President Barack Obama, Soulful Jenn & even Joe Budden
To read the entire Address to Joint Session of Congress go here..
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/02/remarks_of_president_barack_obama_-_address_to_joi.php
· Remarks of President Barack Obama - As Prepared for Delivery will be in quotation marks followed by my thoughts.
"I know that for many Americans watching right now, the state of our economy is a concern that rises above all others."
*- Among many things running through my mind, I constantly wonder when change is going to come. At my most hard-working times, in which I am deeply unappreciated, I even think selfishly & wonder when MY change is going to come.
"If you haven't been personally affected by this recession, you probably know someone who has - a friend; a neighbor; a member of your family."
*-To be honest I have been personally affected. However I work so hard that I am not nearly going through the suffering that my friends, my neighbors & most importantly members of my family are going through; that currently reside in locations where poverty thrives much more than it does in some parts here, in America.
"You don't need to hear another list of statistics to know that our economy is in crisis, because you live it every day. It's the worry you wake up with and the source of sleepless nights."
*-God, did this make me tear up. Like Big Brother was watching me all those exhausting times in which I could NOT get any rest. The stress, the worries of not just my family BUT of those that go through worse since the day they were born. Struggles I couldn't even fathom putting myself nor my worst enemy through. The world is of my concern, especially those that will NOT allow themselves to quit. Those that REFUSE to settle for less. I pray for you.
"..the college acceptance letter your child had to put back in the envelope. The impact of this recession is real, and it is everywhere."
*-I personally had to place many college acceptance letters back in their envelopes BEFORE I knew I would live through a recession! So as a diligent, single mother such as myself who has family & friends scattered throughout these 50 states & two other countries I definitely know the burdens, concerns & consequences that are currently taking place in their (not just my own) everyday lives.
"But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this: We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before."
*-Hopeful: yes. Convinced: no. I just don't know if people will take this plan of his seriously. Will it be a WE? Will "we" REBUILD?? So much bad going on in the world every second, will "WE" love our neighbors & RESPECT the strength that is supposed to flourish???
"What is required now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more."
*-Again. Hopeful: yes. Convinced: no.
"The fact is, our economy did not fall into decline overnight. Nor did all of our problems begin when the housing market collapsed or the stock market sank. We have known for decades that our survival depends on finding new sources of energy. Yet we import more oil today than ever before. The cost of health care eats up more and more of our savings each year, yet we keep delaying reform. Our children will compete for jobs in a global economy that too many of our schools do not prepare them for. And though all these challenges went unsolved, we still managed to spend more money and pile up more debt, both as individuals and through our government, than ever before."
*-With all due respect, thank you very fucking much, Mr. President. [FRUSTRATED SIGH] I just feel like he's bullshitting but to a certain extent. Because like tonight, with his speech. So much damn clapping, cheering, & "wooo's" going on when not much has improved. Anyway, let me touchdown w/reality. Progress has been made & he's aware of the problems & am glad he isn't sugar-coating anything. Then again, this is the gov't & like he's mentioned before trust in the gov't needs to be reinstated. So he might be sugar-coatin' a few things.
"And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day."
*-I'm glad he addressed the issues with the banks but I managed to apply this statement with my mother. She continues to do things that make my life harder because I have to fix her messes. Things that need to be addressed aren't because she doesn't make them her priority. Then I get the news & I get so frustrated because I'm the bank in this family. When no one has money, I NEED to have it. My mom just reminds me that respect needs to be earned. I'm sure she hasn't felt respect coming from me & perhaps maybe that's why she's down most of the times I need the uplifting after a long day. But she needs to be as strong, if not stronger, than I am.
"There are 57 police officers who are still on the streets of Minneapolis tonight because this plan prevented the layoffs their department was about to make."
*-I don't know about you but I don't need them.
"I understand that skepticism. Here in Washington, we've all seen how quickly good intentions can turn into broken promises and wasteful spending."
*-Thank you, once again Mr. President.
"That is why I have asked Vice President Biden to lead a tough, unprecedented oversight effort - because nobody messes with Joe. I have told each member of my Cabinet as well as mayors and governors across the country that they will be held accountable by me and the American people for every dollar they spend. I have appointed a proven and aggressive Inspector General to ferret out any and all cases of waste and fraud. And we have created a new website called recovery.gov so that every American can find out how and where their money is being spent."
