When we would call through this list of hundreds of students that had expressed interest in volunteering, only a handful would actually commit to a shift (and even fewer would actually show up). They talked excitedly with us about Obama, they proudly wore buttons, they ate the pizza at our meetings, they attended our rallies. But why didn’t they volunteer to help their candidate?

—

When I first contacted the Obama campaign, I inquired about whether there was already a “Students for Obama” group on my campus. There was not, and they said that I could start one. So I filed the paperwork, held our first meeting, and got the ball rolling.

A few months into our group’s existence, I would occasionally get e-mails from the campaign, stating that one of my fellow students had inquired about starting a “Students for Obama” group at our university. Since we already had one, I e-mailed those students and asked them to join our group and volunteer.

None of those students ever volunteered (or even returned my e-mails). Their silence was odd. At one point, they wanted to be the founding member of a “Students for Obama” group. But once they learned that the group already existed, they chose not to be involved at all. Were they more passionate about being the leader than helping the cause? Had it not already existed, they would have had to put a lot of time into this group, pulling together a group of volunteers, organizing events, etc. With that part already done for them, why not join the team?

—

During the campaign two years ago that I helped manage, we had many meetings. A dozen or more people would show up to these meetings. They were passionate about seeing the candidate get elected, and they were all willing to give their input on how to run the campaign, what events we should organize, how to fundraise, etc.

When we needed volunteers for a parade or to help collect the almost unachievable 5,000 signatures necessary to get the candidate on the ballot, most of them were busy. Everyone wanted to be the brains of the operation. Nobody wanted to be the muscle.

—

When the Kony 2012 video was being passed around two months ago, everyone was suddenly in humanitarian mode. Everyone was outraged and wanted to do their part to end this awful recruitment of child soldiers. The video called for people on April 20th, 2012 to plaster their cities with “Kony 2012″ posters, raising awareness of this man’s name (and hopefully pressuring the government to continue their efforts to track him down). Friends were posting on  each others’ walls, saying that they would be there on 4/20, posters in hand, to help end Kony’s destruction of kids’ childhoods.

April 20th has come and gone. I didn’t see any posters, and I didn’t see anything on the news either. What happened to those who were outraged? Kony is still out there. And people were motivated two months ago to take action. Why not follow through on their plans?

—

I think people like the concept of helping and volunteering. Everyone wants to make a difference and have an impact. But when they suddenly have to put aside time for that cause, prioritizing it above other things in their lives, the cause gets pushed aside instead.

So what is required to make people take that extra step — a step beyond sharing a video on Facebook, showing up to a meeting, or putting their name on a sign-up sheet — and donate their valuable time for a cause?

I think that’s dumb.

First, enough with the complaints about these union employees paying lower percentages of their health care or retirement costs. Any (private or public sector) employee’s compensation can be split into two parts: salary and benefits. The beauty of unions is that for years, public employees have negotiated to get their preferred blend of salary and benefits. Many have chosen to have better benefits over a lower salary. However, in this debate over Issue 2, this is never brought up. Instead, people only mention the low percentage that they contribute to retirement or health care, as if everything else (like salary) is equal. It is not.

Secondly, unions aren’t the stubborn beasts that people make them out to be. Many unions (for example, the auto workers) have taken a lot of cuts in salary and benefits to allow their companies and industries to survive in this tough economic time. In the case of the auto workers, they would rather have jobs than to see an entire sector of the economy (and their employers) disappear. Public employee unions have chosen to not fight for higher wages, because they understand the economic hardships of the local governments. There is a benefit to having a deal worked out between the government and workers — the primary benefit being that it is fair for both sides, or at least more fair than had that discussion not taken place. As we have learned from incidents these last few years, the government doesn’t always make the right call, so having more people involved in the discussion seems like a pretty good idea to me.

Thirdly, people don’t acknowledge the real reason why they support Issue 2. I think it largely comes down them making less money than the public employees. Everyone likes to think that they have the most difficult and demanding job in the world, and therefore deserve to make more money. Since public employees are paid with tax dollars, the tax payers think that they should always make more than the public employees, regardless of their level of education, industry, years of experience, hours of work per week, skills, importance to society, etc. I’m not sure why this happens so frequently, but this superiority complex needs to stop. Public employees serve critical roles in our society, and odds are, their job is more important than your job.

On a final note, so what if a public employee is compensated (through benefits and salary) better than their private sector equivalent? Why is the conclusion immediately “the public employee is making too much” instead of “the private employee is making too little”? Companies want to make profits, and in order to do that, they would like to get away with paying you as little as possible, without it backfiring on them. I don’t blame them for that. It’s just how the free market works. But it is then up to you to raise concerns when you are no longer being fairly compensated. This is why unions were created in the first place — to fight for the workers. Instead of questioning another worker’s salary versus your own, take up your argument with your employer. I think the vast majority of employees are undervalued and under-compensated. Private or public, these employees are your peers. Maybe you both deserve to make more money. Instead of picking a fight with them, take the fight to your company and voice your concerns.

