Recently, President Barack Obama delivered the annual State of the Union Address. In the speech, the president said that the state of the union is stronger and he outlined his vision for his second term.

Obama’s vision is one that encompasses every person living in the United States, citizen or not. The president’s plan is the only way to push the country forward, and restore Americans’ faith that they live in the greatest country that has ever existed.

The State of the Union had one major theme—the middle class. President Obama called for numerous measures to help and strengthen the middle class.

One of these measures is to increase the minimum wage. A person working full-time earning minimum wage, $7.25, will earn $14,500 a year which is below the poverty line. To fix this, Obama wants Congress to increase the minimum wage to $9.00 an hour, and tie it to the cost of living.

Doing this will help millions of people actually be able to live life without worrying as much about their finances.

The president also called on colleges to lower their costs. He wants Congress to change parts of the Higher Education Act so that affordability and value will determine which colleges receive some types of federal aid.

One act that is guaranteed to happen is the President’s plan to have 34,000 troops come home from Afghanistan.

He also announced that the war in Afghanistan will be over by the end of next year.

President Obama called on all politicians to follow the examples of several citizens to put the country first. One of these people was 102-year-old Desline Victor who was told that the wait at her voting place was going to be almost six hours. She waited six hours to make sure her voice was heard.

The most emotional part of Obama’s speech came when he began to talk about gun control.

“In the two months since Newtown, more than a thousand birthdays, graduations, anniversaries have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun. More than a thousand,” Obama said.

Obama continued by saying that those who have been affected by gun violence deserve a vote by Congress on gun control. He mentioned former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who was shot at a rally in Tuscon, Ariz., the families of Newtown, Conn., the families of Aurora, Colo., and other incidents.

Regardless of the outcome of such a vote on proposed gun control measures, it is a sign of effort of trying to prevent gun violence.

After the president finished the State of the Union, Sen. Marco Rubio delivered the Republican response. What will be remembered from his speech is not what he said, but the awkward moment when he reached for a drink of water.

President Obama’s State of the Union Address shows once again that the country is on the right path, and is safe with the commander in chief.