everyone together.
Now, one might say that this is typical of a politician, especially one that is considered a moderate according to a poll conducted by NBC news and the Wall Street Journal.
(found here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/20/president-obama-moderate-poll_n_811555.html)
But, it is my belief that the posture that Mr. Obama was taking was one of sincerity, I believe that he realizes that the problems and challenges that faces our nation cannot be solved by one party or the other, but only if they work together in a unified fashion. The simple fact that there are realistically two parties that “run the show” on Capital Hill, one might think that his words are mere conjecture and an insult to the public’s intelligence to suggest that a Democrat President with a Democrat-controlled Senate would rely on nothing other than his own party, but taking into consideration his intelligence and his track record, I would very much like to believe him. If in fact, he is pushing for unity, I believe that we have a chance at being excellent stewards of the responsibility that we hold as the world’s greatest power.
The topics that Mr. Obama spoke of that resonated with me were things like education, immigration and military spending. These are just a few of the many “hot button” issues that our nation faces every day, but I feel that Mr. Obama addressed these issues candidly, but also with his signature enthusiasm and optimism. Others mentioned that optimism in class today, some were skeptical, some pointed out that he offered a lot of lofty goals, but with no solutions. While I agree somewhat, I as well as some others were quick to point out that though he offered no tangible solutions, I believe that it is assumed that his administration would do their best to achieve those goals, no matter how idealistic they may seem.
Only time will tell whether or not President Obama’s goals will be achieved, but we can only hope that our government can do their job and see to it that it gets done.
Submitted by Audrey Topacio
English 1A 8-8:50 am
January 26, 2011
I read the speech and I think it was well-written. like how he put an emphasis on working together as a whole rather than focusing on whose a Democrat or a Republican and what which party believes in, that being a politician is not about only satisfying democrats or republicans but rather about the entire nation.
I also like how he promotes clean and efficient energy sources. I think it's really important that we put an end to or reduce global warming. To people that think it's not happening, they should read the news more. Hello? there are tons of clues that mother nature is fighting back and trying to recover. It happens more often and stronger than before. I digress.
Lastly, I like his talk about education. I really just wish that it won't be stuck as a dream, and idea. He's been making a lot of promises, but not everything or 90% of it is being executed. I blame the Congress. I partly blame the president too for not standing his ground. he should have been persistent.
If were to say anything to the people of this nation I'd really encourage them to have faith in the government and fully support it especially when people are working their butts off to make things better for everyone. People shouldn't presume that the president or this politician's intentions aren't good. Oh, and more patience. Big changes don't really happen in a matter of 2 years.
Vanessa Dilworth
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50am
26 January 2011
Freewrite: Response to State of the Union Speech
My impression of President Obama’s the State of the Union speech was that it was very
well put together though very different than the speeches he gave before he got in office. It was
more riddled with the sense of what lies ahead and what will not be if we don’t change what we
are doing and improve upon things we are. I really like his ideas about using solar energy I think
that this change will not only help our economy but more importantly our planet. Also if we are
more innovative, better educated and sustaining the building blocks of our nation on own shores
we can succeed as a nation. I also appreciated how he looked at problems we are facing and how
we can fix them in respect to how the whole government feels about.
If I was President Obama I don’t really know what else I would have said I think he hit
on all the major points that plague our country and offered ways that we can fix them. I think
something that recognized me presence was when he spoke about higher education intuitions
and how instead of cutting scholarship, something that I am avidly looking for, we should tax
millionaires and help fund our future generations and ensure that we will have one. One
achievement that I liked was how our economy is growing now, slowly but steady. This is
because of the debt that he has inherited from previous presidents namely Bush. In all I felt that
before he got into office if he made it he would turn this country around he is has.
David Guzman
Professor Sabir
English 1A - 9am
26 January, 2011
Reflection about President Obama's State of the Union Address last night
Obama once again proved to be a charismatic speaker who drew the attention of the audience by making references to experiences of people in the audience. He knew how to manipulate the situation of the shooting in Arizona in order to dissipate differences between Republicans and Democrats and thus created a discourse in which the focus was to take the country out of depression by working together through technological innovations, the economy, infrastructure and perhaps most importantly, the human resource. As always, he took advantage of patriotism to build support for their ideas, and get ovations lasting at times up to 5 minutes.
Although the speech referred to the problems plaguing the country, such as lack of high education, lack of good infrastructure, and national debt, he left out important issues like high unemployment, social problems, and immigration. It is obvious that in 1 and a half hours you cannot touch all the hot spots. From my point of view this time he decided to talk vaguely about controversial points like the war in Afghanistan, Pakistan, health insurance, anti-immigrant policy, and international politics.
He formulated very creative ideas. For example, the use of clean energy to fuel vehicles or light homes and indeed stop the dependence on oil; agreements with other countries towards foreign investment and to create jobs for Americans; increasing education standards; and the reduction in federal spending to raise funds for investment in small businesses.
I'm still not clear whether all these measures will be sufficient to achieve the necessary funds to boost the economy once again. Anyway, there are signs of recovery. The retailers are selling more and new jobs are being created, corporate profits are growing, and Obama said the U.S. economy is still the strongest in the world. It appears that the strongest engine for the country to get out of the crisis is its people, working together and in an organized way. An emotion that Obama knows how to take advantage of very well.
If given the opportunity to address the nation, what would you tell the American people?
If I were in the same situation, I mean, if I had a country in economic recession, I would use strategies such as appealing to patriotic feelings and talking over the advantages and opportunities of this country instead of talking about disadvantages of the nation, similar to what Obama did in his State of the Union address. Personally, I think Obama sounded a bit like a populist president, that is, he said what the people wanted to hear but I would not take that risk because it would generate mistrust. It is difficult to formulate proposals for an economic revival within a political situation where the president does not have the votes to pass legislation, but it is necessary to be creative and use innovative ideas to improve the economy. Definitely some things I would do are to cut federal and military spending, monitor the use of resources by public employees, and raise taxes on luxury goods. These are measures that Obama announced he will take but the problem again is that this is not suitable for certain wealthy people. I would definitely put more emphasis on cleaning up the government by making the work of public organizations more efficient; therefore people would see that there is a commitment to change, and show them that change is not achieved in just two years. I would create a long-term economic agenda and let the people be aware that in order to achieve a better future, certain sacrifices are required. If all else fails, I would announce a new war to divert public attention.
Jacob Wise
English 1A
8am
President Obama's speech was well thought out as always. He is a very effective speaker. He discussed a great deal of topics including: tax reforms, promoting education, and undocumented children. I also applaud him for trying to end the partisan politics this country has endured for far too long. In fact, partisanism was George Washington's gravest warning in his inaugural speech. If I were to give a State of the Union Address I would prefer it to be akin to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's speeches. It was like he was having a father-to-son chat with the nation. I would focus on a lot of the same topics as Obama as they are very important to the nation. However, I would not be removing educational funds. Also, I would definitely go more in depth as to what sort of solution I would propose to correct these problems.
