To the editor:

In his final State of the Union address President Obama confirmed American values, celebrated his victories and offered us a challenging vision for the future. Our values include equal rights for all, liberty and justice for all, and a fair opportunity for all.

The president proudly celebrated victories despite scorched-earth opposition of Republicans who put power and party ahead of the country’s best interests. Despite having broken the U.S. economy, Republicans refused to help fix it, knowing that presidents get blamed for bad economies.

Many of us still don’t have the financial security we need to feel satisfied with things as they are today, partly as a result of Republicans holding the economy hostage, and partly because of the ongoing technological and structural changes in the labor market and globalization. The president’s vision for our future acknowledged more work needed to be done to help workers and families cope with change, and emphasized four major areas that need to be addressed for a better America:

– How to give everyone a fair shot at opportunity and security in the new economy

– How to make technology work for us and not against us

– How to keep America safe and lead the world without having to be its policeman

– How to make our politics reflect what’s best in us and not what’s worst in us

Hopefully, the next president will effectively address these questions. I believe a Democratic one would, but a Republican wouldn’t.

Rob McKelvie

Fort Myers