And hey, if other coworkers agree with you, perhaps you could work together to have more leverage. Perhaps you could come up with common goals and work with the company next time it hands out salaries and benefits, workplace safety guidelines, etc. Perhaps this group could ensure that the workers now have representation and a seat at the table. Oh crap, that sounds exactly like a union. Nevermind.

I’ve never been a big hardware guy. I’m not the one to help you upgrade your RAM or swap out a harddrive. I’d probably end up somehow losing all of your data. But with Apple computers, I’ve never had to worry about that. I appreciate their ease-of-use, and they’ve allowed me to focus on what I do care about — the software (and what the software allows you to create). From my first attempts at photo manipulation in Clarisworks (and later Photoshop), to my first websites on Geocities, Steve Jobs’ creations helped me create on my own.

From his unwavering focus on simplicity and ease-of-use, to his knack for opening up technology markets that never before existed, to his ability to shrug off the critics, Steve Jobs had an interesting combination of qualities that led him to be one of the most innovative leaders that my generation will probably ever see. He’s been compared to Thomas Edison, but Jobs didn’t invent things. He envisioned things, and then inspired and led teams to make those visions a reality. In a world where CEOs and their companies focus on making a quick buck, Steve Jobs seemed different. He focused on quality, not only of his products, but I think of his life as well.

I remember a few years ago, during the usual speculation in the weeks (or months) leading up to an Apple product launch, that Steve Jobs was supposedly spotted out in public with the newest, unreleased version of the iPhone. I’ve always thought that the speculation around new products was dumb. But I distinctly remember the details of that article. When he was spotted, Jobs was at a kids’ soccer game. Presumably his own kid’s soccer game. Only seeing him wearing his black turtleneck and jeans while showing off the latest and greatest, I hadn’t really thought of him being a family-man as well. While hardly ever speaking of it, the creator of the personal computer also had a personal life. So during this next week, while everyone’s discussing his most innovative products, the potential drop in Apple’s stock price, and how big of a loss this is to the technology world, I think we should also remember that his family is feeling the biggest loss of all.

I attended my county’s “Young Democrats” meeting last week for the first time. It was held at a nearby Panera, and after walking around the dining area expecting to stumble upon a large group of 20-somethings chit-chatting about health care, taxes, and other topics of the day, I spotted a quiet group of 3 guys with notebooks in the back. After confirming that this was, indeed, a meeting of the Young Democrats, I took a seat. I assumed there would be more on their way, but they quickly informed me that I had just increased their normal attendance by one.

I had been looking forward to meeting new people who not only held similar political beliefs, but were also willing to take action and fight for them. True, I had met 3 new people who fit that description, but this is a large county with many young people, some of whom are Democrats. (I don’t know the exact numbers, but it’s certainly more than 3.) How could this be? Even if 2012 is too far away for some to get involved, what about 2011? With so many issues still outstanding, like Senate Bill 5, the American Jobs Act, environmental legislation, two wars, and more recently, the marches on Wall Street, now is as good a time as any to take an interest in politics.

I know I have many peers that are already involved in politics. They simply aren’t attending meetings at Panera. And good for them. They’re actually taking action, instead of talking about it over soup or salad. But where does that leave people like me, who want to be involved, but are incapable of finding a group that can point them in that direction?

Do you know of a group like this in the Cleveland area? If so, please let me know! Otherwise, I’ll have to resort to my college ways and just create my own.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, and fellow Americans:

Tonight we meet at an urgent time for our country.  We continue to face an economic crisis that has left millions of our neighbors jobless, and a political crisis that’s made things worse.

This past week, reporters have been asking, “What will this speech mean for the President?  What will it mean for Congress?  How will it affect their polls, and the next election?”

But the millions of Americans who are watching right now, they don’t care about politics.  They have real-life concerns.  Many have spent months looking for work.  Others are doing their best just to scrape by — giving up nights out with the family to save on gas or make the mortgage; postponing retirement to send a kid to college.

These men and women grew up with faith in an America where hard work and responsibility paid off.  They believed in a country where everyone gets a fair shake and does their fair share — where if you stepped up, did your job, and were loyal to your company, that loyalty would be rewarded with a decent salary and good benefits; maybe a raise once in a while.  If you did the right thing, you could make it.  Anybody could make it in America.