Cody Henneman
Wanda Sabir
English 1A 8:00AM-8:50AM
January 26, 2011
I watched the speech on the internet and I really enjoyed it. As a matter of fact, I wasn't distracted by any of the infinite things that I could do on the internet while watching it. I thought that it was quite fascinating. The parts that I really liked the most were the parts where President Obama addressed education and military. The thing that fascinated me the most was his "Race to the Top" policy that he introduced to me. I think that it really emphasizes one of the few, i think, good things about capitalism. That is competition. I think that competition is good in the right circumstances. Education is a very good circumstance. It will not only push students, but most of all, the teachers who really care will try even harder. Because as Obama said: When you get to the top, we'll show you the money. I believe that is a good idea because of the fact that the weaker schools might have the desire to do better and enhance their capabilities.
I liked how Obama highlighted the point about how we are turning over the Iraqi government to the hands of the Iraqi people. At least they will have a say now with where their country will head in the future. I believe that we should only do the minimum and only the necessary in wars or in this case invasions. Because of the fact that people really do not get to live when another country is patrolling their streets, no matter which country has invaded their streets.
If I were to write/ give the Address, I would say that the most important thing to fund is our education, and then military and public works. Because schools may provided public works and keep children off the streets and also with an incredible education system, being a teacher would be a much better job. Because of the fact that teachers are completely and utterly under paid. They teach the future yet the corporations get the most money, that I think is most wrong. I would also give less funds to the military because having a military in different parts of the world is not smart I don't think. A military is for homeland security. Not hanging out in different countries. If we must go to war, let's go to war ALL OUT, not fifty-fifty. Because when we go fifty-fifty like we did now, the economy will look like this. Horrible.
Eman Obad
English 1A
1/27/2011
8-850
I never really watched the SUA, ever. But I did last night and I must say I actually enjoyed it. I felt as though the president did a great job addressing a lot of important issues that needed to be discussed.
I loved how the president spook about adding a hundred thousand teachers in math,science,engineering,and technology. I thought that by that happening our country would be able to compete with other countries "top dogs" in those fields.
I thought it was nice how the audience showed so much support for our president. Whether they were applauding or standing up ,I just felt the love :). But there was a point were i was so annoyed by it ,I just wanted to hear what he had to say without all the pauses and applauses.
I agree with a lot of what the president discusses, I don't feel like he forget anything. He had a time limit, I think, and I believe that he addressed all of the very important topics.
If I were to be giving a SAU, I would probably be saying some of the things that were said last night. I'm not that big on politics but if I had to, I would do just fine.
Dereje Bizuneh
English 1A
9;00-9:50 M-Th
I found president Obama’s speech very interesting and inspiring. He titled his speech with ‘Wining the Future’ and explained detail how we’re going to win the future. He address most of the current issues in a proper way with the solutions and he also mention he is willing to discuss with anybody who come with a different solution for those issues.
The first thing, which caught my attention from his speech, was, when he called the Republican and Democrats to work together to win the future. This is not the time for political adventure. This is the time saving the Americans’ dream. Put their differences aside and work together to save families from loosing their jobs, homes and educations.
If I got an opportunity to speak on State of Union, I would focus on the education and creating jobs. I would promise to give a huge tax break to the people who invest and create a job in the US. On the other hand, it would be more tax to the wealthy people who took the jobs to other countries to get cheap labor. When I come to education, I would probably reform the educational system and enforce the states to get done in each district. I believe, education is the basic thing for our country development.
Marcella Miles
English 1A
9:00-9:50
M-Th
The State of The Union for 2011 was interesting to say the least. As far as writing goes, it was brilliantly formed. The character Obama made with each of his words was issued appropriately and well-performed.Although the state of the Union did carry high grandeur and covered many topics, it still wasn't very complete. I expected more remarks on what has been accomplished since he was elected in '08. The time spent talking about goals should have been spent praising our achievements. If that was done, Americans would be able to tell if he is doing his job or not. There was a strong sense of hope, but little action to back that up. If I were to craft my own State of The Union, I would have included more efforts for crime reform. I would have also included more initiatives towards further health care reform. I would have highlighted my plans for bringing the troops home and including a due date as Obama did. A focus on reducing gang activity and teen pregnancy rates could have been emphasized in the speech. The State of the Union did have a good effect despite the large gaps. I also really agreed with the emphasis on education.
Teepian Yu
English 1A
9-9:50 AM
I enjoyed watching the State of The Union address. President Barack Obama spoke with such great passion and knowledge. I especially enjoyed all the small stories that The President used to lead up to many of his key points. They were all captivating stories and really tied in well with the subjects. Although The President’s address was enjoyable and informative, I did have some concerns. If I were President, I would’ve spoken more on issues regarding immigration. The state of Arizona has had a very rough past year and I think there were many issues that needed to be addressed more directly. Besides that issue, the President’s speech was up to par in my view.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shameiko Porter
English 1A
8:00-8:50am
Professor Sabir
The State of the Union Address talks abput current issues in the United states and around the world. The President speaks about solutions to fix these problems and ways to improve the country making it run smooth and without conflict. If I had the oppurtunity I would let the american people know thta i was doing everything in my power to help them, that I took my job seriously and I wanted what was best for america and the world overall.
Jacob Wise
English 1A
8am
@Teepian:
I also appreciated how the presiden'ts speech was formulated and have to agree that he should have spent more time addressing the immigration issue especially in regards to Arizona. He also could have expanded on how he plans to solve these issues.
@Marcella:
I definitely agree that his speech was formed and given well. I would also agree that he has not been able to show that he has done a great amount of work since his 2008 election. I wonder how you propose to reform crime. I personally believe that educational reforms would help to keep more people in jobs and out of the jails.
Theodore Lionberger
English 1A 8-8:50
1/27/11
State of the Union Address Freewrite
Obama's state of the union for 2011 was full of promises, much like his presidential campaign and past speeches. The biggest difference was a new focus on bipartisanship, humbled as he was by Democratic losses in the 2010 elections. Though unapologetic in his calls for government spending, his commentary was nonetheless geared for compromise with a more conservative congress, advocating tax reform in pursuit of a leveled playing field in corporate taxation.
The speech also focused on goals that could be agreed upon from nearly all points on the political spectrum, namely the need to bolster education in the interest of maintaining America's competitiveness with rising economic superpower like China.
Congressman Paul Ryan represented the Republican opposition to Obama's administration. The young legislator's immature oratory recalled Bobby Jindal's robotic tones and tritely irrelevant opposition to government in all forms, avoiding a true response to the President's ideas in favor of villifying the role of public institutions in American life. Obama called for a trimming of the fat and consolidation of government bureaucracy, while Ryan reiterated the Republican goal of emaciating the government from within and handing public welfare over to private interests.
Mahmoood Kohgadai
English 1A
8:00-8:50am
Professor Sabir
I did not watch the state of the union last night, but if I were to adress the nation thre would be a couple of topics I would focus on. I heard from people that there was an emphasis on education which enlightens me because I feel that it is a very underated issue. There are so many cuts on education and it will harshly impact us generations to come. I guess if I was president and I had an audience of uncooperative republicans and slightly leening democrats I would review over some of my previous plans and bills and explain why I went forward with them. Then I would follow with plans for the future that would accomodate both republican and democratic needs.
