The Huffington Post asked readers how Obama's first 100 days in office has affected their lives. Here's what they had to say:
Beverly Snipes:
The Stimulus Plan has had immediate impact on me: The additional $25 per week added to my Unemployment Insurance benefit is a resource that helps me access necessities during this difficult period of need. As a recently unemployed HR Manager (home building - Chicago based Kimball Hill Homes has gone out of business), this has immediate and direct positive impact on the lives of my former Associates, too. As a taxpayer, I happily support any legislation that helps our country invigorate and revitalize the American Dream, for everyone. As a human, I look forward to change in our health care systems in hopes that every American can participate in preventive and maintenance care with reasonable cost.
Nick Cohen, San Diego, CA:
My name is Nick Cohen and I am 19 years old and a sophomore at the University of San Diego. Obama's first 100 days has affected my life and the life of my peers dramatically. As individuals who plan on taking Arabic and eventually traveling to a Middle Eastern country next year for our study abroad program, we have to tell you, we feel so much safer knowing that anti-American sentiment has dropped immensely.
Whether you like the man (Obama) or disagree with his policies, there is no denying that he has positively affected our nation's foreign policy in a way that reflects the peaceful and intellectual nature of a young generation of Americans.
David Nutzell:
First is the stimulus, it's already shoring up school and Medicare budgets, with more jobs to come. It's especially good to see campaign promises fulfilled at a rapid pace, especially reversing Bush era agency regulations. I am somewhat disappointed with his decisions on the wars, but again he's acting as promised. How refreshing!
Dan Grossman:
I have little to complain about with Obama since he took office. I would like to see the issue of marijuana legalization reexamined. I am not now nor have I ever been a pot smoker. But the drug laws in this country are ridiculous, and prisons, particularly privatized institutions, are profiteering off of the underprivileged.
I am glad the administration is going after the banks to straighten up their act. Next, go after insurance and utility companies. They are gouging people left and right and the middle class tax payer (I am one of them) cannot support this greed for much longer.
We are off to a good start. Let's keep up the momentum.
Jeremy Turnage, Columbia, SC:
I'm sure you'll get a heck of a lot of ones like these, but Obama ending the ban on stem cell research. This affects me and my family very personally. Four out of five people in my immediate family have Diabetes (three with type 1 and one with type 2). Obama has given me the hope that I may actually see the day once again where I won't have to wear an insulin pump.
Franklin W. Liu, Malden, MA:
The first 100 days of Obama's presidency flashed by from crisis to crisis; many were Bush landmines left in the Oval Office, other explosions were of Obama's own mishandling of avoidable scandals; a genesis from not vetting the qualifications of his own vetting team in filling Cabinet positions.
The honeymoon is over yet he remains a total enigma to Americans who see him as if one were looking into a "Rorschach" inkblot pattern. Everybody views him as a different man, why? A matter of unparalleled political spin-control through his unmatched oratory skills?
Mar Cameron:
LAST 100 DAYS....Obama has got guts for "stopping the torture"
Patty Sandhaas, Chatham, IL:
In his first 100 days, he gave me more money on my paycheck. He has given
my recently unemployed mother more money on her check and made it available
for her to get unemployment longer, which she really, really needed. He has
encouraged me to volunteer and get my children involved. He still gives me
hope and inspiration.
Stephanie Maughan, Amesbury, MA:
I am pleased with what OBAMA has done. BUSH left such a mess.
They need to invest more in rapid transit, and continue fighting the
oil/coal lobbies regarding climate change.
I'd like to see Cheney's record investigated. I never trusted him, and all
of his records are supposedly sealed. What's all of that about?
Especially regarding Halliburton's activities in IRAQ.
Erik Deland:
President Obama and his administration announced that Cuban-Americans will now be permitted to make unlimited transfers of money and visits to relatives in Cuba. This decision gave part of my family more opportunities to visit some distant family members in Cuba that we could not get in personal contact with before. This influenced my life by getting to know more of my distant family much better. I will never forget April 13, 2009 when I first talked to my distant uncle in Cuba.
Linda Gibson:
In the first 100 days, Obama gave me back my hope for the United States. I was proud to be American again, when I saw how well received he was in European countries and other countries around the world.
He opened up the doors for stem cell research.
He is closing Gitmo. He restored funding for pro-choice counseling in third-world countries.
His stimulus package will save my family a lot of money, and at last the middle class
is getting a break.
Obama is a class act. He was precisely the man to save our country from the brink
of destruction.
Is he perfect? No one is. People should expect that sometimes things will go wrong
and try not be too critical of him. He listens, he cares. That is the most important thing.
He is willing to change his mind and accepts opinions from others. He has tried to
reach out to the other side, even though they continue to behave as they always
have.
David Allen, Brooklyn, NY:
My wife has recently been laid off and we have $100 a month more than we would have for unemployment insurance because of Barack. I wouldn't have thought that would make much of a difference, but it has. Also, the school in which I teach will get an additional 1 million dollars in September because of Obama's adjustment of Title 1 funding. We are chronically underfunded, so this will come in handy. Even before this, the stimulus meant that some of the young, enthusiastic teachers in my school would not have to face likely layoffs.