*-Word?! I'm.. [speechless]
"So the recovery plan we passed is the first step in getting our economy back on track. But it is just the first step. Because even if we manage this plan flawlessly, there will be no real recovery unless we clean up the credit crisis that has severely weakened our financial system."
*-Great. This is the plan but this is just the first step. Good. What's the next issue. Let's resolve it. I like that.
"Still, this plan will require significant resources from the federal government - and yes, probably more than we've already set aside. But while the cost of action will be great, I can assure you that the cost of inaction will be far greater, for it could result in an economy that sputters along for not months or years, but perhaps a decade. That would be worse for our deficit, worse for business, worse for you, and worse for the next generation. And I refuse to let that happen."
*-[SIGH] One man can't put all this pressure on himself.. I don't know what to think at this point.
"None of this will come without cost, nor will it be easy. But this is America. We don't do what's easy. We do what is necessary to move this country forward."
*-Powerful words. History has shown us that with all the struggle our country has gone through, we do manage to resurface. Perhaps with more consequences at hand.. But I won't get into that.
"But we know that our schools don't just need more resources. They need more reform."
*-Ahh yes.
"And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not just quitting on yourself, it's quitting on your country - and this country needs and values the talents of every American. That is why we will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world."
*-One of my friends hit me up about this. Asked me if I was listening to him challenging us. & I heard him. I told him how I personally think that no one should stop seeking Higher Learning.
"These education policies will open the doors of opportunity for our children. But it is up to us to ensure they walk through them. In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a mother or father who will attend those parent/teacher conferences, or help with homework after dinner, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, and read to their child. I speak to you not just as a President, but as a father when I say that responsibility for our children's education must begin at home."
*-Yes, yes, yes. As a mother, I KNOW this.
"There is, of course, another responsibility we have to our children. And that is the responsibility to ensure that we do not pass on to them a debt they cannot pay."
*-I REFUSE to ever let this happen to Andrew. The reason I work SO hard, the TIME I spend AWAY from him is so that he NEVER has to suffer. He gets the world from me.
"We are now carefully reviewing our policies in both wars, and I will soon announce a way forward in Iraq that leaves Iraq to its people and responsibly ends this war."
*-Soon, good. Can we leave other lands alone & focus on the madness we have going on here?
"As we meet here tonight, our men and women in uniform stand watch abroad and more are readying to deploy. To each and every one of them, and to the families who bear the quiet burden of their absence, Americans are united in sending one message: we honor your service, we are inspired by your sacrifice, and you have our unyielding support."
*-For lack of better words, "chuuch."
"For in our hands lies the ability to shape our world for good or for ill."
*-How are you (you, my reader) going to shape our world?
"But in my life, I have also learned that hope is found in unlikely places; that inspiration often comes not from those with the most power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations of Americans who are anything but ordinary."
*-I felt like he took my words & said them tonight, here. At the same time felt like he was talking about me when he mentioned those who are anything but ordinary. Hey, gotta give myself credit. I'm deserving of it.
"I think about Greensburg, Kansas, a town that was completely destroyed by a tornado, but is being rebuilt by its residents as a global example of how clean energy can power an entire community - how it can bring jobs and businesses to a place where piles of bricks and rubble once lay. "The tragedy was terrible," said one of the men who helped them rebuild. "But the folks here know that it also provided an incredible opportunity."
*-Optimism at its best.
"And I think about Ty'Sheoma Bethea, the young girl from that school I visited in Dillon, South Carolina - a place where the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their classroom. She has been told that her school is hopeless, but the other day after class she went to the public library and typed up a letter to the people sitting in this room. She even asked her principal for the money to buy a stamp. The letter asks us for help, and says, "We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world. We are not quitters."
*-I said it before & I'll say it again: I pray for those of you who refuse to quit.
"These words and these stories tell us something about the spirit of the people who sent us here. They tell us that even in the most trying times, amid the most difficult circumstances, there is a generosity, a resilience, a decency, and a determination that perseveres; a willingness to take responsibility for our future and for posterity."
*-Beautiful.
"..if we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit, then someday years from now our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed.."
*-I am determined for Andrew to be proud of OUR time. However: "The past is the past. I'm presently thinking 'bout the future." [That was Joe Budden NOT President Barack Obama, LOL!!]