Cherefah Obad
Professor Wanda
English 1A
27, January 2011
@ Marcella Miles
I definetely agree with you. President Obama's speech was beautifully written and he also presented it in a very profossional way.
@ Eman Obad
I agree with you about the whole applause situation. I definetely think that there were times when i just wanted to hear what he had to say and just be done with.
Adalie Villalobos
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
27 January 2010
Barack Obama Response
After watching Obama's speech, I felt that he was very aware of the issues that needed to be addressed. As Teepian Yu said, the immigration issues should have been mentioned more because the immigration issue is just as important as the rest of the issuses mentioned. I would have spoke more about health care because many people are losing their healthcare or changing it constantly or just are not able to reieve healthcare.
Marcella Miles
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8- 8:50
27 January 2011
*EDIT
State of the Union Reflection
The State of the Union for 2011 was interesting to say the least. As far as writing goes, it was brilliantly formed. Obama displayed himself well and used his words to deliver a good performance. I do think that the state of The Union carried high grandeur and covered a large number of topics. Even so, it still was not very complete. I expected more remarks on what was accomplished since he was elected in 2008. I would have been more apt to hear achievements rather than a long list of goals. The speech had a strong sense of hope, but little plans for action to back that up. For me the speech sounded a bit more like a campaign speech than a State of The Union.
The State of The Union did carry many flaws, but it was far more relatable than previous speeches submitted by other presidents. The speech carried an inspiring touch and was very entertaining to watch. The stories Obama referenced from actual people really touched the hearts of people watching. It was satisfying to hear a strong emphasis on the importance of education. I also enjoyed how Obama worked to make a majority of the decisions bi-partisan decisions.
If I were to craft my own State of the Union I would have included more goals for crime reform and additional initiatives on more healthcare reform. I would have highlighted specific plans for bringing the troops home and a due date as Obama did. A focus on reducing gang activity and teen pregnancy rates could have been emphasized in the speech. Overall I do feel that the State of The Union was administered well despite a number of missing topics.
Adrian Topete
English 1A
8-8:50 AM
1/27/2011
Once again Obama has shown the world that he is a great orator. I believe that the state of the union Adress was very well put together. I belive that obama adressed most of the big issues like taxes and education. I cant say that i was surprised when I saw people getting up and clapping with approvel because to be honest it seems as if obama has that affect on everyone who hears or sees his speaches. One thing that stood out to me was when obama was acting like a hollywood star amd started to sign aoutgraphs and started shaking peoples hads i didnt realize that he was that much of a celebrity.Another thing that was really interesting was when he adressed the education system and his version of "No child left behind" i wonder how thats going to be different and what's it going to look like. In conclusion i belive that obama is a great orator and that overall the stae of the union was great.
Berta Garcia
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
January 27, 2011
I unfortunately did not have time to watch the State of the Union because I was working that night. I also did not have time to read it. I tried watching it yesterday but had other things to do and it was hard to watch through my phone. I was honestly not interested in watching the speech because I am not interested in politics or know much about the policies.
Angela M. Vasquez
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
1/27/11
State of the Union Address
I enjoyed watching President Obama's State of the Union Address. I think he is a great speaker, he is very chrismatic and he delivered the speech very well. Everytime I watch or hear him speak I feel he says everything with such campassion. I feel like he means what he says. I agreed with a lot with what he said. I too, think we need to work on education, ending tax cut loopholes, and working to make America the leader in the glogal economy. I also like that he made it a point to say that we need to work together both Republicans and Democrats. He said something along the lines of, we can work together to move forward or we can go no where at all. I felt like that was some what of a challenge to the Republicans. If I was delivering the State of the Union Address, the only thing I would have done differet is give more details and numbers about how I plan to do everything and how much my plan is going to cost. Overall I think it was an excellect speech.
Anthony Chon
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50AM
27 January 2011
I really didn't enjoy watching the State of the Union Address, but Obama did give a well thought out speech. All he did was talk about what's going to happen next in the future. The part the only interested me was when he said that he will find a solution to help decrease budget cuts from school.
He went on in the beginning about how the economy is recovering and it is true that it is recovering, slowly. But that is still good, all it takes is patience.
If I were given a chance to do his speech, I would have talked more about controlling crime in the states, seems the same to me, but I know it isn't that easy to do.
Ronald Parker
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-850
27 January 2011
Being that I never really watched the State of The Union in order to grasp the full concept I went to KTVU.com to watch this speech. Speaking of the current issues in the world and solutions to fix them. i really enjoyed listening to the plan of education that he has to better the school systemes of the youth. If I were president some of the same issues Barack spoke about I would have done the same.Because I do feel education is a important part of peoples lives. Without an education you will not go far in this economic crisis we are in today. I would have spoke more on immigration because it seems the world does not give alot of people chances if they are born outside of America. Some Americans feel they are better then the immigrants, but i want to show the world everyone is equal. I will also start a program for inmates in jail to give them higher chances of bettering themselves in order to get that second chance in life that everyone deserves. We all know people make mistakes, I dont feel we should take away all their chances to fix their lives. Lastly
Adrieanna Williams
English 1A
January 27,2011
State of the Union Freewrite
Over all I thought President Obama did a good job. He covered a variety of topics and he addressed key issues that America is currently facing. The two topics that stuck out to me were education and Bipartisanship. He spent a lot of time talking about education reform and he also mentioned getting rid of no child left behind and replacing it with rise to the top. President Obama also mentioned Community Colleges. I especially appreciated that because it seems that community colleges get left out. He also talked about encouraging students to become teachers and that good teachers should be awarded. Another topic he covered was bipartisanship. He encouraged both democrats and republicans to work together to make change. He particularly mention bipartisanship with the health care bill. He said while the current bill is not perfect he is willing to sit down with republicans and discuss how it can be improved. Overall President Obama did a good job covering major problems America is currently facing.
Joel Ramirez
Professor sabir
English 1A 8-8:30
January 27, 2011
I cant say I watched the state of the union because of my prejudice towards our government. Obama for the most part did promise alot of reforms when he was trying to be elected. upto now i have not seen to many changes. still America is in resestion and people are getting hurt. An even greater hurt is happening to ower on education system where teachers are getting the boot, while class's are getting more croawded every day. I'm not an expert in politics but it could be run better.our state governer brown is planning cut economacaly growing parts Richmond, to balance the states buget. what could be worse then taxing the poor while the rich are getting richer in an everyday baisis.
Anthony Chon
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50AM
27 January 2011
@Sherri Short
I agree about your education response. I would want to help out the funding cuts for education, but it's too bad that I don't even know where to start.
@Marcella Miles
Didn't Obama state that the U.S. military was going home sooner? I forgot what he said but I think it was supposed to be end of 2010, but that didn't happen. The man needs to keep promises. I do agree with you though, he needs to bring them back home sooner!