For decades now, Americans have watched that compact erode.  They have seen the decks too often stacked against them.  And they know that Washington has not always put their interests first.

The people of this country work hard to meet their responsibilities.  The question tonight is whether we’ll meet ours.  The question is whether, in the face of an ongoing national crisis, we can stop the political circus and actually do something to help the economy.  (Applause.)  The question is — the question is whether we can restore some of the fairness and security that has defined this nation since our beginning.

Those of us here tonight can’t solve all our nation’s woes.  Ultimately, our recovery will be driven not by Washington, but by our businesses and our workers.  But we can help.  We can make a difference.  There are steps we can take right now to improve people’s lives.

I am sending this Congress a plan that you should pass right away.  It’s called the American Jobs Act.  There should be nothing controversial about this piece of legislation.  Everything in here is the kind of proposal that’s been supported by both Democrats and Republicans — including many who sit here tonight.  And everything in this bill will be paid for.  Everything.  (Applause.)

The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple:  to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working.  It will create more jobs for construction workers, more jobs for teachers, more jobs for veterans, and more jobs for long-term unemployed.  (Applause.)  It will provide — it will provide a tax break for companies who hire new workers, and it will cut payroll taxes in half for every working American and every small business.  (Applause.)  It will provide a jolt to an economy that has stalled, and give companies confidence that if they invest and if they hire, there will be customers for their products and services.  You should pass this jobs plan right away.  (Applause.)

Everyone here knows that small businesses are where most new jobs begin.  And you know that while corporate profits have come roaring back, smaller companies haven’t.  So for everyone who speaks so passionately about making life easier for “job creators,” this plan is for you.  (Applause.)

Pass this jobs bill — pass this jobs bill, and starting tomorrow, small businesses will get a tax cut if they hire new workers or if they raise workers’ wages.  Pass this jobs bill, and all small business owners will also see their payroll taxes cut in half next year.  (Applause.)  If you have 50 employees — if you have 50 employees making an average salary, that’s an $80,000 tax cut.  And all businesses will be able to continue writing off the investments they make in 2012.

It’s not just Democrats who have supported this kind of proposal.  Fifty House Republicans have proposed the same payroll tax cut that’s in this plan.  You should pass it right away.  (Applause.)

Pass this jobs bill, and we can put people to work rebuilding America.  Everyone here knows we have badly decaying roads and bridges all over the country.  Our highways are clogged with traffic.  Our skies are the most congested in the world.  It’s an outrage.

Building a world-class transportation system is part of what made us a economic superpower.  And now we’re going to sit back and watch China build newer airports and faster railroads?  At a time when millions of unemployed construction workers could build them right here in America?  (Applause.)

There are private construction companies all across America just waiting to get to work.  There’s a bridge that needs repair between Ohio and Kentucky that’s on one of the busiest trucking routes in North America.  A public transit project in Houston that will help clear up one of the worst areas of traffic in the country.  And there are schools throughout this country that desperately need renovating.  How can we expect our kids to do their best in places that are literally falling apart?  This is America.  Every child deserves a great school — and we can give it to them, if we act now.  (Applause.)

The American Jobs Act will repair and modernize at least 35,000 schools.  It will put people to work right now fixing roofs and windows, installing science labs and high-speed Internet in classrooms all across this country.  It will rehabilitate homes and businesses in communities hit hardest by foreclosures.  It will jumpstart thousands of transportation projects all across the country.  And to make sure the money is properly spent, we’re building on reforms we’ve already put in place.  No more earmarks.  No more boondoggles.  No more bridges to nowhere.  We’re cutting the red tape that prevents some of these projects from getting started as quickly as possible.  And we’ll set up an independent fund to attract private dollars and issue loans based on two criteria:  how badly a construction project is needed and how much good it will do for the economy.  (Applause.)

This idea came from a bill written by a Texas Republican and a Massachusetts Democrat.  The idea for a big boost in construction is supported by America’s largest business organization and America’s largest labor organization.  It’s the kind of proposal that’s been supported in the past by Democrats and Republicans alike.  You should pass it right away.  (Applause.)

Pass this jobs bill, and thousands of teachers in every state will go back to work.  These are the men and women charged with preparing our children for a world where the competition has never been tougher.  But while they’re adding teachers in places like South Korea, we’re laying them off in droves.  It’s unfair to our kids.  It undermines their future and ours.  And it has to stop.  Pass this bill, and put our teachers back in the classroom where they belong.  (Applause.)

Pass this jobs bill, and companies will get extra tax credits if they hire America’s veterans.  We ask these men and women to leave their careers, leave their families, risk their lives to fight for our country.  The last thing they should have to do is fight for a job when they come home.  (Applause.)

