Thank you, President Obama

During your eight-year watch:

You faced our country's economy in a Great Recession. Your policies kept us from falling into an economic depression; you inherited two unnecessary wars; you got our ground soldiers out of Iraq.

Your policy of air bombardment, drones were killing the leaders of ISIL and our U.S. military training of the Iraqi military has helped to eliminate almost all of the vast territory ISIL had captured more than two years ago.

Bin Laden was captured and killed; no foreign terrorist or terrorist group has attacked us; you got the international community to discuss and plan for the growing problems of global warming and green house gas emissions; you opened relations with Cuba after 60 years of animosity; you worked to eliminate the "don't ask, don't tell military policy concerning gays; you championed gay and lesbian marriage and equal rights for LGBT citizens; over 14 million new private sector jobs have been created; you put a lid on Iran's nuclear program by working with France, Germany, Great Britain, China and Russia.

You laid out strong punishments against Russia for their hacking and disrupting our presidential election - including top-secret punishments against Russia; you allowed the U.S. to abstain from the United nations vote condemning Israel for their continued building of settlements on disputed territory with Palestinians; 20 million more U.S. citizens have health care due to the Affordable Care Act and the Medicare Trust Fund has risen by 11 percent.

You doubled our renewable energy and cut in half our dependence on foreign oil; have all expenses covered for the families of fallen soldiers and to be there at Dover AFB when the body arrives. Served free of scandal and political corruption and lent dignity to the office of the presidency.

And there are many more examples.

Paul Howard

Lindenhurst