Lauren Hernandez
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-850AM
27 January 2011
To be completely honest, I've never watched a SUA before. I have always thought that they seemed boring and would have no importance to me. But, I was wrong. Watching president Obama's speech was actually very interesting. I learned about current issues America faces today and how these may effect, not just America as a whole, but me personally. After watching it I will definitely watch the next ones to come.
I felt like his speech gave me hope for the future. He was very well spoken and provided solutions for current issues today. He spoke about how America needs to be more innovative like how we used to be. He gave examples of how we're no longer exporting as much as we have in the past and how that can create problems for the economy.
Although he touched on the main problems of America today, he did leave out a few important ones. It was probably because of the limited time. But, if I were to write a SUA I would address the issue of minorities, especially since it was many of the minorities who voted for Obama in the election. Minorities in America all struggle with racism and it's very tough to find jobs or to be seen as equals in the workplace once you have a job. Another issue that I would address is government spending. I know the president did touch on the topic briefly but I feel many Americans today complain about where all this money is going. This topic should be further discussed to insure their tax dollars are being spent correctly.
These are a few issues that I would have included and addressed to the nation if I were writing a SUA.
Ein Callahan Sabir 1
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
27 January 2011
Watching Persident Obama speak is always inspiring and enriching. He is alble to deliver a sense of confidence in his speaches with poise and charisma. Somehow I always feel like everything will be alright!
However, as I was watching The State of the Union speach I felt that the subject matter was nothing new and that President Obama was "playing it safe" with more emphasis on unity in the wake of the Arizona shootings. I responed positively when he said "Its not wheher we can sit together tonight, but wheather we can work together tomorrow." I do believe that while we dont always agree we can always resolve.
I also liked when the president said "Every day families sacrifice to live within their means. They deserve a government that does the same."
I would be pretty terrified to address the nation. But if i had to I hope I would be able to emulate one of our greatest, most dedicated, most itelligent presidents yet - Borack Obama.
Shameiko Porter
@Sherri Short I agree with your statement about there being no solutions offered because of all thr fighting between political parties. Funding from higher education shouldnt be cut as well i think you'd make a great presidrnt :) !
Tyler Mecozzi
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
27 January 2011
President Obama is a brilliant speaker. His presence, calmness with his eyes, and pauses between important points made his words believable and powerful. The emotional appeal that was created by the camera focusing on individuals in the audience manifested a sense of unity between the common person and the congressional senate. This unity is essential for Americans to feel because it entices them to participate in their government and stresses the importance of their opinion in the Senate.
He emphasized the need to better our education and posed a 10,000 dollar tax cut for those completing four years of college. This would help every family with the financial deficit college seems to bring about with every child. The President's goal is to be the #1 Nation that has the most number of college graduates. This goal is prestigious, but if obtained, we will become the super nation we aspire to be.
If I was addressing the State of the Union, I would pontificate how America will fund these new plans. Innovative plans for green energy and cheaper education are what the people want to hear, but if we do not have a way of funding these programs, then they will never see daylight. Or if they are passed through Congress, they will create more debt for this country, something America definitely does not need more of.
President Obama brought to the public's attention the number of jobs being made with our relations overseas. I would have liked to hear more on the specifications of these jobs, but I understand that time was limited and with our country in a time of economic recession, there is a lot to address.
Shameiko Porter
@Tony San Nicolas I think that your writing is eloquent amd you gave valid points and refrences, Obama did take more of an emotional approach to the American people instead of just saying what he will fix, he used facts and examples of how the budget affects the people individually.
Marcella Miles
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50
27 January 2011
David Guzman,
I do agree that there was little that could have been said with such an unstable economy. As you said , I would probably act the same way during such a rocky situation. I do think that this could have been prevented by funding more appropriately.
Theodore Lionberger,
I definetly agree that the speech was formed to sway Americans towards trusting Obama. The speech was full of promises rather than actual plans or succesful ones.
Thailea Boykin
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50
26 January 2011
The 2011 State of the Union address took place at 6pm on January 25, 2011. I was assigned to watch, yet I didn't have time to do so. I did have time the next morning while getting dressed, I did more listening then anything thanks to Youtube (I love technology). The night before, I made an attempt to read the whole speech and took a few notes for class the next morning.
In class we were given the assignment to write what it is that we, as individuals, would say to the American people in the State of the Union address. I pondered this idea for a moment and then I came to the conclusion that I have no real clue as into what i would say. Mainly because, I am not really into politics and government as others might be. I don't really keep up with the news because I feel it is a bit depressing and that effects my spirit in a negative way.
Yet, if I had to say something it would probably go along the lines of informing the people that I am one person and Im not God. Things cant just change over night. Also that only one issues at a time can be addressed and me and my team are doing our best to cross all "T's" and dot all "I's" to insures that the American people are being taken care of.
Sidenote:
What should go into the State of the Union speech? What issues or ideas should be conveyed in that speech?
Thanks&Be Blessed,
Thailea B.
Summer Hurst
English 1A 9-9:50am
27 January 2011
I watched The State of the Union Address on Tuesday January 25th. I think the issues he covered were very informational. I like how he gave examples on how he would fix the problems with possible solutions. He mentioned a few things about education and the nation getting better.
If given the opportunity to address the nation, I would inform the American people what issues we are dealing with and how I personally would try to help solve the various issues the nation is dealing with. My main course of action would be getting more funding for the schools of education, and help the people in need of jobs.
State of the Union Address
Morgan LaPorte-Hilliard
Jan 27th 2011
English 1A 9:00-9:50am
M-TH
I Enjoyed the State of the Union Address that Obama delivered on Tuesday night.
I felt that he addressed some very important issues, for instance he said he plans to have U.S troops out of Iraq by July. Obama wants to improve education also and he proposed this plan called Race to the Top, Obama wants to implement this program in replacement of the No Child Left Behind program. This plan is encouraging states to come up with their own education plan, if the plan is successful the state gets money and other states will be encouraged to adopt it. Obama is trying to push the switch to green energy too. Obama wants to use water and solar power as a means of alternative energy.
If I were to give a State of the Union speech I would address issues like unemployment and come up with solutions to create more jobs. I felt that in Obama’s address he didn’t touch on this issue. I would also address issues like over crowding in schools and prisons and attempt to find solutions for these issues. This is another issue Obama didn’t talk about. I would also address the U.S’ homeless problems currently there are 650,000 homeless people in the U.S., I feel Obama needed to look at more social issues.
Ryan Reyes
Professor Sabir
English 1a
1/27/11
He continues to talk about the issues with budget cuts, jobs, innovation and cooperation. I believe that the nation continues to struggle yet in some way, continues to keep optimistic as well as unsatisfied.
I would say that I agree with his framing of issues for the most part, but at the same time, I believe that many on-going issues still have yet to be dealt with. I feel like he's stating the facts of what he's only capable of doing while trying to provide an optimistic view for the people by explaining what he wishes he can do and I find that really hard having to explain that to many people. You can only do so much yet there is still a lot to look over.
I honestly feel that no matter what, there's always something that needs attention that hasn't yet been covered or missed.
If I were in his shoes, I have no idea what I would say, given the responsibility of "change" with all these expectations, I guess it's just hard for me to know what to expect from a president.