Pass this bill, and hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged young people will have the hope and the dignity of a summer job next year.  And their parents — (applause) — their parents, low-income Americans who desperately want to work, will have more ladders out of poverty.

Pass this jobs bill, and companies will get a $4,000 tax credit if they hire anyone who has spent more than six months looking for a job.  (Applause.)  We have to do more to help the long-term unemployed in their search for work.  This jobs plan builds on a program in Georgia that several Republican leaders have highlighted, where people who collect unemployment insurance participate in temporary work as a way to build their skills while they look for a permanent job.  The plan also extends unemployment insurance for another year.  (Applause.)  If the millions of unemployed Americans stopped getting this insurance, and stopped using that money for basic necessities, it would be a devastating blow to this economy.  Democrats and Republicans in this chamber have supported unemployment insurance plenty of times in the past.  And in this time of prolonged hardship, you should pass it again — right away.  (Applause.)

Pass this jobs bill, and the typical working family will get a $1,500 tax cut next year.  Fifteen hundred dollars that would have been taken out of your pocket will go into your pocket.  This expands on the tax cut that Democrats and Republicans already passed for this year.  If we allow that tax cut to expire — if we refuse to act — middle-class families will get hit with a tax increase at the worst possible time.  We can’t let that happen.  I know that some of you have sworn oaths to never raise any taxes on anyone for as long as you live.  Now is not the time to carve out an exception and raise middle-class taxes, which is why you should pass this bill right away.  (Applause.)

This is the American Jobs Act.  It will lead to new jobs for construction workers, for teachers, for veterans, for first responders, young people and the long-term unemployed.  It will provide tax credits to companies that hire new workers, tax relief to small business owners, and tax cuts for the middle class.  And here’s the other thing I want the American people to know:  The American Jobs Act will not add to the deficit.  It will be paid for.  And here’s how.  (Applause.)

The agreement we passed in July will cut government spending by about $1 trillion over the next 10 years.  It also charges this Congress to come up with an additional $1.5 trillion in savings by Christmas.  Tonight, I am asking you to increase that amount so that it covers the full cost of the American Jobs Act.  And a week from Monday, I’ll be releasing a more ambitious deficit plan — a plan that will not only cover the cost of this jobs bill, but stabilize our debt in the long run.  (Applause.)

This approach is basically the one I’ve been advocating for months.  In addition to the trillion dollars of spending cuts I’ve already signed into law, it’s a balanced plan that would reduce the deficit by making additional spending cuts, by making modest adjustments to health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and by reforming our tax code in a way that asks the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations to pay their fair share.  (Applause.)  What’s more, the spending cuts wouldn’t happen so abruptly that they’d be a drag on our economy, or prevent us from helping small businesses and middle-class families get back on their feet right away.

Now, I realize there are some in my party who don’t think we should make any changes at all to Medicare and Medicaid, and I understand their concerns.  But here’s the truth:  Millions of Americans rely on Medicare in their retirement.  And millions more will do so in the future.  They pay for this benefit during their working years.  They earn it.  But with an aging population and rising health care costs, we are spending too fast to sustain the program.  And if we don’t gradually reform the system while protecting current beneficiaries, it won’t be there when future retirees need it.  We have to reform Medicare to strengthen it.  (Applause.)

I am also — I’m also well aware that there are many Republicans who don’t believe we should raise taxes on those who are most fortunate and can best afford it.  But here is what every American knows:  While most people in this country struggle to make ends meet, a few of the most affluent citizens and most profitable corporations enjoy tax breaks and loopholes that nobody else gets.  Right now, Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary — an outrage he has asked us to fix.  (Laughter.)  We need a tax code where everyone gets a fair shake and where everybody pays their fair share.  (Applause.)  And by the way, I believe the vast majority of wealthy Americans and CEOs are willing to do just that if it helps the economy grow and gets our fiscal house in order.

I’ll also offer ideas to reform a corporate tax code that stands as a monument to special interest influence in Washington.  By eliminating pages of loopholes and deductions, we can lower one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world.  (Applause.)  Our tax code should not give an advantage to companies that can afford the best-connected lobbyists.  It should give an advantage to companies that invest and create jobs right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.)

So we can reduce this deficit, pay down our debt, and pay for this jobs plan in the process.  But in order to do this, we have to decide what our priorities are.  We have to ask ourselves, “What’s the best way to grow the economy and create jobs?”

Should we keep tax loopholes for oil companies?  Or should we use that money to give small business owners a tax credit when they hire new workers?  Because we can’t afford to do both.  Should we keep tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires?  Or should we put teachers back to work so our kids can graduate ready for college and good jobs?  (Applause.)  Right now, we can’t afford to do both.

