Jordan is a junior political science and history major and writes "Musings from Moorman" for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Jordan at jamoorman@bsu.edu.
Through President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night, there was no divisive rhetoric, only a message of hope. The president presented moments in which we could all come together as proud Americans — moments and stories that transcend party lines. He shared stories that remind us what this country is capable of. He offered reminders of just how strong America can be, and he provided good reasons to be optimistic about that strength.
“Each test has forged new American heroes to remind us who we are and show us what we can be,” President Trump said. He reminded us of the “Cajun Navy” racing to rescue people in the aftermath of a terrible hurricane. He told us of strangers shielding each other from gunfire in Vegas, recalled Coast Guard Petty Officer Ashlee Leppert, who “through 18 hours of wind and rain, [Ashlee] braved live power lines and deep water, to help save more than 40 lives.”
These were just a few moments that reflected the resiliency and strength of the American people in the last year. The most beautiful part of the night was when the North Korean defector, who had been tortured and on the brink of death, raised his crutches above his head in defiance of a corrupt communist regime. That man, Ji Seong-ho, personified hope in the face of darkness.
Of course, the president took the time to champion tax cuts and investments into the economy. Tax cuts to businesses, big and small, are saving those companies money. Three million workers got tax bonuses. Big companies like Apple and Exxon Mobile are investing millions into the economy. We all expected Donald Trump to remind us of these things, for better or for worse though they are.
President Trump focused on the good. He did not complain about Democrats. He did not complain about Sloppy Steve Bannon, Crooked Hillary or the Schumer Shutdown. He spoke of “restoring the bonds of trust between our citizens and their government.” He spoke of bipartisan legislature to provide paid family leave to families with newborn children and bipartisan legislature to strengthen infrastructure — stuff we could all clap for.
Or so one would think.
The most disappointing thing about the whole night was that, despite these optimistic moments, despite the call for legislation we can all agree on and despite the lack of divisive rhetoric, many Democrats childishly refused to clap, even when there was a hopeful or bipartisan message.
People will attempt to vilify Trump for this speech. But it was an A+ speech. He cited beautiful stories of the American spirit. The sad part is, for some, especially the Democrats in Congress, this particular State of the Union, despite being peppered with uplifting and encouraging messages, was unable to transcend party lines, even for one night. A beautiful speech, but a sad reaction indeed.
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