As of late, the Republicans have been asking Americans a straightforward question: Are you better off today than you were four years ago?
I can honestly answer that question with a resounding "YES."
Of course, the far right would also like us to believe that America is in decline and that we are heading towards a socialist, liberal abyss commanded by a president who wasn't even born in the United States, but the facts state otherwise.
To begin, I now have the opportunity to remain on my parents' health care until the age of 26 because of the Affordable Care Act. This law allows me to go to law school, graduate school or pursue higher education without worrying about the pursuit of health care insurance on a student budget. This in turn will create a more educated society. President Obama risked a lot of political capital in order to pass the ACA, which will transform our health care system to focus more on preventative services instead of later treatment.
Secondly, President Obama ended the war in Iraq. The President ended a costly and seemingly perpetual war that diverted billions of dollars to restore the broken foundation of Iraq which could have been spent domestically building schools, improving our nation's dismal infrastructure and trying to solve America's looming debt crisis. President Obama ordered the military action which lead to Osama bin Laden's death.
President Obama also signed the Lilly Ledbetter Act, which makes it easier for women to file suit against discriminatory employers who pay females less simply because of their gender.
Then, when congressional Republicans refused to pass the DREAM Act, President Obama issued an executive order to ensure that America doesn't deport young people who were brought to America through no fault of their own. President Obama recognizes the need to invest in young people and he worked diligently--and succeeded--to make sure that student loans are still offered at lower rates.
Finally, under President Obama 4.6 million private sector jobs have been added during his administration, and America has experienced 30 straight months of job creation. The President took an enormous risk early in his presidency to save the auto industry, and because of his actions over one million American jobs were saved.
No one, not even President Obama, concedes that the work is over. We still have much to accomplish. But rest assured that we have made significant progress over the past four years and, under Obama's leadership, America is better off today than it was four years ago.
Jacob Dean
President
Auburn College Democrats
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