President Obama Visits New Orleans

President Barrack Obama visit to New Orleans raised highly expected enthusiasm and excitement in a town hall meeting held at the University of New Orleans. Local news medias and citizens all rushed to sign up for a spot inside the auditorium hoping to capture a glimpse of this world leader. Our Nation Commander-In-Chief.

For many, it was just to see and hear him, while other came in great concern over the many challenging issues that affect this city and region. More importantly, to hear what the president had to say about aid and assistant needed to continue the rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.

Getting straight to the point of this area, the president said, "It has now been just over four years since that terrible storm struck your shores and [in] the days after it did, this nation and all the world bore witness to the fact that the damage from Katrina was not caused just by a disaster of nature, but also by a breakdown of government, that government wasn't adequately prepared and we didn't appropriately respond."

Whatever the reason for those attending, one thing for sure, the president was prepared to answer the many questions offered by all afforded the opportunity to question him. He brought a level of peace to troubled minds and curious souls one visitor mentioned.

Before the meeting, President Obama toured the Martin Luther King charter school -- the first charter school to reopen in New Orleans Ninth Ward, the hardest-hit portion of the city. The president called the school "an inspiration for this city."

However, "it's clear how far we have to go before we can call this recovery a real success," he went on to say, that much remains to be done to repair roads, hospitals and schools and rebuild neighborhoods.
"We will not forget about New Orleans," he said. "We're going to keep on working."

He noted that much deserved attention is needed around the economy and health care reform. "Too many Americans have waited too long for this to happen," he said, drawing wild cheers from the crowd. "We are going to pass health care reform by the end of the year."

Meeting the challenges faced by the nation, he said, "requires diligence and perseverance and patience ... it requires a renewed spirit of cooperation among our citizens."

"Those folks who are trying to stand in the way of progress ... let me tell you, I'm just getting started," he said. "I don't quit. I'm not tired. I'm just getting started."

A fourth-grade boy asked Obama his final question: "Why do people hate you? They're supposed to love you. And God is love."
"Well, now, first of all, I did get elected president, so not everybody hates me now," Obama said. "... If you were watching TV lately, it seems like everybody's just getting mad all the time. ... Some of it is just what's called politics, where, you know, once one party wins, then the other party kind of feels like it needs to poke you a little bit to keep you on your toes."

This event ended on a high note of his famous chant, “Fired up ready to go”, something often said at his rallies doing his campaign.