By Brian Larzelere, Staff writer

President Obama gave his first address to a joint session of Congress, outlining his agenda for the nation, and promising action- especially in tough situations to come. In almost an hour, Mr. Obama covered his plans to attack economic crisis, America’s dependence on foreign oil, the rising cost of health insurance, and the problems facing public education. He also challenged Congress to pass a bill limiting carbon emissions, and for American youth to pursue post high school education and job training.

Critics point out the financial cost of Mr. Obama’s proposals, particularly the recent $787 billion stimulus plan, subsides for alternative energy, and a universal health care system. His agenda is an ambitious one, even in healthy times. With the declined tax revenue of a recession, the funds to fulfill these goals simply isn’t there.
President Obama spoke specifically to the matter of the budget. He renewed his pledge to cut the federal deficit in half in his first term, by reducing military spending, and elimination wasteful, and inefficient programs. Mr. Obama contends universal health care will create a net savings to the country, and a federal investment in education will pay returns in a better workforce.

“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.”

President Obama cited the importance of school, “a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity — it is a prerequisite.” With the rise of globalization, this is becoming more and more true. A high school diploma and a degree in a relevant field is more important than ever.

Of interest to many is the President’s plan for public education, and college. As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, struggling families will be able to receive $2500 for each of the four years of college. The seemingly high cost of tuition is a major concern to families, especially in California, where state budget shortfalls are expected to raise UC and Cal State tut ions by 7 to 10 percent. Mr. Obama’s plan has the potential to close the gap between savings and tuition for many undergraduates.

Even in the most trying times, with inherited challenges, the new leader of the free world put a positive spin on current circumstances, “We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.”

A lot of big promises were made, and nothing will be easy. Can Barack Obama make good on his pacts with America? We can only hope.

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A greater say in government marks the progress of this increasingly diverse society. Bountiful is the opportunity to become a councilman, state congressional leader, or other governmental position hitherto denied to ethnic minorities but now within the grasp of anyone willing to invest time, effort, and no small amount of intellect, imagination, and integrity. I daresay that even you, my Baron Banner readership, might become President of the United States. The only problem, however, is that this is much more noticeable, especially if you are not a White, Anglo-Saxon Protestant, with a penis.

Some people just can\’t vote well. Our Founding Fathers, the same ones who said that all men were created equal, knew that people can be easily swayed with the winds of the zeitgeist. Some issues that are easily waved as red herrings and thrust into the faces of the voters should not matter, but do, sadly enough. When Barack Obama first announced his campaign for presidency, talks sprang up on YouTube and major news programs alike of how Black he was.

As Senator Biden put it, “Barack Obama is the first African-American who is clean and articulate,” implying the schema for Blacks is hardly so. (Unfortunately for the senator, these jabs were not lightning-quick enough to avoid scrutiny.) Ultimately, the main concern is not “Is Obama Black?” but would it make a difference if he tried to respond to what others perceive as Black. If he walked it out to the DNC, pimped out baggy jeans that sagged to reveal leopard boxers, grills gleaming, and freaking with every vixen that he met? If he came bouncing to his inauguration in a Cadillac with the hydraulics on max and 23-inch chrome wheels spinning? If he played the National Anthem, “Get Low,” at the State of the Union? If he were to uphold the current funhouse-mirror images of black culture, no one, not even he himself, would take him seriously.

Such stereotyping offers a brutal double standard that pigeonholes the candidates and unfairly instructs our decision-making and thoughts of race relations. We are told as schoolchildren that differences do not matter, and that everyone is equal. To approve otherwise would invite harangues of being called intolerant. All the while, the differences always sat in front of us, but, told to be color-blind, we become just that: blind the meaning of the color dyed into every fabric of American life. For all the leaps the United States has taken as a country, its people cannot change the way they look at each other. The glaring differences from the “norm” turn the democratic process into a debacle of “Hell no, I\’m not going to vote for some…” Whatever happened to Lyndon Johnson\’s upholding of social equality: “We seek not just freedom but opportunity, not just equality as a right and as a theory, but equality as a fact and as a result”?

A vote means choosing a candidate whose ideals, not color, best reflect mine. That is a premier hallmark that I hope America achieves, for if not, informed citizens can easily become marionettes led to the ballot box. For those who believe that political power should be delegated through the tactics of a frilly high school election, consider our current situation a triumph of public policy. But for those who are hungry for a different type of politics, now is the time for social change in which we begin to see the character beneath the color.