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President Obama Unchained

· By Tom Pratt · From pages 44, 45 of the print edition

Van Jones recently said that the next "Unchained" movie should be "Obama Unchained" instead of Jango. And he is correct.

President Obama is finally acting like the person we worked for and voted to elect. His accomplishments recently are really startling.

Starting with the Iran deal. The opponents are so short sighted in their opposition that it makes one wonder how they can keep their jobs, it so blatantly political. Sec. Kerry made the best point on the matter when he said if Congress blocks this agreement there will be no more negotiations and then what the opponents say they fear could become a reality as Iran will then be free to pursue anything they wish without any interference from the West.

And, on the subject of Iran, when I visited there several years ago I was struck by how open and friendly the Iranian people were, none of them want war with Israel or anyone else, they are not a warring society unlike Israel, the United States and Saudi Arabia to name just a few countries who are always involved in one war or another.

President Obama's second momentous act is the start of prison reform. We have more people incarcerated than all of Europe combined and unlike the European model of incarceration we punish, torture and abuse our prisoners and then when released make sure it is almost impossible for them to get jobs and re-enter society as productive citizens. In Europe they try to rehabilitate them so they do not return to a life of crime.

Third: Setting the tone so the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage the law of the land.

Fourth: The only president in history to finally create health care for the citizens of this country, although not perfect, it is a certain step in the right direction.

Five: His non-denial of climate change is a breath of fresh air in the "climate" of climate deniers who are much more concerned with having no restrictions on polluting industries' profits than with saving the planet from ecological disaster.

Six: Restoring relations with Cuba, long, long overdue, so good on him for that.

There are many things I wish he would have done differently including banning drone strikes and refusing further aid to Israel unless they treat the Palestinians as human beings but one president cannot do everything, so high marks for all the good he has been able to accomplish.

If you want the good to continue support the next president BERNIE SANDERS, who I am sure will go even further to make this country great once again by reversing all the damage done by President Obama's recent predecessors.