#SOTU: It's Good News, People!

Good morning, family. Here are a few excerpts from President Obama's State of the Union address.

Tonight, after a breakthrough year for America, our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999. Our unemployment rate is now lower than it was before the financial crisis. More of our kids are graduating than ever before; more of our people are insured than ever before; we are as free from the grip of foreign oil as we've been in almost 30 years.

Tonight, for the first time since 9/11, our combat mission in Afghanistan is over. Six years ago, nearly 180,000 American troops served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, fewer than 15,000 remain. And we salute the courage and sacrifice of every man and woman in this 9/11 Generation who has served to keep us safe. We are humbled and grateful for your service.

America, for all that we've endured; for all the grit and hard work required to come back; for all the tasks that lie ahead, know this:

The shadow of crisis has passed, and the State of the Union is strong.

At this moment -- with a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling industry, and booming energy production -- we have risen from recession freer to write our own future than any other nation on Earth. It's now up to us to choose who we want to be over the next fifteen years, and for decades to come...

Here's one example. During World War II, when men like my grandfather went off to war, having women like my grandmother in the workforce was a national security priority -- so this country provided universal childcare. In today's economy, when having both parents in the workforce is an economic necessity for many families, we need affordable, high-quality childcare more than ever. It's not a nice-to-have -- it's a must-have. It's time we stop treating childcare as a side issue, or a women's issue, and treat it like the national economic priority that it is for all of us. And that's why my plan will make quality childcare more available, and more affordable, for every middle-class and low-income family with young children in America -- by creating more slots and a new tax cut of up to $3,000 per child, per year.

Here's another example. Today, we're the only advanced country on Earth that doesn't guarantee paid sick leave or paid maternity leave to our workers. Forty-three million workers have no paid sick leave. Forty-three million. Think about that. And that forces too many parents to make the gut-wrenching choice between a paycheck and a sick kid at home. So I'll be taking new action to help states adopt paid leave laws of their own. And since paid sick leave won where it was on the ballot last November, let's put it to a vote right here in Washington. Send me a bill that gives every worker in America the opportunity to earn seven days of paid sick leave. It's the right thing to do.

Of course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages. That's why this Congress still needs to pass a law that makes sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work. Really. It's 2015. It's time. We still need to make sure employees get the overtime they've earned. And to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this: If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it. If not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working people in America a raise...

Forty percent of our college students choose community college. Some are young and starting out. Some are older and looking for a better job. Some are veterans and single parents trying to transition back into the job market. Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy, without a load of debt. Understand, you've got to earn it -- you've got to keep your grades up and graduate on time. Tennessee, a state with Republican leadership, and Chicago, a city with Democratic leadership, are showing that free community college is possible. I want to spread that idea all across America, so that two years of college becomes as free and universal in America as high school is today. And I want to work with this Congress, to make sure Americans already burdened with student loans can reduce their monthly payments, so that student debt doesn't derail anyone's dreams...

Just when I was about to criticize the President for not mentioning the Voting Rights Amendment Act and Ferguson, he said this:

We may go at it in campaign season, but surely we can agree that the right to vote is sacred; that it's being denied to too many; and that, on this 50th anniversary of the great march from Selma to Montgomery and the passage of the Voting Rights Act, we can come together, Democrats and Republicans, to make voting easier for every single American.

We may have different takes on the events of Ferguson and New York. But surely we can understand a father who fears his son can't walk home without being harassed. Surely we can understand the wife who won't rest until the police officer she married walks through the front door at the end of his shift. Surely we can agree it's a good thing that for the first time in 40 years, the crime rate and the incarceration rate have come down together, and use that as a starting point for Democrats and Republicans, community leaders and law enforcement, to reform America's criminal justice system so that it protects and serves us all.

Instead of mentioning those important issues in passing, he should have elaborated and focused more on those vital matters.

Moreover, although the President's proposals are impressive, unfortunately, it is improbable that the Republican dominated Congress will pass most of his bold initiatives. What did you think about the President's State of the Union address?

On that note, I will leave you with the swagger moment of the evening.

Obama had that Muhammad Ali confidence. He's a badddddd man!

Black Athletes Take A Courageous Stand Against Police Brutality

"A time comes when silence is betrayal." Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Last week, despite irrefutable video evidence of an unjustifiable homicide, a Staten Island grand jury decided not to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo for choking Eric Garner to death. The grand jury's message was loud and clear. They told the world that black life is worthless. They told the world that police have a license to kill black people with impunity. They told the world that it is open season on black people.

During Eric Garner's last seconds of life, he repeatedly said, "I can't breathe." Yet, the police officers remained on top of him and continued to hold him down on hard sidewalk. The brother's last words have become a rallying cry of today's human rights movement. Nationwide, a diverse group of young people are engaging in acts of civil disobedience to protest against injustice and police brutality. That movement has touched the world.

It has even penetrated an enclave that has been closed to politics for far too long, the sports arena. For decades, in the face of racism and injustice, most black athletes have remained silent. Despite all of their physical prowess, they have been rendered impotent like eunuchs when it comes to addressing black issues. They have sold their manhood and their souls for fame and fortune. For example, people like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan "protect" their brands by avoiding discussion of any racial issues. By remaining silent, they have betrayed their people. 

Even worst than that, some like, Charles Barkley, have voluntarily played the role of mouthpieces for white supremacy. That imbecile actually tried to rationalize and justify police brutality and racial profiling.

However, there is a glimmer of hope. After weeks of negative press about black athletes abusing their wives, girlfriends and children, there is finally some positive news. At least for this brief moment, several famous athletes such as LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Reggie Bush, the Saint Louis Rams and others have finally taken a brave stand against injustice. They have expressed solidarity with the movement by wearing "I Can't Breathe" T-shirts. Some have taken a stand by making  the "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" gesture at games.  That gesture has been used as a symbol to demand justice for Mike Brown.

By engaging in such actions, those brothers are telling the world that the grand juries in Staten Island and Ferguson were dead wrong. Those are telling the world that those killer cops should have been indicted. Those brothers are telling the world that black lives do matter.

Many of those athletes were probably motivated in part by their own encounters with the police. Many of them have probably been stopped and harassed by police for driving an expensive car while black.Many of them have probably been stopped and harassed for being in a rich, white, gated community while black. They see themselves when they see Eric Garner and Mike Brown. They see their brothers, sons and nephews when they see Eric Garner and Mike Brown.

Celebrities have great influence. Unlike this blog which only reaches a few dozen people, these athletes reach millions. Obviously, wearing a T-shirt or making hand gestures is not going to end police brutality and racial profiling overnight. Nonetheless, it is an important step in the right direction. At the very least, such action helps further a much needed dialogue about racism and police brutality. Perhaps, it will inspire more young people to march and protest. Instead of using their brand to sell products, it is refreshing to see celebrities use their brands to demand justice.

I am proud of those athletes for continuing the legacy of brave people like Muhammad Ali and Jim Brown. I have much respect for each and every one of them. If any companies stop endorsing these brothers, we need to stop endorsing those companies.