for Obama, Galesburg isn’t just a city of historical significance where he gave his first major speech as a Senator–it’s a place where he can illustrate his political philosophy. With a population of about 32,000 and a median income of just over $17,000, Galesburg exemplifies American communities struggling with an evolving economy in which technological developments and globalization have caused rapid, and sometimes painful change. In 2004, the Maytag plant–at the time the city’s largest private employer–shut down, leaving hundreds unemployed. Two years after the recession, unemployment in Galesburg is around 8 percent. “We are a middle class city, a city built on manufacturing and on the railway,” Amott says. “I think these are things that are important to many people in public service and certainly to this President.” For an idea of what Obama might say later today, his 2005 commencement speech is a useful guide. “Ten or twenty years down the road, that old Maytag plant could re-open its doors as an Ethanol refinery that turns corn into fuel,” he said. “Down the street, a biotechnology research lab could open up on the cusp of discovering a cure for cancer. And across the way, a new auto company could be busy churning out electric cars. The new jobs created would be filled by American workers trained with new skills and a world-class education.” It was perhaps a far-fetched vision from a young, idealistic Senator only beginning his national political career. And so far, none of those things have come to pass in Galesburg. But a century and a half ago, Knox College hosted a debate between two skilled orators grappling with the greatest moral issue of their time. They probably couldn’t imagine a future in which a black Senator, then President, laid out his own vision of a more perfect union at Knox College. Read more: nation.time/2013/07/24/why-obama-keeps-going-back-to-one-small-illinois-college/#ixzz2ZzSNrz92
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 18:47:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015