You have to give it to President Barack Obama, if his presidency has been anything, it has been transformative. First Obama transformed the way Wall Street does business after it became obvious that the old system was fraught with fraud.
Then he overhauled the healthcare industry in the country by making it mandatory for all Americans to have health insurance. Today, more people are insured than at any time in American history.
After Obama’s views on same-sex marriage evolved his views brought about a transformative reaction in the federal court system. The Supreme Court finally decided to entertain the issue in oral arguments this year. They are poised to render a decision this summer. A decision that could be transformative in the way marriage is viewed in this country.
For six years President Obama has been trying to bring about a transformative approach to race relations in America. At the beginning of his seventh year on this quest, Starbucks Coffee House announced they would begin the day in all of their stores by encouraging their employees to engage the customers in a discussion on race. It is hoped that once Americans start talking about race with their neighbors, the stigma attached to racial groups will become transformative.
This week, President Obama floated the idea of mandatory voting. His remarks on the subject were made in a discussion about the impact of money in politics. He suggested that mandatory voting would be transformative in lessening the impact of money in politics. The President believes that the people who tend not to vote are people beyond the reaches of the middle class realm. He believes that if they were required to vote they would vote their best interest and defeat the interest of those interested in making it harder for Americans to vote. If this segment of the population voted it would have a transformative impact on what the middle class looks like. It could also transform the wealth gap by requiring wealthier Americans to pay more in taxes than they currently pay.
When President Obama leaves office in 21 months, America will look decidedly different than it has looked at any time in her history. As a result of Obama’s transformative years, America will never ever be the same.
Harold Michael Harvey, is the author of the legal thriller “Paper Puzzle,” and “Justice in the Round: Essays on the American Jury System,” available at Amazon and at haroldmichaelharvey.com. He can be contacted at [email protected]