Obama’s Real Burn… It’s Not The One You Think

Last night, I really watched the State of the Union address for the first time. By “really watched,” I mean that I tuned in and took every word the President said into account, and didn’t just read the headlines the next day. I didn’t turn off once he started talking about economy aspects I didn’t understand, I listened throughout. I even watched the Republican Response afterwards.

I guess I really am growing up.

Five years ago, I would have told you that I hated politics. I was a lowly high school sophomore, and to me, politicians were rich white men fighting with each other about obvious things and culminating in nothing good for the public, whether it be a hike in taxes or a loss in rights. I complained about the fighting sides and how they were rude without comparison. I wasn’t half wrong, but I now know there’s so much more to politics than that. I now realize why I should be interested, involved, and informed. Thankfully, I had some excellent history teachers and was awakened to the good government can potentially do – and when I turned eighteen, the first thing I did was register to vote.

So now, as a self-proclaimed liberal, peacenik, equality minded individual, (maybe an activist,) and junior at a State University, I watch the State of the Union with pride (and sassy tweets). I won’t hide my admiration for President Obama – he really impresses me. He has the hardest job in the world, but is a dedicated, passionate, and amazingly intelligent individual. I didn’t fact check everything he said in his address, but his stats seem pretty darn good. More jobs, lower deficit, more clean energy, lower gas… more states with gay marriage, women’s rights at the forefront of our consciousness, a commitment to allies and keeping our country safe without war; all of these things are music to my ears. (I admit, I don’t pay taxes yet, but I’m pretty okay with everyone in America having access health care, so I don’t think I’ll mind much.) And, a new clincher: two years of free community college.

Conservatives fight all these things – because they’re expensive. They don’t want taxes to go up. I get it, you want to keep your hard earned money. But let’s face it: at the end of the day, would you rather die with money in your hand, or knowing that the world is a safer, more equal, greener place?

If your answer is “money,” please, just… don’t.

But Obama’s answer is definitely the latter. And last night, he put a call out to his Republican Congress and Senate to realize that as well. Obama’s real burn last night was during the beginning of his speech, as he began to talk about raising the minimum wage.

“If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it.”

Now that, not this, was the ultimate burn.

Obama knows that he isn’t living on less than $15,000 a year. He knew it was pretty hypocritical of him to make that call to congress without living it himself. And yet, by advocating for better lives for the undereducated, people with disabilities, and minorities through raising their wages, he is making a call that puts him on the forefront of equality and prosperity.

Those who oppose raising the minimum wage need to understand the complexity of the lives of those who work two minimum wage jobs, try to raise children, try to lead better lives. By Obama challenging Congress the way he did, he called them out for being unsympathetic to the majority of our nation.

The truth is that raising the minimum wage won’t detract from expensive vacations or the ability to send your kids to private school. The truth is that raising the minimum wage will provide parents with more time to spend with their families instead of at work. The truth is that raising the minimum wage will give people leisure time to become more informed, educated, and even healthier. The truth is that if a few of us take the hit and pay a little more, we’ll be better off as a nation.

Obama just wanted the Republicans to see that – and that was why he challenged them to live on $15,000 a year. Are they going to do it? No. Do they have to? Not necessarily – not if they understand the good they can do for the people of America.

So that’s why, last night, Obama’s burn to the Republicans wasn’t that he won two terms in office. It wasn’t that the economy is at its best and that troops are home. It was the challenge to take a step back and realize that some of us live in a place where we will never understand what is like to go through the daily struggle of making ends meet. It was a challenge to understand that our mental and physical abilities have brought us to a place where we don’t have to work minimum wage jobs. It was a challenge to understand how great this country could be with just a little more sacrifice. It was a plea for the Republicans to see how they can start to make a change.

I dare all of us to do the same.