Staff Editorial: State of the Union

After wowing the crowd with a taste of R&B legend Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" at the Apollo Theater over the weekend, President Obama is slated to deliver his third State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

According to The Washington Post, the president's speech will focus on "a return to American values."

In order to counter his Republican opponents' assertions that the country is off track,--think Tea Party mantra "taking America back"--President Obama hopes to outline his plans to achieve job growth and improved economic security that will help America to return to a place where ‘hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded,' according to a campaign video referenced in the Post.

He hopes to appeal to suffering Americans with his message of bolstering the middle-class and bridging the gap between the rich and the poor. With the unemployment rate currently at 8.5 percent, President Obama wants to highlight the importance of manufacturing and the development and sale of American-made products, hoping to generate jobs and bring increased revenue into the country.

In the same vein, the president wants to develop American energy and fuel sources, a plan that could have a significant effect on both United States economic and foreign policy.

He also hopes to use the speech to advocate for the passage of controversial provisions of his Jobs Act, including requiring wealthier Americans to pay more taxes. In addition to advocating for the creation of new jobs, President Obama wants to ensure that present and future generations are prepared to take those jobs by improving education.

For example, according to the White House website, with $30 billion devoted to higher education alone, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act aimed to improve employability, and employment conditions, by extension, both now and in the future by making college more affordable and accessible to everyone.

The Occupy Movement, along with Time Magazine's decision to name "the protestor" its Person of the Year for 2011, reflects a nation that desires change. So, in an election year, the president's State of the Union address takes on a whole new level of importance as he works to convince voters to re-elect him to lead the country out of these difficult economic times.

The State of the Union is the president's barometer for where the country is and where it is going. As college students, citizens, and current and future job seekers, President Obama's remarks, especially his plans to improve the economy, should be of great importance to us.

Our future depends on our ability to not only remain informed of these assessments, but also to critique and evaluate them.

Our View: President Obama's upcoming State of the Union address will contain important information for us as students, current and future employment seekers, and citizens.