Vanessa Dilworth
Professor Sabir
English 1A 9-9:50am
25 January 2011
President’s State of the Union
I sat on the couch in a riveted stance as I anticipated the moment President Barack Obama would begin his speech. He started off with the Tucson shooting and how it affected not only Republicans and Democrats but everyone. With that common ground in place he stated that we as the American family have the same dreams and hopes and by working together in the future we will have a better one.
Some key things in the president’s speech were innovation, education, and building. He stated that these three things are what will bring America into the future and quotes Robert Kennedy in saying “that the future is not a gift it is an achievement.” His vision is to challenge America to create innovative ideas, educate our future generations, and begin to build and create what America was once before and excel these heights.
His challenge is “you show me the innovated ideas that will help our economy prosper and I’ll show you the money.” The goal is to develop jobs on American soil instead of them being shipped off to other countries and create jobs that will sustain us in the future like investing in eco-friendly fuels made with water and sunlight. If we begin the task of investing in energy technology in the year 2015, we could have one million bio-fuel cars on the road. This will stop our heavy dependency on oil companies who get billion of dollars from taxpayer’s money.
Next on the president’s agenda is education in America and how it directly develops us as a country. He reported that in countries such as China and India parents are educating their children from a very young age and these scholars are surprising our students. He emphasized that in order to broaden our nation’s horizons when it come to education we need to look at teachers as they do in Korea, as nation builders. We need to finance our math, science, and technology departments so that we can meet the world in the advanced age we live in. We need to stop discriminating against people who are immigrates to these country who are scholars and embrace them and allow them to help build our nation. It would be helpful as well to keep abroad students here, not educate them in our best schools and send them back to compete against us.
The third thing on his list to bring America back on its feet was building the country, hammering the nails in projects that need fixing up and demolishing the foundations of those that no longer serve us. He has recently agreed upon a deal with South Korea that will create 70,000 new jobs for America bringing in the capital that the country needs. The lessening of unnecessary burdens on businesses, the stopping of healthcare insurances exploitation of its consumers, and the cutting of The Military Defense excess spending has all helped the economy get back on its feet. He also states to catch the attention of new businesses “we need the fastest and most reliable way to move information and people.”
The speech delivered tonight had the lingering spirit of the country’s present accomplishments and the echo of what lies ahead. He ended his speech declaring that America accomplishes huge achievements and that the nation is great.
Teneya Turner
English 1A
9-9:50 am M-Thurs.
SUA
I had the pleasure of watching the State of the Union Address on Tuesday night. In my opinion the speech was a good show of faith that we as people have to work together no matter what our political party is. Also there are so many issues affecting the American people that it would be impossible to think that one man could fix them and in such a short amount of time.
President Obama has only been in office just over 2 years but the problems he inherited are much older than that. President Obama spoke for 37 mins about tragedy and hope and uniting parties to achieve common goals after-which he began to speak about what issues he planned to tackle such as getting "America back to work," and "sparking creativity from educated individuals and businesses." He also spoke about ending the WAR in Iraq starting in July of 2011.
I agree that if we as a country are to ever begin to rebuild our economy we need to pull our troops out of Iraq and focus on other areas of security. There are many tasks that could be attempted by our military soldiers such as helping rebuild parts of Haiti.
When the president began to speak about clean energy sources the energy secretary appeared to have his eyes closed when the camera focused on him but what I did catch is the lack luster applause from the republicans that "sleep" with oil company execs. For them clean energy would cut into their trillion dollar profits.
What I didn't hear is anything about the overcrowded prison system. With education being cut the way is the obvious result is more criminals being on the streets and in the penal system.
Overall I agree with the way the president addressed the issues in his speech.
Zina Dzhilavdaryan
English 1 A
8.00 – 8.50
I watched the State of the Union Address yesterday. It was my first time watching and listening the SUA. And I think that the speech was very expressive and inspiring. The president reminded the audience about the tragedy in Tuscan. He said that all Americans should be united. And the most important word in the beginning of his speech was word together. “It’s not whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow.” The President talked about competition, struggle for jobs, the influence of internet and technologies on today’s economy. He highlighted the creativity and imagination of American people, importance of the education. He mentioned the healthcare reform. I liked how president is open to listen to the ideas of people, his statement that people deserve to know the information about government.
According to President Obama, the future of the United States is based on the talented and creative people, education, freedoms, and democracy. He ended his speech with this great statement: "The idea of America endures. Our destiny remains our choice. And tonight, more than two centuries later, it's because of our people that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the state of our union is strong."
I can only imagine how it is to be a president of the United States. President Obama's speech answered all my questions, and I agree with his views. And if i would have the opportunity to address the nation, I would say about our world being exposed to all kinds of terror and how we all can prevent that. That the unity of people is the strongest and most powerful force that can move the country and nation forward. As Henry Ford said: "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success."
Eleanore Johnston
English 1A
9:00Am
State of the Union Free-write
I enjoyed the State of the Union Address. I thought it was very well put together. Obama is a wonderful speaker as well as a wonderful writer. I think he touched on all of the conflict he could in that amount of time. Its hard for a president to come at such a disastrous time and be able to fix things so soon. I think people need to lay off and realize that it is impossible to solve all of our nations problems in a year.
If I were to do a state of the union I would touch on many subjects. I would first touch base on education. The educations systems we have especially here in California are gradually getting worse every year. We have suffered many budget cuts over the years and can not afford anymore. Education should be our number one priority. If everyone was well educated a lot of the issues we are dealing with now would not exist.
I would also focus on getting the troops out of Iraq. There is nothing that we are doing there now that is helping in any way. We should be more focused on making our country a better place to live than destroy someone esles home. I would get the troops out as soon as possible so the soldiers could go home to their family and be able to live a happy and normal life. War is not the answer and can not bring peace.
Next, I would speak of the prisons being overcrowded. We keep putting more and more people in jail for petty crimes. When do not have enough space or money to be housing all of those criminals. It is understandable that criminals should be punished for their crimes but a fee or a community service sentence would be enough for most small crimes. Prisoners that are in jail for drug violations should be in rehab not jail. Incarcerating someone for drugs is the most useless jail sentence, they are just going to go right back to using when they get out. They should be sent somewhere to cure their addictions.
@Tony San Nicols: Obama successfully struck a very bipartisan tone, placing his emphasis on topics sure to win support from Republicans - such as reforming and cutting taxes and spending. Judging from the amount of applause, he succeeded with flying colors. I was fairly disappointed with his underemphasis on social matters, but he IS the President and must do federal, not local work, and I also understand that he must achieve a tone of compromise with the new Republican majority in the House if he is to get anything done.
@Zina Dzhilavdaryan: I agree that the prison and police state is a mess, and something must be done. If I had to estimate the two biggest sinkholes in the American economy, it would be running two foreign wars while locking up such a huge number of our population. I live in Albany, which is about a square mile of mostly middle- and upper-class folks, and we have a police squad consisting of 85 officers, a dozen cruisers, an SUV, and a van. This seems very wasteful to me, but nobody seems willing to find alternatives to social welfare for spending cuts.