This isn’t political grandstanding.  This isn’t class warfare.  This is simple math.  (Laughter.)  This is simple math.  These are real choices.  These are real choices that we’ve got to make.  And I’m pretty sure I know what most Americans would choose.  It’s not even close.  And it’s time for us to do what’s right for our future.  (Applause.)

Now, the American Jobs Act answers the urgent need to create jobs right away.  But we can’t stop there.  As I’ve argued since I ran for this office, we have to look beyond the immediate crisis and start building an economy that lasts into the future — an economy that creates good, middle-class jobs that pay well and offer security.  We now live in a world where technology has made it possible for companies to take their business anywhere.  If we want them to start here and stay here and hire here, we have to be able to out-build and out-educate and out-innovate every other country on Earth.  (Applause.)

And this task of making America more competitive for the long haul, that’s a job for all of us.  For government and for private companies.  For states and for local communities — and for every American citizen.  All of us will have to up our game.  All of us will have to change the way we do business.

My administration can and will take some steps to improve our competitiveness on our own.  For example, if you’re a small business owner who has a contract with the federal government, we’re going to make sure you get paid a lot faster than you do right now.  (Applause.)  We’re also planning to cut away the red tape that prevents too many rapidly growing startup companies from raising capital and going public.  And to help responsible homeowners, we’re going to work with federal housing agencies to help more people refinance their mortgages at interest rates that are now near 4 percent.  That’s a step — (applause) — I know you guys must be for this, because that’s a step that can put more than $2,000 a year in a family’s pocket, and give a lift to an economy still burdened by the drop in housing prices.

So, some things we can do on our own.  Other steps will require congressional action.  Today you passed reform that will speed up the outdated patent process, so that entrepreneurs can turn a new idea into a new business as quickly as possible. That’s the kind of action we need.  Now it’s time to clear the way for a series of trade agreements that would make it easier for American companies to sell their products in Panama and Colombia and South Korea -– while also helping the workers whose jobs have been affected by global competition.  (Applause.)  If Americans can buy Kias and Hyundais, I want to see folks in South Korea driving Fords and Chevys and Chryslers.  (Applause.)  I want to see more products sold around the world stamped with the three proud words:  “Made in America.”  That’s what we need to get done.  (Applause.)

And on all of our efforts to strengthen competitiveness, we need to look for ways to work side by side with America’s businesses.  That’s why I’ve brought together a Jobs Council of leaders from different industries who are developing a wide range of new ideas to help companies grow and create jobs.

Already, we’ve mobilized business leaders to train 10,000 American engineers a year, by providing company internships and training.  Other businesses are covering tuition for workers who learn new skills at community colleges.  And we’re going to make sure the next generation of manufacturing takes root not in China or Europe, but right here, in the United States of America.  (Applause)  If we provide the right incentives, the right support — and if we make sure our trading partners play by the rules — we can be the ones to build everything from fuel-efficient cars to advanced biofuels to semiconductors that we sell all around the world.  That’s how America can be number one again.  And that’s how America will be number one again.  (Applause.)

Now, I realize that some of you have a different theory on how to grow the economy.  Some of you sincerely believe that the only solution to our economic challenges is to simply cut most government spending and eliminate most government regulations.  (Applause.)

Well, I agree that we can’t afford wasteful spending, and I’ll work with you, with Congress, to root it out.  And I agree that there are some rules and regulations that do put an unnecessary burden on businesses at a time when they can least afford it.  (Applause.)  That’s why I ordered a review of all government regulations.  So far, we’ve identified over 500 reforms, which will save billions of dollars over the next few years.  (Applause.)  We should have no more regulation than the health, safety and security of the American people require.  Every rule should meet that common-sense test.  (Applause.)

But what we can’t do — what I will not do — is let this economic crisis be used as an excuse to wipe out the basic protections that Americans have counted on for decades.  (Applause.)  I reject the idea that we need to ask people to choose between their jobs and their safety.  I reject the argument that says for the economy to grow, we have to roll back protections that ban hidden fees by credit card companies, or rules that keep our kids from being exposed to mercury, or laws that prevent the health insurance industry from shortchanging patients.  I reject the idea that we have to strip away collective bargaining rights to compete in a global economy.  (Applause.)  We shouldn’t be in a race to the bottom, where we try to offer the cheapest labor and the worst pollution standards.  America should be in a race to the top.  And I believe we can win that race.  (Applause.)

In fact, this larger notion that the only thing we can do to restore prosperity is just dismantle government, refund everybody’s money, and let everyone write their own rules, and tell everyone they’re on their own — that’s not who we are.  That’s not the story of America.

