The amplifier., February 01, 2009, Page 4, Image 4

February
4
Inauguration speech gives hope to masses,
reminds America of what it is and could be
u G alley L athrop ____________
Staff Reporter
Ever since the man
announced his candidacy
almost two years ago, Barack
Obama has endured much
skepticism and criticism from
Republicans and Democrats
political figures...those no
longer matter. Many people
lost hope, lost faith that this
nation can be repaired.
Yes, our nation is crippled.
However, we are not broken.
That was one of the best
points the President made.
P resid en t B arack O bam a and First Lady M ichelle prepare to send
off G eorge and Laura Bush, form er Presid en t and First Lady, on the
steps o f the Capitol on Jan. 20 after O bam a's inauguration. A lm ost
two million people attended the inauguration, with over 38 million
viewing from home.
Photo courtesy of Boston.com
alike. However, when
President Obama addressed
the nation on the morning
of Jan. 20, none can deny
that a feeling of hope, and of
change, was felt throughout
the nation.
The words "hope" and
"change" have become a
cliché over the past few
years, especially during the
long presidential campaign.
The nation's economy has
been crippled. The reasons,
war, recession and abuse by
This was not a pat-on-the-back
"poor us" speech, but a call to
action and a reminder of how
far this nation has come since
its birth in 1776.
There has definitely been a
change in the way people treat
those who are different over
the last 10,20 or even 50 years.
"It's not so much a matter of
things being different now
than they used to be, but
when I was younger the seeds
of acceptance were being
planted. Now, we are seeing
West Linn High School, 5464 West A Street, West Linn, OR 97068
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Linn High School Advanced and beginning Journalism classes. Opinions
expressed in commentaries and editorials represent only those of the
writer, and are not necessarily the opinions of West Linn High School, its
administration, faculty, staff, or student body.
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the fruits of that," Rhonda
Case, French teacher, said.
"So let us mark this day
with remembrance, of who
we are and how far we
have traveled. In the year of
America's birth, in the coldest
of months, a small band of
patriots huddled by dying
campfires on the shores of
an icy river. The capital was
abandoned. The enemy was
advancing. The snow was
stained with blood," Obama
said.
It was very important that
Obama recognized those who
have made this country what
it is today. He reminded us of
the core qualities that make
America a good country, not
a bad one. Blame was not
dished out in mass like it
could be, emphasizing the fact
that yes, the past should be
remembered, but the future
that we ultimately control is in
our hands.
And what about the rest
of us? Employees, students,
parents, teachers? It's time for
change, obviously. This nation
has only come so far in such
a short span of time because
of the hard work of our
ancestors, people who knew
changes were necessary in
their homes and communities
gave part, or all of themselves,
to help mold a better America.
It is not all about the
government and influential
political figures. It is time
for ALL of us to stand up,
dust ourselves off and work
towards positive change if we
want to be remembered as
the generation that saved its
nation.
"For as much as
government can do and must
do, it is ultimately the faith
and determination of the
American people upon which
this nation relies. It is the
kindness to take in a stranger
when the levees break, the
selflessness of workers who
would rather cut their hours
than see a friend lose their
job which sees us through
our darkest hours. It is the
firefighter's courage to storm
a stairway filled with smoke,
but also a parent's willingness
to nurture a child, that finally
decides our fate," Obama said.
It is a teacher's dedication
to the guidance of this
generation, the teaching of not
only facts and information,
but lessons that will be
vital in creating change,
and continuing the positive
legacies of our ancestors. It is
a student's ability to recognize
when there is need to defy age
stereotypes and be the leaders
that are so desperately needed.
Obama's message of action
rings true, even in WLHS.
Minimum wage increase:
Bigger isn't always better*
u L exi 'W elp _________________
Staff Reporter
As the new year arrived,
people were hoping for
different things: better grades,
trying to get in shape or
maybe earning a drivers'
license. Another change this
year is that the minimum
wage in Oregon has increased
to $8.40, a 45 cent jump from
the $7.95 minimum last year.
Each year, minimum wage
fluctuates to accommodate the
inflation in the United States,
which means as minimum
wage continues to rise, the
value of the dollar continues
to fall. With the current state
of the economy it seems like
this situation is just getting
worse.
According to
employmentpolitics.com,
the federal minimum wage;
which is the minimum wage
for all of the United States,
increased to $5.85 two years
ago, and then to $6.55 a year
ago. It is scheduled to increase
to $7.25 this summer.
The federal minimum
wage is the base for all 50
states and each state can
fluctuate depending on the
circumstances specific to
each state. One of the perks
of living in Oregon is our
minimum wage. It is one of
the highest in the country.
With gas prices on the rise
again and prices for daily
living expenses, such as food,
skyrocketing, no one really
seems to notice just
how lucky we all
are.
For
me
having
a raise
is great
and
I'm not
complaining;
$8.40 an
hour with
no bills to
This is pretty
much
th e c a s e f o r many high
school students, especially
students in West Linn. Many
students are saving for college
or buying that shirt they've
always wanted.
However, not everyone is
looking at the positive side
of this new increase. Imagine
if you have bills to pay; you
are living on your own and
practically everyone in your
company seemed to have
just received a raise. I think it
is reasonable to say that the
cost of running that business
just went up meaning that
cutbacks sadly are also
increasing.
So how are we going to
fix this problem? There is a
possibility that those trying
to fix it could potentially just
make it worse. Barack
Obama wants to
address the issue
with another
minimum wage
raise, according
to yahoonews.
com. His idea
is to bump
up minimum
wage to $9.50
to support
the families
which are
struggling the
most. However,
Cambridge
scholars say
that this is coming
very close to the bad
outweighing the good, and
that there is much more to
consider than just those low
income families.
The problem of minimum
wage fluctuation, I believe,
starts with the economic
crash, and has much more
to do with our failing
businesses and job security.
It is inevitable that things
are going to get worse and
employees are going to be
laid off. For now, I think it is
best to enjoy the perks while
there still are some and put
away some of those precious
earnings for the bum py ride
ahead; it looks like it's g o in ^
to be a long one.
W