Jeffrey To
English 1A
M-Th 8-8:50
1/27/2011
State of the Union free write
Obama’s 2011 State of the Union speech was well organized and detailed. I like the fact he would give so many examples or whats happening in the world today. He would offer solutions and change and tell the American world how he is doing what he say he will do. He mention a lot of issues happening in the world today such as community college money, war, and jobs just to name a few. Obama made a lot of promises that seem good such as making clean energy 80% of the American energy source. He want to make entrepreneurs ideas into a reality that will benefit the world today. He address issues that I never thought of such as the Pentagon and oil company taxes. This speech is better compared to Obama’s 2010 State of the Union speech. He is a good speakers and a lopt of people supported his ideas base on the applause.
Obama’s speech gave me that idea if I gave a State of the Union speech what would it be about. It made me think what would talk about or change? Of course my speech wouldn’t be as good as our president but I would talk more school and education. Obama basically covered every issue happening in the world today so, I would talk about the war happening in Iraq and the genocides happening in countries that no one really pays attention too. I would talk about more available jobs in the world today. A lot of people in the world are still at war. If we stop making guns easy to access than maybe the world would be a better place.
Andrew Duong
English 1A
Mon-Thurs 9:00AM - 9:50AM
President Obama’s State of the Union was clever and thought out of course as anyone would expect. I believe his goal was to point out every situation that was in need of fixing and back it up with specific steps on how to achieve it. To do so, reunion was repeatedly brought up with the idea of wiping away the sense of partisanship of the two political parties. Obama knew that to “win the future” and to repair the country, everyone would have to come together as a nation. With that, it was a spectacular idea to bring up the Arizona Shooting of Representative Gabrielle and show the audience the empty seat that belonged to her. Of course, the president’s strongest power is the power to persuade and that is exactly what he did in this speech. Obama used it effectively as you could notice with the long and numerous amounts of standing ovations by both the Democrats and Republicans in which you, Professor Sabir, even called “abnormal.”
I, myself, was extremely appealed with the fact that he brought up the issue of higher education. It was interesting to see that Obama was willing to focus on higher education and provoke all students, teachers and the state themselves to out-educate other countries. Therefore, he explained to us all his “Race to the Top” plan in an attempt to see what states could do to improve teacher quality and student achievement. Out-educate, out-innovate and out-building other countries is the only way the United States will be able to win the future and Obama made it absolutely clear to the nation.
If I were given the ability to address the nation, higher education would be my primary focus. Maybe it is because I am a student myself and know what has been going on, but I believe that education is the pipeline to the nation’s future. I would begin with cutting the budgets of other agencies that do not really need it and grant it to the school systems. Why cut the school budget when higher education is crucial to building the future of the United States? Students who are going to school now are the future generation of this nation. Therefore, repairing the state’s budget for schools would be of most vital necessity. Like President Obama said, “Fix what needs to be fixed and move on!”
Angelica Rubi-Muñoz
English 1A
8am
I’ve always thought president Obama was a very good speaker and I enjoy listening to him. However for the State of the Union I choose to read the transcript rather than watch the live broadcast. My reasoning behind this was simple: without a narrator, you rely solely on the words of the writer to gauge his sincerity. I felt as though our president focused a lot on the future and was evasive in relation to a lot of the concerns of the American people.
If I were given the opportunity to address the nation, my main objective would be to bridge the gap between those normally engaged in politics and those historically marginalized. Rather than delivering a speech I would host a forum (which I would try to make representative of the social/economic/and cultural diversity found in America) and facilitate a discussion on issues passionate to everyday working folks… After all isn’t the point of the state of the union to inform people the progress our administration is making? People are aware of what’s happening on a micro level and consciousness & change is needed on both a macro and micro level for real progress. The state of the union should be used as an opportunity to create dialogue between a people and its government.
David Odza
English 1A
9:00-9:50
1/27/11
Response to the State of the Union.
Obama was warmly greeted by an ovation by the audience, and the claps never stopped throughout the entire broadcast. He had lots of points to address in his State of the Union. He stressed that it would be necessary for the political parties to work together to create improvements for the United States.
To me, Obama seemed most compassionate about the education issue. My favorite quote of his was, "We need to teach our kids that its not just the winner of the super bowl that deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair." He knows that education is crucial to the growth of the nation, and is becoming necessary to survive in the growing, innovating world.
He also talked about another very important issue, of improving nature issues like clean energy. He wants to give bonuses to companies that can implement new, less destructive forms of power. He wants to switch funding from gas companies and go towards cleaner energy, he said about cutting oil company funding, "I don't know if you noticed but they're doing just fine on their own."
The Union was overall strong, and education is improving with the Race to the Top act, 40 states have raised education levels. Bringing troops out of Iraq is a lingering problem from Bush. Keeping up with other countries is a top priority for us now, and becoming relevant in the world economy. It was a good speech overall, he had good guests, and its crazy that he memorized that much.
Amgalanbaatar Sarantuya
Professor Sabir
English 1A
27 January 2011
3. The thing that appealed to me most were the issues that personally concerned me. Such as education and the next for the U.S. as far as military wise. I liked how he wants the school districts to come up with new and better educational plans for the future and if they appeal to him, he will supply them funds. Also I really was pleased when he said he was going to get the troops out of Iraq starting in July I think. Because we need to focus on the problems on our home turf and stop spending so much money on the pointless war. American soldiers are losing lives everyday. That needs to stop.
4. This was my first time actually watching the State of The Union and it was pretty breathtaking and moving. I watched it because I'm getting older and I'm more interested in politics, the U.S. economy is in a real downfall and it is personally affecting me and those around me. Also just because President Obama delivers really moving, emotional speeches.
7. I actually did enjoy his speech and now he just needs to turn his words into action and prove it. I do plan to listen to it and watch it again next year. As a citizen, it is kind of your duty to listen to these things and pay attention and be aware. Especially at a time like this. Those who opt out, probably miss out on the plans for the future and what is going on around them.
My apologies for posting this on the wrong blog earlier. Got things confused and I hope I didn't create a lot of confusion.
Julie Phoukeo
Professor Sabir
English 1A
8-8:50
January 28, 2011
Free write: Relect on the State of the Union
If I was given an opportunity to tell American people I would pay attention to those of who fall through the health care problems. Families with low income or single just cannot afford health insurance even the most basic of services. I would talk about putting cost of health care on a sliding scale based in income, or to have full Medical benefits for the unemployed.
I would also like to expressly talk about ways to build the economy, prevent from falling which it needed during and after the recession. Our business depends on people having reliable jobs to pay for the homes we sell or rent. This outcome provides us with the money to put it into the business and creating jobs to facilitate that growth.
Lauren Hernandez
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8-850AM
28 January 2011
@Audrey Topacio:
I enjoyed reading your free-write because I also believe he did a very good job of trying to unite both parties to work together in trying to fix the nation. I also liked how he focused on green energy. But, I'm hoping the whole "green energy" isn't a phase and people stick to it for our future. I do believe people should have patience as well. Big changes take time and no one seems to realize that.