Yes, we are rugged individualists.  Yes, we are strong and self-reliant.  And it has been the drive and initiative of our workers and entrepreneurs that has made this economy the engine and the envy of the world.

But there’s always been another thread running throughout our history — a belief that we’re all connected, and that there are some things we can only do together, as a nation.

We all remember Abraham Lincoln as the leader who saved our Union.  Founder of the Republican Party.  But in the middle of a civil war, he was also a leader who looked to the future — a Republican President who mobilized government to build the Transcontinental Railroad — (applause) — launch the National Academy of Sciences, set up the first land grant colleges.  (Applause.)  And leaders of both parties have followed the example he set.

Ask yourselves — where would we be right now if the people who sat here before us decided not to build our highways, not to build our bridges, our dams, our airports?  What would this country be like if we had chosen not to spend money on public high schools, or research universities, or community colleges?  Millions of returning heroes, including my grandfather, had the opportunity to go to school because of the G.I. Bill.  Where would we be if they hadn’t had that chance?  (Applause.)

How many jobs would it have cost us if past Congresses decided not to support the basic research that led to the Internet and the computer chip?  What kind of country would this be if this chamber had voted down Social Security or Medicare just because it violated some rigid idea about what government could or could not do?  (Applause.)  How many Americans would have suffered as a result?

No single individual built America on their own.  We built it together.  We have been, and always will be, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all; a nation with responsibilities to ourselves and with responsibilities to one another.  And members of Congress, it is time for us to meet our responsibilities.  (Applause.)

Every proposal I’ve laid out tonight is the kind that’s been supported by Democrats and Republicans in the past.  Every proposal I’ve laid out tonight will be paid for.  And every proposal is designed to meet the urgent needs of our people and our communities.

Now, I know there’s been a lot of skepticism about whether the politics of the moment will allow us to pass this jobs plan — or any jobs plan.  Already, we’re seeing the same old press releases and tweets flying back and forth.  Already, the media has proclaimed that it’s impossible to bridge our differences.  And maybe some of you have decided that those differences are so great that we can only resolve them at the ballot box.

But know this:  The next election is 14 months away.  And the people who sent us here — the people who hired us to work for them — they don’t have the luxury of waiting 14 months.  (Applause.)  Some of them are living week to week, paycheck to paycheck, even day to day.  They need help, and they need it now.

I don’t pretend that this plan will solve all our problems. It should not be, nor will it be, the last plan of action we propose.  What’s guided us from the start of this crisis hasn’t been the search for a silver bullet.  It’s been a commitment to stay at it — to be persistent — to keep trying every new idea that works, and listen to every good proposal, no matter which party comes up with it.

Regardless of the arguments we’ve had in the past, regardless of the arguments we will have in the future, this plan is the right thing to do right now.  You should pass it.  (Applause.)  And I intend to take that message to every corner of this country.  (Applause.)  And I ask — I ask every American who agrees to lift your voice:  Tell the people who are gathered here tonight that you want action now.  Tell Washington that doing nothing is not an option.  Remind us that if we act as one nation and one people, we have it within our power to meet this challenge.

President Kennedy once said, “Our problems are man-made –- therefore they can be solved by man.  And man can be as big as he wants.”

These are difficult years for our country.  But we are Americans.  We are tougher than the times we live in, and we are bigger than our politics have been.  So let’s meet the moment.  Let’s get to work, and let’s show the world once again why the United States of America remains the greatest nation on Earth.  (Applause.)

Thank you very much.  God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

Republicans are anti-war now.

For starters, I’m shocked by how quickly the Republicans have changed their stances on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. In 2008, Obama was constantly criticized for wanting to withdraw. “He wants to surrender”, they’d say. “America never retreats.” But here we are, 3 years later, and Obama is now being criticized for not pulling the troops out fast enough? I can understand criticism from the left, but from the right? If they were sincere, this would be a great situation to be in — everyone in American doesn’t want war! But sadly, this opinion will only stick around until it becomes politically popular to support war again.

Capital punishment should not be applause-worthy.

During the debate, Governor Perry was asked a question regarding capital punishment in the state of Texas. After it was mentioned that 234 people in Texas have been executed since he took office (the most for any governor), the audience enthusiastically applauded. This is frightening. It highlights not only concerns with Perry as a candidate, but also with those who were in attendance. I can understand people who think of the death penalty as a necessary evil, but I don’t understand people who enthusiastically embrace and support it. (And specifically in regards to Texas, there are cases where innocent people in the past may have been executed. According to Perry, these sorts of decisions don’t keep him up at night.)

Science is fundamental.

