Point/Counterpoint: Hope for four more years

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By Tabi Secor

Four years ago, Barack Obama was elected by the people of the United States to be their commander-in-chief. In that time, he has, despite what your favorite conservative pundit might say, accomplished a multitude of things while in the White House.

He signed into law the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare.” As a young person who is going to school full time, who is involved in campus organizations and is trying to balance everything at once with no health insurance, I can honestly say that knowing that the ACA is now law relieves a great deal of worry about my physical future.

That’s not to say there aren’t things that could be different, or better, but at the end of the day would Romney do anything close to what Obama has done? No. According to Romney’s own website, he will “pursue policies that give each state the power to craft a health care reform plan that is best for its own citizens.” In other words, he’ll restore health care to exactly what it is now. Tell me again who has the best interest of America in their hands. I’ll give you a hint: it doesn’t rhyme with tomney.

President Obama also repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the out of touch and polarizing law that said if you were gay and in the military, you couldn’t talk about it. He is also the first president in history to endorse same-sex marriage. Romney would not only support the Defense of Marriage Act but would also endorse an amendment that would define marriage between a man and a woman, constitutionally.

As students, we should be worried about the amount of money we are borrowing for education. Obama has signed into law a new measure that would reform student loans. Under the law, no borrower would pay more than 10% of their income. It also forgives any outstanding debt after 20 years. Any individual who chooses to be a teacher, or nurse or any other public service employee will have their debt forgiven in 10 years. Romney has said that he would not forgive student loan debt, or make promises he can’t keep when it comes to increasing grant awards.

Obama has increased funding for the Violence against Women Act, expanded Pell grants, cut costs on prescriptions for Medicare recipients, closed Guantanamo Bay, and oh yeah, there’s that little mission he ordered which killed Osama bin Laden. No big deal, right?

Analysts and politicians are quick to jump on the “it’s about personal responsibility” bandwagon, but when are people going to realize that whole idea of the American dream is to have a life worth living? People aren’t just going around merely wanting a government payout, or set out to get pregnant and have to undergo an abortion procedure or lose their jobs and have to go on welfare.

We have to learn, as a country, that we shoulder one another’s burdens. Vote for the candidate that will best stick up for what you believe in. Don’t just take my word for any of this. Do your research, on both candidates, and really decide who you want as your leader for the next four years. In my opinion, that man is Barack Obama.

Contact Tabi Secor, news editor, at tsecor@jccc.edu.

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Point/Counterpoint: He had his chance

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