February brought the annual time to consider current affairs in Illinois and the USA with the State of the State Address on February 18 and the State of the Union on February 24.
Governor Pritzker, toward the beginning of his State of the State address, mentioned that he looked at previous State of the State Addresses, and he referenced an address that Governor Altgeld gave. He took a cue from Governor Altgeld to criticize the Trump administration, especially on its immigration enforcement efforts. Additionally, he criticized the Trump administration for withholding federal funds, which put Illinois in a tight financial spot. He then made lots of proposals, especially regarding affordability. Yet he said nothing about one of the biggest causes of unaffordability in Illinois, namely, the rising property taxes that are funding excessive spending in budget line items. Notably, he talked about curbing the construction of data centers, after proposing more of them in a previous year's address. He ended the speech by talking about love, but used it as a way to underscore his criticism of the Trump administration as standing in the way of a flourishing democracy. For me, his talk about love lacked substance.
The following week was President Trump's State of the Union Address. The speech was the longest ever, and in some respects, it felt too long, although he was masterful in using it as an opportunity to showcase his style of showmanship. He played heavily into the various stories of individuals, including army officers and even a girl rescued from a flash flood in Texas.
One point he heavily emphasized was the need to engage in immigration enforcement in an effort to protect the people of the USA from criminals who came into this country through illegal channels. He then made a point of saying the government's job is to protect its people, and used it as a chance to highlight who was and who wasn't in favor of this stance, which was largely on party lines, as the Democrats remained seated and the Republicans stood to applause. Then, President Trump specifically singled out Democrats and shamed them.
One policy point he made that I disagreed with came when he talked about reducing medical costs and highlighted a woman using IVF to have children. It is not in our best interests as a society to promote IVF, and the Trump administration should cease promoting it.
He also shared the story of Sage Blair, who was socially transitioned at school to be a male, and then, after running away, experienced immense abuse, before being rescued and returning to being a female. It was a good moment when he emphasized how harmful the pro-transgender agenda is.
President Trump struck a triumphant note toward the end of the SOTU speech to celebrate the achievements of the United States and mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of Independence.
It was telling that Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger gave the SOTU response speech at the Old State Capitol in Williamsburg, which was probably the only aspect of the speech I liked. Overall, I wasn't impressed with her remarks. She criticized the Trump administration for having a draconian approach to immigration enforcement. She even expressed her admiration for her children walking out of school to protest. At certain points, she flashed a smile while criticizing President Trump, which I disliked. During her remarks, she said that in the spirit of the American Revolution, Americans are stepping up to "reject the unacceptable". I would say that the election of President Trump was an opportunity when the country rejected the policies of the Democratic Party that undermined the moral foundation of this country and imposed morally objectionable policies.
Within days of the SOTU Address, The Father Leo Show had a wonderful episode in which he offered his take on SOTU. If you have about 40 minutes, it's worth your time to watch. I basically agreed with Father Leo's take on the SOTU. President Trump made good points, but leaned too heavily into criticism and calling out members of Congress who were unwilling to go along. It's important for a leader to call out what needs fixing, while also having a sense of graciousness in responding to critics. Ultimately, we can draw from our strengths to edify this country, building upon the foundation of the ideals that were part of the beginning of this country to continue upholding the best of who we are.
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