Today is a monumental and transcendent day to be an American. During a speech at Camp Lejune, North Carolina, President Obama announced an end to the war in Iraq: “By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end.” He also spoke about our military switching focus to Afganistan and Pakistan: “we have also taken into account the simple reality that America can no longer afford to see Iraq in isolation from other priorities: we face the challenge of refocusing on Afghanistan and Pakistan; of relieving the burden on our military; and of rebuilding our struggling economy – and these are challenges that we will meet.

“Today, I can announce that our review is complete, and that the United States will pursue a new strategy to end the war in Iraq through a transition to full Iraqi responsibility.”

The America citizens who voted for President Obama under the notion that we would progress rather than continue our vicious cycle of war should be honored that our leader lived up to his word. While his plan will take time to show its true plausibility and effectiveness, this day marks a time when peace became important again. This is a great day for democracy and a great day to be a human being. In an era where politicians have seldom lived up to their promises of making our world a better place, President Obama seems to be carefully navigating his way toward an admirable means to an end. Maybe today marks the beginning of our climb back to where we once were; a small inkling of hope in the midst of an economic downslide and a war riddled past. No doubt there are still massive problems to be dealt with but a small step in the right direction is progress to me.

To read the full transcript of Obama’s speech go to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/27/obamas-iraq-speech-video_n_170565.html