The State of the Union address, given on Tues, Jan. 20 by President Barack Obama, updated politicians and citizens on the government’s recent and upcoming actions.   The tone was positive, and many consider it one of Obama’s best State of the Union addresses.

“If we are going to have arguments, then let’s have arguments…but let’s make them worthy of this country,” Obama said.

This speech addressed many current news events and controversial topics such as social equality racially and sexually, minimum wages, abortion, and recent trouble with ISIS and with terrorism in France.

“There is no liberal America and conservative America…there is only the United States of America,” Obama said.

It also included updates about the government’s plan dealing with taxes, unemployment, the new republican congress, and the current ‘middle class squeeze’ that has occurred, despite the economy’s improvement.  These ideas received great support from most audience members, but some remained displeased.

Directly following the address was the Republican Response, in which Iowa senator Joni Ernst voiced the republican view of the issues the President had addressed and discussed Republican goals and ideas.  These ideas differed from the democrat side particularly regarding government spending and taxation.

“Surely we can agree that the right to vote is sacred,” Obama said.