Barack Obama was the first African-American President of the United States. He’s an inspiring figure that the world took an interest in and a positive representation for the African-American community. Despite his popularity, during his eight years in office, did he do anything for America? My interest in this question was sparked after some class discussions and views from my classmates that I disagreed with. This is a very controversial topic that Americans speak about often. Furthermore, I will state three of Barack Obama’s accomplishments during his presidential term that proves he wasn’t just a pawn or embodiment of representation to the government for the black community.
The first accomplishment of President Obama’s that I will present is his efforts in the Middle East where he ended the war in Iraq. According to washingtonmonthly.com, he “ordered all U.S. military forces out of the country. The last of the troops left on December 18, 2011.” Also, “from a peak of 101,000 troops in June 2011, U.S. forces are now down to 91,000, with 23,000 slated to leave by the end of Summer 2012. According to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, the combat mission there will be over by next year.” The war in Iraq began in 2003 and it was one of President Obama’s promises and presidential goals to end the war. His work and attempts in the Middle East paid off in the end.
In addition to his strong presence in the Middle East, he sparked a healthcare reform, helping millions of Americans obtain healthcare with or without insurance. For example, www.healthcare-management-degree.net says “the primary objective of health care reform is to provide healthcare coverage for all (currently uninsured) Americans universally and to decrease the costs of health care services and coverage.” This reform is called the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obama Care. The main goals of Obama Care were reducing the cost of Healthcare in the United States, refining and enhancing the quality of healthcare, and making it more accessible to Americans.
Lastly, his actions towards climate change proved to be beneficial in more ways than one.
For instance, “the President has preserved 260 million acres for future generations, more than
any of his predecessors, by designating 19 national monuments. He signed into law and began
implementing the RESTORE Act, the nation’s largest-ever commitment to protect and restore the
Gulf Coast”. He also started the Climate Action Plan that “cut domestic carbon pollution, preparing
the United States for climate change impacts, and lead international efforts to address global
climate change, according to www.eesi.org. President Obama’s push for environmental action against global warming proves that he did something that President Trump couldn’t.
Despite my mentioning only three accomplishments President Obama has made, there are many more. His efforts in the Middle East, the Healthcare reform he evoked, and the proposals he made towards environmental awareness and climate change control prove he did, in
fact, do something beneficial for our country. Regardless of what anyone says, the policies he put
into place are real and were effective.
