President Barack Obama addressed a variety of challenges facing the nation, including the deficit, job growth and gun control, during his State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday night.
“Thanks to the grit and determination of the American people, there is much progress to report,” Obama said. “After a decade of grinding war, our brave men and women in uniform are coming home. After years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over 6 million new jobs.”
Obama addressed the necessity of stricter gun legislation, citing examples of violence such as the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting.
“Our actions will not prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. Indeed, no laws, no initiatives, no administrative acts will perfectly solve all the challenges I’ve outlined tonight,” Obama said. “But we were never sent here to be perfect. We were sent here to make what difference we can, to secure this nation, expand opportunity and uphold our ideals through the hard, often frustrating, but absolutely necessary work of self-government.”
Obama proposed increasing the federal minimum wage to $9. The proposal caused many of the students at the Ohio University College Democrats live stream of the address to stand and applaud. Some students even began to cry.
“Let’s tie the minimum wage to the cost of living, so that it finally becomes a wage you can live on,” Obama said.
About 15 students watched the address in Walter Hall on Tuesday.
“I thought (the president’s address) was very good,” said Nicole Robertson, OU College Democrats treasurer and a senior studying environmental health science. “I thought he did a great job.”
Andy Erb, a Republican and a freshman studying media arts, said he did not watch the State of the Union address.
“I think he is a good leader, but I don’t like some of his policies,” said Erb.
Brigid Iverson, OU College Democrats communications director and a junior studying political science, women’s and gender studies, and sociology, said that she was excited about Obama’s proposals.
“I am optimistic for the next four years,” Iverson said.
hy135010@ohiou.edu
This article was updated to include the correct spelling of Brigid Iverson's name.
