State Of The Union January 2012

For the first time in twenty years, Bin Laden is no threat to the U.S.

We should feel so relieved being able to hear that spoken by the leader of the democratic world.

For one thing, according to our President, the Taliban momemtum has been broken now.

And according to our President, our military achieves these sorts of victories by having the discipline remain focused on their common goals, rather than their differences, until their

missions are complete.

President Obama honored the pride of his family heritage, telling us his grandmother worked

on a bomber assembly line during WWII. And we know she later became a bank vice president

because anything productive can happen in America.

Our president's grandfather fought in WWII, and got his college education on the GI Bill. Yes,

soldiers of war time definitely should have an opportunity for an education on the government's dime. The relatives they left behind worked and paid taxes so that those taxes could be used for

precisely those sorts of things as the GIs got.

I was encouraged to hear our President espouse the possibility that individuals who earn advanced degrees at U.S. universities could be shown a way to earn citizenship.

President Obama wouldn't be the first U.S. president to voice dismay at foreign citizens reaping

cash and knowledge here in our country, only to spend it all or send it all back to their home countries. Shouldn't we get a little more benefit from educating foreign students? When they get

back home they often take jobs with American companies for half the pay the jobs are worth. So

we get no taxes from the work they learn to do here, while at the same time, the value of the same work done here becomes anemic.

I'm heartened to know President Obama has a close watch on Russian trade policies, because

no one needs broken embargos against Iran, though I'm sure many other things are at stake

there. I surely don't see a reason to have Israel insecure because of an Iranian-Russian world pact!

Lastly, but not perhaps the least important happiness I gleaned from SOTU is how great it is to

hear about the success of companies like Master Lock. That company has been in America

forever; and is obviously paying a real living wage!