Laura Gonzalez / Roundup
President Barack Obama celebrates his first 100 days in office today, and while it is still very early to measure the effects of what he has accomplished, he is off to a strong start.
Obama was elected in November mostly because people were desperate for a change. This nation has been through several tough years and many people hung on to his promises as their only way out of the mess.
Although he has yet to take action on all of his promises, he has made some good choices many Americans applaud.
In the so-called “war on terror,” the Bush Administration detained hundreds of suspects of terrorism and relocated them at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Many of these suspects were never charged or put on trial, yet in 2006, the U.N. discovered these individuals were being subjected to torture.
Obama, on just his second day in office, signed an executive order stating that Guantanamo Bay would be closed within a year. While no one wants terrorists out on the streets, it is imperative we give suspects of terrorism a fair trial and treat them as human beings. If we don’t do that, then we would be doing exactly what they do.
Also, in the last few years, we have seen the largest economic crisis since the Great Depression. More than 2 million jobs have been lost in California alone. Last year, more than 130,000 companies filled for bankruptcy and more than 80,000 homes fell into foreclosure.
On Feb. 17, a stimulus bill was signed into law after a hard battle in Congress. The $787-billion bill is an ambitious plan to revive the economy by investing money in the biggest issues affecting us today.
Some of the highlights of the bill include creating more than 3.5 million jobs over the next two years, increasing college affordability for 7 million students by funding the shortfall in Pell Grants, investing in renewable energy and providing a tax credit for 129 million working households.
Obama gets to preside over the country in an era in which technology makes it easy for us to know his plans. The ability for citizens to get weekly updates from the president downloaded right into our iPods or cell phones is a great tool for our democracy.
He will disappoint us once in a while, but hopefully he will keep his promise to get the U.S. out of the hole it has sunk into.
Little by little, we will see the Obama Administration take important steps toward the goal of reviving America. As he has said, it is important that we, as the people, help him reach his goals. We should all work together to help our president succeed.
It is sad to hear some Republicans say they hope Obama fails. They are upset their party lost the election, but fixing the country is not about the left or the right. If Obama fails, we all fail because our future and our children’s future depend on his success.
Overall, Obama has his work cut out for him, but I am confident he will deliver and America will rise stronger and better than ever.
Laura Gonzalez / Roundup ()
