- Tweet
- Share
- View Comments
-
Rate This
- Share with Shortlink:
“The State of the Union is getting stronger, and we’ve come too far to turn back.”
-President Barack Obama
-President Barack Obama
The president’s State of the Union Address was delivered as most of his spoken outings – remarkably eloquently.
But, beyond the quality of the speech were some serious issues at this pivotal moment in history.
Before the American people, he outlined where we are as a nation, as
well as where he would like to see us go as an “America built to
last.” President Obama then perused through a proverbial smorgasbord of
issues ranging from higher taxes for the wealthy to the mortgage crisis
to the energy crisis to education.
At the Barack Talk event Tuesday night,
a group of progressives and over 35,000 viewers delved into POTUS’s
issues, as well as those that were not represented by the president as
he spoke before the partly-hostile Congress. Civic engagement, voter
suppression, The Occupy Movement, new laws making abortions difficult,
and other matters like felons’ rights were largely overlooked.
The president also didn’t talk about how one out of seven people in
American live below the poverty line, or how one in four children live
in impoverished conditions. Google that, America. Better yet, click here.
Voter suppression is real, and it would have served the president
well to address this egregious trend to the American people Tuesday. In
many instances, these suppressed voters are the very people that helped
elect him. According to alternet.org, there are seven ways that
otherwise eligible voters are being prevented from participating in the
electoral process. One simple tactic is to make it harder to present
basic identification at the polls. (Click here for the remaining six ways that voters are being suppressed.)
“There’s never been a better time for nation building…” – President Barack Obama
The president is right.
There has never been a better time for nation building. Greg Watkins
and I built AllHipHop from nothing. No funding. No family bankroll. It
was simply an idea from a pair of guys who decided to work together.
Shortly after the company’s inception, the country spiraled into
recession. These were some of the leanest years of my life. No
insurance. Very little income. I mean, at one point, I walked around
with glass embedded in my foot, because it was easier to deal with that
than the cost of a doctor with no insurance.
But, Greg and I were scrappy and excited by the possibilities before us.
Although those times were tough, they built character and prepared
us for the next recession, the worst since the Great Depression.
Moreover, we continued to see opportunity amid the chaos, remaining
steadfast and optimistic. Our collective eyes no longer seen through
rose-colored lenses.
“Built to last…”
Obama addressed the wave of general American skepticism in his
address as well, which seemed to be a subliminal acknowledgment of The
Occupy Movement. This also spoke to the youth community we call
Hip-Hop, as I only know an idealistic few that have any faith in the
government to help them achieve the “American Dream,” as we’ve been
reared to believe in.
But a dream is just that. We’re dealing with reality. Right?
We’ve
got to remember that the president runs the nation[s], but he does not
control our local communities. We’ve looked at and criticized the
president keenly, but we’ve got to do the same for ourselves. In the
last three to four years, what have we done? African Americans, for the
first time since the Civil Rights Movement, will not see positive
economic progress as a group.
We continue to see our own shortcomings and yet, we look to
Washington D.C. to fix these societal matters. Obama may create policy
and reform in areas such as education, but it is up to us to make sure
our children strive to be great students and successful citizens. The
president can inspire the next generation, but he won’t be able to
guide them all through their journeys and trials. We will.
Yes, we have to do what we must for ourselves, and there are people doing that. We need more. That is not optional.
By the same token, it is also time to continuously hold our elected
officials accountable, as they continue to be servants of the people.
For us to become even more apathetic and further disengaged only
defeats our own cause.
There are a number of ways that you can take action. Contact your
local government and push them to activate the necessary change in your
community. It can be something as simple as a bad pothole. Mentor a
child and help guide them into adulthood. Educate them and yourself,
because with education, many of the ills we face resolve themselves.
Volunteer. Complain. Write. Tweet. Inspire. Empower.Chanzo ni Allhihop.com
Comments