@Zina Dzhilavdaryan:
I really liked how you incorporated many quotes in your piece, not just from the president today, but from a former president as well. I also enjoyed how the president used the word "together" because that's exactly what we need to hear. We always believe that we are individuals and need to fight one another because we have different beliefs but, in order to make this country successful we must see passed people's differences and come together with our similarities.
Cody Henneman
Professor Sabir
English 1A
28 January, 2011
@ Audrey Topacio
I think that you bring up very good points. I believe that Global Warming is the most apparent crisis the world is facing today. Did you know that if average global temperature increases by only 6 degrees Fahrenheit then Eart will become devoid of all life!! Isn't that incredible? Hopefully that doesn't happen. I think the clean and renewable energy should be the top on the list for budgets, and just below that, education and then military.
@ Andrew Duong
I really like how you closed your free-write. I like it because it is such an apparent thing to be done but it seems as if we haven't been doing it. "fix what needs to be fixed and move on." that is a very important goal to have. I mean the government is constantly trying to fix things at last second. Why don't we just fix it before it becomes a problem?
Zina Dzhilavdaryan
English 1 A
8.00 – 8.50
@Teepian Yu
Yes, the President's speech had a lot of examples of real people. It's great to see and hear al this stories about ordinary people doing small things to improve the world. Like that owner of drilling company who helped rescue people.
Submitted by: Audrey Topacio
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A 8:00-8:50am
28 January 2011
@Tony San Nicolas
I think that the 'outstanding amount of support that the audience showed our President' was just for common courtesy. They clapped excessively the last two SUAs that he made. After all the clapping, you would think that he has the Congress' support. Instead, we had legislative gridlock on almost every bill that he wanted to pass and when it was finally approved by the Congress there is so much compromise on his bill. Political gesturing indeed.
I really do hope, though, that this time around people will unite because we are going nowhere.
@Cody Henneman
I agree with you about the competition in education. A lot of people will definitely be motivated to do better in school and it could potentially give more jobs to people. My only concern with that, though, is: One, with an abundance of college graduates, there might not be enough jobs for everyone and the huge amount of money they spend for school might eventually take them back to jobs that pay minimum wage. A bit disheartening.
Farhad Rahimi
English 1A
M-Th 9-9:50am
1/29/2011
The president’s address to the nation in the state of the union, as always was presented very eloquently. He spoke of issues such as education, the future of the country, health reform, technology, economy and jobs along with a range of other subjects. What interested me the most was his emphasis on education and advancement of the nation. He stressed the fact that other nations are investing in the future of their countries and that the U.S. should not fall behind. Countries such as South Korea where residents have better and faster internet connection than those in the U.S., countries in Europe where they have invested in high speed rail, and China where they are building high speed rail systems, new highways and airports.
The president also mentioned the fact that education is the key to the future. In countries such as South Korea where teachers are referred to as nation builders and that it is time we gave the teachers in our nation the same respect and recognition. Parents should encourage their kids to focus on education and one example which the president gave was that recognition should not only be given to who won the super bowl but also to who won the science fair, referring to the 1960s race to the moon between the United States and the former Soviet Union, the president said that this was our Sputnik moment.
Although it seemed that the president took a centrist approach in his speech, even leaning a bit to the right when it came to pork barrel spending, corporations and businesses, but in the subject of health reform, although he said he is open to ideas to lower the cost his approach regarding repealing the act was unchanged.
The president mentioned accomplishments such as the repeal of don't ask don't tell policy, health reform and the growth of the economy and stock markets, he also mentioned goals such as better job growth rate, reform of illegal immigration policies and children of illegal immigrants and protecting our borders.
Over all I think the president's state of the union address was one of his better ones, and the atmosphere seemed more civil partly due to mixed seating as oppose to the previous state of the unions where democrats and republicans sat separately, and of course there was no heckling or any one yelling “You lie”.
Julie Phoukeo
Professor Sabir
English 1A
8-8:50
Comments on the students
@Thailea Boykin
Yes, I definitely agreed with you because I did not watch the State of the Union Address either since I had to work really late. But I did read the article which he displays himself well and used his words which show his good performance.
@Adrianna Williams
I was impression by his speech also where President Obama covered all the topics that needed to be fixing for the future. Especially education is very important to everyone because I would not want the funding to be cut out from our budgets.
Tyleena Cain
professor Sabir
English 1A 8-8:50am
free-write
If giving the chance to tell the American people i think only thing i would want to tell them is Stand for something or fall for anything. If we don't not come together and stand up and fight for equal opportunities for all, because regardless on how the government tries to portray we are all equal and one everyone knows that's not the case. Also we have to stop fighting each other and start helping how we we come out of the rut that we are all in if we are constantly against one another.
I think it is very interesting how the president is supposed to address the American people every year. I get that its to see the progression of his time in office and the current state of the US but is it really necessary? we can see the economy still doing bad and all these bailouts are still not doing good enough so what is the point
Vanessa Rocha
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8AM
01/30/2011
It was actually the first time I watched The State of the Union speech, I liked most of the ideas that the president has for this year and for the next decades. I do not know if they will be fulfilled because it is easier said than done, but as a good and faithful U.S. citizen, let’s all hope for the best. When he started his Term in 2008 the country was already in crisis, so I understand how hard it must be to try to fix all the problems in 4 years of mandate. He has very good ideas, but we will see how they will be put into practice. I liked how he said that we are an united nation and we shall work together towards the change we want see, he also added that the problems we have now are bigger than parties (democrats and republicans), that governing will be a shared responsibility to all the senate. I also liked how he presented the “Steps to win the Future”, they were very organized ideas, however I don’t think that now is our nation’s Sputnik’s moment. A lot has to change before it happens, but I believe that we are taking a few steps towards it by trying to organize our government first. He also talked about education and treating teachers with respect, I totally agree with it and the first step to be taken to show them respect is to raise their salaries, teachers have the future of this nation in their classroom everyday, they should be paid fairly for their work. I want to be part of the generation that will see Obama fixing what needs to be fixed so we can move forward towards progress as one united nation. To me, he went over most of the issues and provided solutions. It will not be easy, It will take time but working together with perseverance America will recover.
If was given the opportunities of addressing the Nation my speech would not be very different from Obama’s. I just think I would rearrange the priorities in a different way. My first priority would be passing the Dream Act. I think education is the future of this nation regardless of race, nationality and residency status. I feel for the students that are going through this, I was one of them once. It would be the only change that I would make to his speech, he covered pretty much everything that I would like to see being changed.
To: Wanda Sabir
From: Alex Peña
Date: January 30, 2011
Class: English 1A 9am Class
Response to the Obama’s State of the Union Speech:
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to see the speech live because I was at work at the moment, but I was able to see a couple videos on YouTube. I noticed that many people agreed and enjoyed when Obama spoke and gave his speech. Obama seemed very prepared and seemed to have no problem talking. He spoke about taxes, education, immigration, and the economy. To tell you the truth I really enjoyed it because when he talked he gave many examples, and stories about the people he knows to encourage people that might be going through the same or similar difficulties.