P.S. Did you get Padded Room yet? ;)
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/02/remarks_of_president_barack_obama_-_address_to_joi.php
· Remarks of President Barack Obama - As Prepared for Delivery will be in quotation marks followed by my thoughts.
"I know that for many Americans watching right now, the state of our economy is a concern that rises above all others."
*- Among many things running through my mind, I constantly wonder when change is going to come. At my most hard-working times, in which I am deeply unappreciated, I even think selfishly & wonder when MY change is going to come.
"If you haven't been personally affected by this recession, you probably know someone who has - a friend; a neighbor; a member of your family."
*-To be honest I have been personally affected. However I work so hard that I am not nearly going through the suffering that my friends, my neighbors & most importantly members of my family are going through; that currently reside in locations where poverty thrives much more than it does in some parts here, in America.
"You don't need to hear another list of statistics to know that our economy is in crisis, because you live it every day. It's the worry you wake up with and the source of sleepless nights."
*-God, did this make me tear up. Like Big Brother was watching me all those exhausting times in which I could NOT get any rest. The stress, the worries of not just my family BUT of those that go through worse since the day they were born. Struggles I couldn't even fathom putting myself nor my worst enemy through. The world is of my concern, especially those that will NOT allow themselves to quit. Those that REFUSE to settle for less. I pray for you.
"..the college acceptance letter your child had to put back in the envelope. The impact of this recession is real, and it is everywhere."
*-I personally had to place many college acceptance letters back in their envelopes BEFORE I knew I would live through a recession! So as a diligent, single mother such as myself who has family & friends scattered throughout these 50 states & two other countries I definitely know the burdens, concerns & consequences that are currently taking place in their (not just my own) everyday lives.
"But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken; though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this: We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before."
*-Hopeful: yes. Convinced: no. I just don't know if people will take this plan of his seriously. Will it be a WE? Will "we" REBUILD?? So much bad going on in the world every second, will "WE" love our neighbors & RESPECT the strength that is supposed to flourish???
"What is required now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more."
*-Again. Hopeful: yes. Convinced: no.
"The fact is, our economy did not fall into decline overnight. Nor did all of our problems begin when the housing market collapsed or the stock market sank. We have known for decades that our survival depends on finding new sources of energy. Yet we import more oil today than ever before. The cost of health care eats up more and more of our savings each year, yet we keep delaying reform. Our children will compete for jobs in a global economy that too many of our schools do not prepare them for. And though all these challenges went unsolved, we still managed to spend more money and pile up more debt, both as individuals and through our government, than ever before."
*-With all due respect, thank you very fucking much, Mr. President. [FRUSTRATED SIGH] I just feel like he's bullshitting but to a certain extent. Because like tonight, with his speech. So much damn clapping, cheering, & "wooo's" going on when not much has improved. Anyway, let me touchdown w/reality. Progress has been made & he's aware of the problems & am glad he isn't sugar-coating anything. Then again, this is the gov't & like he's mentioned before trust in the gov't needs to be reinstated. So he might be sugar-coatin' a few things.
"And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day."
*-I'm glad he addressed the issues with the banks but I managed to apply this statement with my mother. She continues to do things that make my life harder because I have to fix her messes. Things that need to be addressed aren't because she doesn't make them her priority. Then I get the news & I get so frustrated because I'm the bank in this family. When no one has money, I NEED to have it. My mom just reminds me that respect needs to be earned. I'm sure she hasn't felt respect coming from me & perhaps maybe that's why she's down most of the times I need the uplifting after a long day. But she needs to be as strong, if not stronger, than I am.
"There are 57 police officers who are still on the streets of Minneapolis tonight because this plan prevented the layoffs their department was about to make."
*-I don't know about you but I don't need them.
"I understand that skepticism. Here in Washington, we've all seen how quickly good intentions can turn into broken promises and wasteful spending."
*-Thank you, once again Mr. President.
"That is why I have asked Vice President Biden to lead a tough, unprecedented oversight effort - because nobody messes with Joe. I have told each member of my Cabinet as well as mayors and governors across the country that they will be held accountable by me and the American people for every dollar they spend. I have appointed a proven and aggressive Inspector General to ferret out any and all cases of waste and fraud. And we have created a new website called recovery.gov so that every American can find out how and where their money is being spent."
