A speech with big promises

What a speech.

In case you missed it, the president promised big things in Tuesday’s State of the Union address. Here’s a survey of his vows.

President Barack Obama said he will soon solve the poverty problem: “Tonight, let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour.”

Beyond eliminating poverty in America, Obama also promised that “the United States will join with our allies to eradicate ... extreme poverty” worldwide.

His global coalition will also realize “the promise of an AIDS-free generation.”

To please all the silly females who voted for free birth control, Obama urged the House to pass the Violence Against Women Act in order to allow women to “live their lives free from discrimination in the workplace, and free from the fear of domestic violence.”

The president was also able to address global warming, claiming “we can make meaningful progress on this issue while driving strong economic growth.”

Of course, we saw what the president’s green energy fantasies look like after companies like solar power company Solyndra went bankrupt during his first term.

Obama promised to fix the education system.

He promised to fix the immigration system.

He promised to get chaotic Middle Eastern countries the help they need to become more civilized nations.

And, as expected, he offered many vague gestures toward fixing the economy and putting people back to work, but he’s been doing that for four years with no results. Big promises.

Yet, buried deep in the speech was a small promise that received little elaboration.

He said he will do “more to encourage fatherhood, because what makes you a man isn’t the ability to conceive a child. It’s having the courage to raise one.”

Reversing the breakdown of the family unit in the United States could solve huge problems, including educational underachievement and poverty, especially among minority communities.

The first black president is uniquely qualified to lead the charge on the seemingly unimportant problem of paternal outsourcing.

Too bad he is too busy making bigger promises to follow through on this little vow that could make so much difference.

— atcarlis@indiana.edu