And in the end

I was looking forward to the State of the Union Address! I made sure that I would not be working. I requested that evening off.

I have to say that I was not disappointed! What an amazing speech. It was not just words. It was about action. Our steady thoughtful President did not disappoint!

"Today, after four years of economic growth, corporate profits and stock prices have rarely been higher, and those at the top have never done better. But average wages have barely budged. Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility has stalled. The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by – let alone get ahead. And too many still aren’t working at all.

Our job is to reverse these trends. It won’t happen right away, and we won’t agree on everything. But what I offer tonight is a set of concrete, practical proposals to speed up growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class. Some require Congressional action, and I’m eager to work with all of you. But America does not stand still – and neither will I So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that’s what I’m going to do."

Yet after the speech, here on DU. Wow! The hate broke the damn that leaked and spewed vitriol. Is this who we are and what we have become? No, I do not believe that, yet I cried last night. I stayed up and fought some of the unrelenting hate that was directed at this President.

SFC Cory Remsburg was no prop. If you believe that your heart and soul are bleak and blank. This young man served this country. Selflessly and honestly. He had his eyes wide open. You do him and his service an injustice when you call him a prop. He is a proud man and was honored as such at the SOTU. A standing ovation for his service.

Please do not take away his dignity. Your beliefs may not be his, yet give him his right to stand proud. I do believe that he deserves that.

In the end, I wish these wars will never again happen. Diplomacy is what we need to strive for. This President is striving to make this happen.

" We have to remain vigilant. But I strongly believe our leadership and our security cannot depend on our military alone. As Commander-in-Chief, I have used force when needed to protect the American people, and I will never hesitate to do so as long as I hold this office. But I will not send our troops into harm’s way unless it’s truly necessary; nor will I allow our sons and daughters to be mired in open-ended conflicts. We must fight the battles that need to be fought, not those that terrorists prefer from us – large-scale deployments that drain our strength and may ultimately feed extremism.

So, even as we aggressively pursue terrorist networks – through more targeted efforts and by building the capacity of our foreign partners – America must move off a permanent war footing. That’s why I’ve imposed prudent limits on the use of drones – for we will not be safer if people abroad believe we strike within their countries without regard for the consequence. That’s why, working with this Congress, I will reform our surveillance programs – because the vital work of our intelligence community depends on public confidence, here and abroad, that the privacy of ordinary people is not being violated. And with the Afghan war ending, this needs to be the year Congress lifts the remaining restrictions on detainee transfers and we close the prison at Guantanamo Bay – because we counter terrorism not just through intelligence and military action, but by remaining true to our Constitutional ideals, and setting an example for the rest of the world.

You see, in a world of complex threats, our security and leadership depends on all elements of our power – including strong and principled diplomacy. American diplomacy has rallied more than fifty countries to prevent nuclear materials from falling into the wrong hands, and allowed us to reduce our own reliance on Cold War stockpiles. American diplomacy, backed by the threat of force, is why Syria’s chemical weapons are being eliminated, and we will continue to work with the international community to usher in the future the Syrian people deserve – a future free of dictatorship, terror and fear. As we speak, American diplomacy is supporting Israelis and Palestinians as they engage in difficult but necessary talks to end the conflict there; to achieve dignity and an independent state for Palestinians, and lasting peace and security for the State of Israel – a Jewish state that knows America will always be at their side."

Quotes here/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obamas-2014-state-of-the-union-address-full-text/