Lastly, there’s the issue of science. We live in the year 2011. The majority of manufacturing jobs have already left the United States. We’re seeing other countries, like China, catch up to us in technology. And yet we’re still debating some basic fundamentals of science that are already agreed upon by scientists all around the world. In particular, these are the issues of evolution and climate change. Republican candidates will mention all sorts of reasons for how Obama will bring America down. And yet, as a country, we still struggle with science. We can’t become a leader in science and technology if we won’t accept climate change and the human race’s involvement in the earth’s rising average temperature. And we can’t educate the leaders of tomorrow if we continue to put evolution and creationism on equal footing. The earth is older than 6,000 years, and we need a president who is willing to say that. You can’t hand-pick scientific theories to believe in. You either believe in the scientific method or you don’t.

This isn’t reality television.

When a new reality show begins, people are quick to pick favorites and least favorites. They hope that their chosen person remains until the end, and they invest time throughout the week tuning into the show, rooting for their chosen outcome. Because of the constant coverage by the media, I think this case evolved into something very similar to reality television.

No one tuning in to the news coverage actually had to participate in the actual jury deliberations. They didn’t sit through every hour of the trial, listening to every person’s testimony and observing every piece of evidence. They didn’t deliberate with the other jurors, knowing that they would be determining the fate of someone else’s life. But we all came to an opinion (probably the same opinion) about this case. We didn’t know the victim. Nor do we know the woman on trial or the family and friends that were affected by this tragedy. Somehow, though, we suddenly had something invested in the outcome, and we knew we would be outraged with any outcome other than the one we wanted.

Thankfully, there’s no opportunity for the public to dial-in their opinion at the end of a trial. Verdicts are decided by a jury of one’s peers, not by public opinion. While we may still think that Casey Anthony is guilty, I think we should be thankful that we don’t use public opinion to decide these sorts of things.

There’s a system in place to keep things fair.

There’s a process in our judicial system to prevent jurors from involving their “gut feelings” and emotions. When a jury is selected, people who already have an opinion on the case are weeded out. It wouldn’t be a fair trial if the jury had already come to a conclusion before the trial even began. Odds are, we all would have been tossed out of this trial’s jury selection, and that would have made complete sense.

I’m guessing the jury selection took a really long time for this trial, because many of us had already seen the news coverage and thought that she was guilty. (On a local note, the jury selection for the Anthony Sowell case took weeks. Why? Because everyone had already concluded he’s guilty, so they could no longer serve on the jury. It was probably tough finding people without an opinion, considering the huge media coverage. That’s the price you pay when you want a fair trial.) Having an opinion on a case before it goes to trial doesn’t mean you’re wrong. But it does mean that you’re not suited to be on that jury.

They must be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The jury’s verdict today did not say that Casey Anthony is innocent. Instead, she was not found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. There’s a big difference between the two. She may in fact be guilty. However, the jurors felt that the evidence presented during the trial still left some reasonable doubt that she could be innocent. We can list off all of the various pieces of evidence and testimony that we saw throughout the past few weeks, but if the jury still found a reason to believe that she could be innocent, they could not have handed over a guilty verdict.

This was no small decision, and I think it’s unfair to question their judgement, since we depend on this judicial system set-up every day, whether the case is televised or not. Another person’s life was in their hands, and they had to make the final decision.

There are injustices.

Perhaps a guilty person walked free today. That’s a very real possibility. But think of the alternative. What if, despite there being some reasonable doubt, she was found guilty and sentenced to death or life in prison? What if, despite all of the evidence presented against her, she was innocent after all? Now I’m not saying that this happened in this case, but then again, I’m in no position to actually have a position on this subject. But what if an innocent person’s life was ended, the result of an unfair trial?

These things actually happen, and it probably happens more than our country would like to admit. I’ve read articles about people sentenced to life in prison or awaiting the death penalty who, after 10, 20, or 30 years into their sentence, are released from prison. They were found guilty when they were actually innocent. Suddenly, DNA evidence was discovered or a witness’s testimony was found to be false, and the individual can finally walk free. What is a worse crime for our judicial system (and our society) to commit? Finding innocent people guilty, or finding guilty people not guilty? I would take the latter over the former any day.

Check out The Innocence Project for profiles of far too many people who were found guilty and served time for crimes they did not commit.

Jury duty deserves more respect.

Think of how many times you’ve heard people complain about jury duty. It’s seen as some nuisance that everyone tries to finagle out of. If you’re upset about the outcome of this case, though, hopefully you can serve on a jury sometime soon. I’ve never had the experience, but I look forward to the day when I get the chance. Not all cases will be as publicized or serious as this one, but being able to contribute to a fair trial should be considered a huge accomplishment for an individual.

