There are only two President addresses to the full Congress
which I have listened to from beginning to end: President George W. Bush’s speech
delivered in 2001 after the 9-11 terrorist attacks; and President Donald Trump’s
first State of the Union address, delivered at the end of January this
year. In 2001, I had just settled in for my third year at UC Irvine, serving as
an office assistant at my college dorm. The 9-11 terrorist attack rattled
everyone on campus and preoccupied us for the next two months, but we got
thorough it and helped incoming freshmen move in for the academic year. 16 years later, after enduring the reigning
failures of the Obama Administration, complete with acquiescence to terrorism
and cronyism at home and abroad, I have never so vocally celebrated my
President and couldn’t wait to watch his speech. Bear in mind that I haven’t
taken much time to watch Trump’s other speeches.
The comparisons and contrasts between Bush 2001 and Trump
2017 are telling, indicative of where our country has been. Both Republican
candidates were elected in disputed elected, since both lost the popular vote. Of
course, no President has ever been elected by popular franchise, anyway. The
rancor from the Left in both cases demonstrated the sheer lack of civic
learning in the greater populace. Sadly, very little has changed in that
respect.
The two Presidents recognized heroes or members of their
families who attended as guests of honor. Both spoke of a unified country. Bush
honored elected officials, including Pennsylvania Tom Ridge, whom he would
appoint as the first Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security; and the
Mayor and Governor of New York for the leadership following 9-11. President
Trump honored a number of civilians and freedom fighters. The most celebrated
moment in Trump’s speech focused on North Korean defector Ji Seong-ho. I cried
when I saw him deftly raise up his crutches, a gesture of triumph against the
forces of tyranny still lingering in our world.
President Bush had to comfort a nation healing from violent
upheaval following the most devastating terrorist attack on our soil. Only
twice before had the United States suffered a military invasion: The War of
1812, when the British invaded Washington DC and burned the White House; and
World War II, when the Empire of Japan savaged Pearl Harbor. His audience
included sympathetic heads of state as well as Lisa Beamer, the widow of one
man who had tried to stop the Al-Qaida hostage takers on one of the planes. The
leaders of both chambers of Congress oversaw the meeting, with (now disgraced)
House Speaker Dennis Hastert and (now deceased) Senate Pro Tempore Robert Byrd.
President Trump engaged a nation recovering from eight years
of sustained economic stagnation, moral and political decline, as well as
international withdrawal. He touted incredible gains in moral and religious
fervor, along with the upswing in manufacturing and energy production. While
the Bush Administration focused predominantly on foreign affairs, Trump has
refocused the federal government on domestic issues, attentive to the needs of
American workers.
At the time, Bush’s speech was moving and reassuring. I
thanked God every day that Al Gore was not our President. Despite the liberal
tone at UCI, fellow students agreed with me, convinced that a Democratic
commander-in-chief could not have weathered the political and international
pressures following the devastating 9-11 attack. Reviewing it today, Bush’s statements
to allaying fears about Islam, plus his open appeal to the world for the fight
to ensure freedom, are so foreign to conservative ears today. The debate about
Islam itself, and not just its radical adherents, has upset today’s political
discourse. Muslim refugees and economic migrants are turning Europe into
third-world hellholes. During the Obama Administration, the unprecedented
number of Muslim migrants and their families would give way to more terrorist
attacks on American citizens in our own country!
President Bush addressed an audience and a nation unified
against terrorism and in pursuit of a strong and secure United States. His
military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq may have bogged down our military, but
no one could question the truth that Bush kept us safe. President Trump’s First
State of the Union was a resounding success, but was met with bitter disdain
and outrage from a Democratic Party now in disarray, assailed as an
anti-American, communistic cult. The staggering amount of disrespect from the
minority party is just unfathomable to me. Some House Reps were playing Candy
Crush on their smartphones while President Trump trumpeted an American
renaissance built on renewed patriotism and honor.
While the President touted the record low unemployment for
African-Americans and Hispanic Americans, the Black Caucus looked as though
they were attending a funeral. In a sense, they were, for the Democratic Party,
and specifically their record-holding dominance of the black vote for the last
50 years. Can anyone imagine Democrats in 2001 treating President Bush with
such dishonor? They would have been savaged by the liberal media, especially since
Bush 43 enjoyed unparalleled levels of popularity among voters for the next two
years. The press would savage Bush for his misstatements in public or his lack
of refinement at the podium, but nothing like the vitriol against President
Trump today.
Both speeches are remarkable, despite the differing
backgrounds leading to the events. These two Presidents demonstrated a clear
resolve to protect the American people and preserve the values which make
America great. They paid tribute and determined to fight for our liberties despite
vocal, evil, and unstable forces around the world. It’s unfortunate that the
fight against Islamic terror begun in 2001 has not come to an end, but I
believe that President Trump will finish the job, taking on the cultural
currents as well as the military aspects in due fashion. It’s also sad that one
political party has strayed so far from representing American interests to pursue
raw political power. Let’s hope that President Trump’s efforts for unity, in
spite of partisan frustrations, will succeed.