I fell that Obama is a real good talker and he knows what to say, but I really haven’t seen any changes since he has been in office except for the health care plan passed by him even though I haven’t seen any difference. I know that it is impossible for him to flip this whole country into a better state over night because the reasons that the economy is the way it is also happened over many years not over night. I was expecting to see more promises and plans to better the nation. But, what I saw was a speech to join the Democratic and Republican Parties together so they can work to improve the nation. And I also felt that Obama was talking about an imaginary world. I saw a lot of I would like to do this, if this were the way things are I would. Over all it was a good speech and I just hope the parties come together for the sake of the country and forget their rivalries.
Posted by Kaijie Zhang
English 1A 9:00-9:50
01/30/2011
The State of the Union Address
I listened the president Obama's speech of "the state of the union address" which delivered on the January 25th. The president Obama is a high-impact speaker. He mentioned that we should work together to face those big things. He highlighted about education, tax reform, health care reform, clean energy, create jobs and immigrantion issue, ect. Personally, the parts that I like the most were Obama addressed education, health care and create jobs.
The education reform that he outlined various steps like replacing no child left behind, ensuring more teenagers go to college, and increasing respect for teachers. This reform is not only push the young people and also remind the parents have responsibility to support their kids. I hope that the point of "No more young people on the street" will come ture. The president Obama wants those kids to go back to school to listen to teachers, and to do their homework instead of watching TV or play computer. It also show us like every students have opportunities to get a better future.
For health care reform, Obama said "What I'm not willing to do is go back to the days when insurance companies could deny someone coverage because of a preexisting condition." It stipulates that patients with preexisting conditions cannot be defined medical coverage. And also he said he'd look at "other ideas to bring down costs", including considering the Republicans' long championed idea of reforming the medical malpractice system.
The president made promising remarks about job creation. Obama said that the jobs being created there were good for more than just the families and communities they supported, because they make everybody's energy bills cheaper and make the planet safer. On the other hand, new jobs require new training and a strong educational foundation. To complete for these jobs we must win the race to educate our current and future workforce.
Finally, I think the immigrantion issue can be the horrible and huge challenge for Obama. He need to fix like how to let the illegal immigrantion become legally. And for the international students, when they finished study they had to go back to their country whether they good or not...ect.
Cherefah Obad
Professor Sabir
English 201 B
26 January 2011
Although i did not get a chance to watch the President Obama’s State of the Union address last night due to the confusion of what time it came on, I did however read the actual speech online and i understood a lot of President Obama's thoughts and future plans for American's. He addressed a lot of topics such as The Medicare health bill, Education, Clean energy resources for the future, And new job idea's. And just to be clear, This was my first time reading the President's State Of The Union Speech. So I did not know what to expect exactly. I found it to be very enlightening and sort of a sigh breath of relief when i read President Obama's future plans. There are some people that disagree with what President Obama said or did not say. Many critics stated that President Obama did not cover a lot of material. One of my favorite parts of the entire speech
was when the president stated that one of his future goals for America is that he wants 80% of Americans to live off of clean energy sources.
If i was given the opportunity to give my own State Of The Union Speech to the citizens of America, I would propose a bill that guarantees that all of our senior citizens will be safe and secure and can retire happily. But thats just what i might propose.
Mulugeta Mahray
Professor Sabir
English 1A
Time: 8:00 – 8:50AM
January 30, 2011
Reflect on President Obama’s State of The Union Address
Preside Barack Obama is one of a great speaker in my life time. To my understanding he specifically mentioned the problem faced on the country. He also proposes and articulate what will be the competition face to the next generation. I think his road map is clear and simple. However, on my understanding to implement his strategy will be very difficult in this type of politics game. As we know the house control of representative by republican. I believe in if they work together to solve the problem first, the country will be in a better position faster than we anticipate.
He proposes the budget force down from different sector including public sector. This freezing government spending good for five years .For example if they cut budget from education and they are talking invest in science and education. I didn’t get how they will connect or solve the problem to the future generation. I suggest increasing tax on 2-3 % wealth people is the best way to substitute the budget gab or decrease the deficit. I hope his speech impact will make the parties work together.
Ramsay Jackson
Professor Sabir
English 1A 8:00-8:50am
1/30/11
State of the Union
From the beginning of his presidency Obama has been talking about democrats and republicans working together and he has stayed true to this two years later. Education was his strongest point he made in this whole speech to me. Not just rewarding teachers and schools that try to better themselves. but about parents helping their children by turning off the TV and making sure homework is done.
His ability to reach large audiences comes from the him truly trying to understand people if they be rich or poor, republican or democrat and finding a middle ground we can all relate to. But he also stays firm in what he believes and even if people may or may not agree on that it shows leadership that i believe anyone can follow.
"people making sacrifices to live within their means and they deserve a government that will do the same." That was the part that spoke to me the most. There are so many things this nation needs to change and unlike many other countries we have the power and resources to do it and now we have a leader that can put us in the right direction to get there.
Drishya Chhetri
English 1A 8:00-8:50
1/31/2011
I thought that the State of the Union speech was hopeful because Obama does such a great job of trying to unite the whole country and the two parties.I liked how he talked about education and the problems that our country is facing because of lack of education. He was realistic and was not hesitant to say that we still have a lot of work to do.
Reagan Lolo
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1 A
27 January 2011
President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech point of view
Listening to president Barack Obama's "the state of the union” speech, which delivered on January 25th reaffirm my admiration for his charisma. President Obama is undeniably an amazing orator. The president talked a lot about bi-partisan actions within the congress in particular in order to get the country back to its feet. He puts a strong emphasis on education, tax reform, health care reform, clean energy, jobs creation, immigration, etc… However, I personally think that the president has failed to make a strong point regarding his immigration policy. Although, I am an immigrant my self, education, health care and the jobs creation parts were my favorite because to me those are the foundation of every good society.
In the Education reform part of the speech the president outlined various steps like replacing no child left behind, ensuring that more teenagers go to college, and increasing respect for teachers. This kind of reform will not only encourage young people but it will also remind the parents that they have a responsibility to support their children academically. I hope that the point of "No more young people on the street" will come true. President Obama wants those kids to go back to school, but also be respectful to their teachers while keeping up with their homework instead of spending hours watching TV or wasting time behind a computer. The speech makes one believe in the idea that every student will have equal opportunities to built a better future.
For health care reform part of the speech, president Obama stated, "What I'm not willing to do is go back to the days when insurance companies could deny someone coverage because of a preexisting condition." This to say that patients with preexisting conditions cannot be denied medical coverage, which I think was a strong and courageous statement. The president also said that he would explore other avenues in order to bring down costs that included considering the Republicans' long championed idea of reforming the medical malpractice system.
The president made strong remarks about job creation when he said that the thousands of jobs that had been created here and there were good for more than just the families and communities they supported, because they make everybody's energy bills cheaper and make the planet safer. On the other hand, new jobs require new training and strong educational foundation. To compete on the job market job we must win the race of educating our current and future workforce.
The speech was great over all. However the president still has a lot to say on immigration.
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