President Obama’s Second State Of The Union Speech – Looking Forward To Sputnik Moments

President Barack Obama gave his second State of the Union. Missing was the rancor and shouts from Joe Wilson and remark from Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito of his first address.

President Barack Obama delivered his second State of the Union address in a wildly different atmosphere than his first address 1 year ago.

Now the situation is very different. The Speaker of the house has changed from Nancy Pelosi to Republican John Boehner as the Republican won control of the House of Representatives during the elections of 2010. The Congress broke with a long established tradition of seperate seating along party lines in the wake of the shooting in Tucson, Arizona that wounded Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. An article titled “Bipartisan Seating at State of the Union Pairs Odd Couples, Friendly Foes” by Maureen Hoch and published on the PBS website addresses the revised seating issue.

The Message From President Obama

The President acknowledged the changed nature of the business landscape by talking about how manufacturing had changed over the years due to technology and the impact it had on jobs.. The Boston Herald published the “Text: President Obama’s State of Union address ” on its website on January 25, 2011.

The President’s message challenged the country to break new ground and compete strongly with other countries. President Obama referred to our Sputnik moment in reference to the satellite launched by the Soviet Union that allowed them to beat the United States into space and that initiated the Space Age. The President said it is time to respond to challenges around world in research and development, education and new energy technology.

Education Is The Key

The President said that refocusing on improving our education results is the way for the United States to compete for the future. He also indicated that we need to get our priorities straight and place as much value on educational acheivement as we do sporting events like the Super Bowl.

Daniel Hernández, the intern that was credited with saving Congresswoman Giffords life right after she was shot, was in attentance. The audience also included the family Christina Taylor Green, the 9-year old girl who was killed by the crazed gunman in Arizona.

Immigration On - Rolling Back Health Care Reform Off

President Obama put immigration reform on the table and talked about how some good student live under the threat of deportation because they were brought here as children illegally. He said he is willing to work with Congress to find a solution to the immigration issue.

Our economy is still struggling, education is an issue and the economy is not where it needs to be. President Obama indicated that he is ready to roll up his sleeves and wants the country to come along with him to fix the ills that the country is facing.