OBAMA'S LEGACY

[HairOfTheDog]

Whether you think he's angelic or devilish -- love, like, dislike, hate or don't care one way or another about the man and his presidency --there's no doubt some major social changes have taken foot across the US since Barack Obama took office in 2008.

He's not responsible alone, the voting public, the Supreme Court, community protestors and many organizations and lobbyists have done a lot of work.

But, would these changes have gone down had a Republican (or another more conservative Democrat) been in office?

- Same sex marriage legalization: It was legal (briefly) in two states in 2008. It's now legal in 36 states (with same sex spouses eligible for the same Federal benefits as other married couples) and may be legal nationwide before the end of Obama's presidency; the Supreme Court is ruling state bans on gay marriage unconstitutional left and right.

- Marijuana decriminalization and legalization: Arresting, prosecuting and jailing people for possession of marijuana is not something the government supports pursuing any longer. While the Feds still try to mess with some medicinal distributors, several states and districts are moving away from using marijuana busts to generate revenue and fulfill private prison quotas (in the process, hampering users of marijuana from finding future employment). Others haven't gone so far as to legalize marijuana for personal use, but have decriminalized it so there's a fine to pay but no incarceration or employment-hampering record in many cases.

- Civil Rights and Law Enforcement reform: The DOJ in Obama's second term has been investigating discrimination and abuses of power within police departments across the country. Cleveland PD, as a result, will need to reform it's hiring, training, and public interaction policies. Ferguson PD will need to reform its systematic abuses and acceptance/promotion of racial discrimination in its policing practices...

I think those are a few of the things that will define President Obama's legacy. At present, some see them as steps backwards and others as leaps forward for the country.

What do you think (positive or negative) will define Obama's legacy, based on his presidency so far?