Lastly, if you haven’t seen 12 Angry Men, I highly recommend it. I think it can provide a glimpse into a jury’s deliberations, and the reasonable doubt that can be discovered in an otherwise straightforward case. Plus, it’s a classic.

I then passed an adult goose this evening as I started out on a jog. Since I’ve had run-ins with territorial geese before, I knew to keep my distance. I no longer had a steel and fiberglass shell to protect me. I stayed out of the 20-foot radius that was mandated by mother nature’s restraining order. Despite keeping my distance, this goose still hissed at me. I wanted to say “Hey, listen here bud. This is a two-way street (literally).”

Twenty steps further, I had to avoid a flattened goose. My condolences. I guess we still have some work to do.

This is good.

The death of Osama bin Laden is definitely a good thing. Regardless of how much influence he still had on his fellow terrorists, he was a figurehead. I think they are weaker with him gone, although I’m sure that, from an organizational standpoint, he had already delegated many (or all) responsibilities once he had to cut off most communication with the outside world. It’s weird to celebrate death or to wish death upon anyone, but with so many lives cut short under his orders (both in the U.S. and around the world), the world is better off with him not in it.

The plan was amazing.

I’ve always been impressed with our country’s military capabilities. But it’s not every day that you get to hear the details of such a risky operation. They built an exact replica of the stronghold to practice on. They used just a handful of men on the ground. And they were in and out of the compound in 40 minutes, without losing a single guy! Plus, they killed Osama and took away a ton of hard drives and other materials. I’m sure Harrison Ford will end up starring in the movie depiction of this event. That’s how awesome it was.

It was risky.

President Obama had a number of plans to choose from. From what I’ve gathered from TV shows (mostly the West Wing and 24, which I’m sure are accurate), it seems like the president is usually presented with options. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. President Obama could have chosen to bomb the place in March, which would have ended this thing earlier. However, it would have also destroyed evidence and might have left a big, unanswerable question: Was Osama actually killed? Instead, President Obama went with the riskier option, which also would provide concrete proof that Osama was there or was not there. The riskier option also would put American troops in harms way, along with invading a sovereign nation, which I’m sure is something that doesn’t sit well with a president.

There’s a crazy amount of criticism, considering this was a success.

I’ve seen a lot of criticism of President Obama in the last few days regarding this operation. People have said that this is an American victory, not an Obama victory. Or that this success isn’t the result of Obama, but the result of our military. Or that this is the result of Bush’s initial push to find Bin Laden, and Obama had nothing to do with it. Or even that Obama was wrong to have waited this long to storm the compound — he should have done it months ago, when he first found out.

All of this is ridiculous. First of all, President Bush failed at finding Osama initially, and then made it a lower priority. When President Obama took office, he made finding Osama the number one priority for our military. He made that very clear. And now Osama is dead. Maybe it was sheer luck, or perhaps it was because we focused on finding him again.

Secondly, this is absolutely a victory for our military. It’s also a victory for America, especially those who lost loved ones on September 11th, 2001. And it’s also a victory for people around the world who have lost loved ones from other attacks orchestrated by Osama bin Laden or have seen their religion torn apart because of false stereotypes reinforced by the acts of Osama bin Laden.

President Obama happens to be the president of America and the Commander-in-chief of our military. I think he deserves a little bit of credit too. Imagine a much different scenario: President Obama sends the Navy Seals into Pakistan. Things go wrong. Americans are killed. Osama escapes. We’re back to square one. Who do you think the people would blame in that scenario? The military? Absolutely not, nor should they. President Obama would be blamed for it all, because it was his decision. He was the one working with the intelligence and military commanders, looking at the risks and making the final plans. Fortunately, a positive scenario played out instead — a scenario that not only took down that stronghold, but also provided solid proof that Osama is dead. Even though he was not the one that literally pulled the trigger, he is the one that helped come up with the successful strategy and made the right decisions.

Finally, are we really complaining that Obama took too long to storm the compound? This mission was a success. Why are we second-guessing a success? Is there no way to be content with a decision by a president that you might disagree with on other issues? I don’t understand why people have to find a way to disagree 100% of the time. Sometimes it’s nice to just be content after a job well-done.

So yeah, this is good.

It’s unfortunate this has become political, especially with 2012 still so far away. (Just take note of all of the Republican press releases from Monday either not mentioning Obama, only mentioning Obama after mentioning Bush, or just mentioning Bush.) However, this event demonstrates that we have a president who won’t cave under pressure — one who can think clearly to get the job done in the best way possible (ie, a manned mission) rather than a quicker (and I’m sure more tempting) alternative (ie, a drone attack).

I’m hoping that eventually the debate will cool off and we’ll all look at the big picture. Osama Bin Laden is dead, and the world is a (slightly) safer place as a result.