*-Word?! I'm.. [speechless]
"So the recovery plan we passed is the first step in getting our economy back on track. But it is just the first step. Because even if we manage this plan flawlessly, there will be no real recovery unless we clean up the credit crisis that has severely weakened our financial system."
*-Great. This is the plan but this is just the first step. Good. What's the next issue. Let's resolve it. I like that.
"Still, this plan will require significant resources from the federal government - and yes, probably more than we've already set aside. But while the cost of action will be great, I can assure you that the cost of inaction will be far greater, for it could result in an economy that sputters along for not months or years, but perhaps a decade. That would be worse for our deficit, worse for business, worse for you, and worse for the next generation. And I refuse to let that happen."
*-[SIGH] One man can't put all this pressure on himself.. I don't know what to think at this point.
"None of this will come without cost, nor will it be easy. But this is America. We don't do what's easy. We do what is necessary to move this country forward."
*-Powerful words. History has shown us that with all the struggle our country has gone through, we do manage to resurface. Perhaps with more consequences at hand.. But I won't get into that.
"But we know that our schools don't just need more resources. They need more reform."
*-Ahh yes.
"And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not just quitting on yourself, it's quitting on your country - and this country needs and values the talents of every American. That is why we will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world."
*-One of my friends hit me up about this. Asked me if I was listening to him challenging us. & I heard him. I told him how I personally think that no one should stop seeking Higher Learning.
"These education policies will open the doors of opportunity for our children. But it is up to us to ensure they walk through them. In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a mother or father who will attend those parent/teacher conferences, or help with homework after dinner, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, and read to their child. I speak to you not just as a President, but as a father when I say that responsibility for our children's education must begin at home."
*-Yes, yes, yes. As a mother, I KNOW this.
"There is, of course, another responsibility we have to our children. And that is the responsibility to ensure that we do not pass on to them a debt they cannot pay."
*-I REFUSE to ever let this happen to Andrew. The reason I work SO hard, the TIME I spend AWAY from him is so that he NEVER has to suffer. He gets the world from me.
"We are now carefully reviewing our policies in both wars, and I will soon announce a way forward in Iraq that leaves Iraq to its people and responsibly ends this war."
*-Soon, good. Can we leave other lands alone & focus on the madness we have going on here?
"As we meet here tonight, our men and women in uniform stand watch abroad and more are readying to deploy. To each and every one of them, and to the families who bear the quiet burden of their absence, Americans are united in sending one message: we honor your service, we are inspired by your sacrifice, and you have our unyielding support."
*-For lack of better words, "chuuch."
"For in our hands lies the ability to shape our world for good or for ill."
*-How are you (you, my reader) going to shape our world?
"But in my life, I have also learned that hope is found in unlikely places; that inspiration often comes not from those with the most power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations of Americans who are anything but ordinary."
*-I felt like he took my words & said them tonight, here. At the same time felt like he was talking about me when he mentioned those who are anything but ordinary. Hey, gotta give myself credit. I'm deserving of it.
"I think about Greensburg, Kansas, a town that was completely destroyed by a tornado, but is being rebuilt by its residents as a global example of how clean energy can power an entire community - how it can bring jobs and businesses to a place where piles of bricks and rubble once lay. "The tragedy was terrible," said one of the men who helped them rebuild. "But the folks here know that it also provided an incredible opportunity."
*-Optimism at its best.
"And I think about Ty'Sheoma Bethea, the young girl from that school I visited in Dillon, South Carolina - a place where the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their classroom. She has been told that her school is hopeless, but the other day after class she went to the public library and typed up a letter to the people sitting in this room. She even asked her principal for the money to buy a stamp. The letter asks us for help, and says, "We are just students trying to become lawyers, doctors, congressmen like yourself and one day president, so we can make a change to not just the state of South Carolina but also the world. We are not quitters."
*-I said it before & I'll say it again: I pray for those of you who refuse to quit.
"These words and these stories tell us something about the spirit of the people who sent us here. They tell us that even in the most trying times, amid the most difficult circumstances, there is a generosity, a resilience, a decency, and a determination that perseveres; a willingness to take responsibility for our future and for posterity."
*-Beautiful.
"..if we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit, then someday years from now our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed.."
*-I am determined for Andrew to be proud of OUR time. However: "The past is the past. I'm presently thinking 'bout the future." [That was Joe Budden NOT President Barack Obama, LOL!!]
P.S. Did you get Padded Room yet? ;)
