President Obama’s speech last night addressed the climate of America following a recent terrorist attack in California. He discussed the attack itself and what it meant for our country, as well as new strategies for defeating ISIL.

The president also discussed the importance of religious tolerance and emphasis on the fact that Islam is a completely different entity than ISIL. The following points are presented in a manner that is mostly chronological, with no ranking according to importance.

1. This was a terrorist attack against innocent people.

President Obama opened his speech stating that the attacks in San Bernardino, California resulted in 14 lost lives during a holiday gathering at the victims’ workplace. He said that the victims were members of all races, “White and Black, Latino and Asian, immigrants and American-born.”

He emphasized that the victims were all members of our American family, to remind us that the attacks were not Islam vs. America, but instead ISIL vs. America. “This was an act of terrorism designed to kill innocent people,” the President said.

2. The War on Terror has changed.

“Al-Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people on September 11th,” the President said. Since then, military personnel have worked around the clock to pursue terrorists. Under President Obama’s command, Osama Bin Laden was killed and the military has “decimated Al-Qaeda leadership,” according to the President.

The president described the state of terrorism in the United States as an issue which has “evolved into a new face.” Instead of coordinated and planned attacks such as the attack on Sept. 11, 2001, the President says “Terrorists turn to less complicated acts of violence like the mass shootings that are all too common in our society.” The President also cited the Internet as a vehicle for this new battlefield as a result of the globalization which has taken place.

3. The President has a plan.

President Obama described a plan to fight ISIL on all fronts. “The threat from terrorism is real, but we will overcome it,” the President said. “We will destroy ISIL and any other organization that tries to harm us.” Obama says he plans to fight terrorism without reducing freedoms for Americans, because that would only strengthen the position of America’s enemies. Instead, his response will be, “strong and smart”; “resilient and relentless.” His plan will draw “from every aspect of American power."

1. Military attacks

America has been issuing air strikes onto ISIL territories, and countries such as France, Germany and the United Kingdom have increased their assistance, the President says. He added later that America “should not be drawn into a long or costly ground war in Iraq or Syria.”

The President wishes to empower nations in the Middle East to rebuild themselves, but not station troops on their soil to “fight and die for another decade on foreign soil.”

2. International cooperation

The President says he wishes to cooperate with “friends and allies” to disrupt ISIL. Not only do we need their military might, but cooperation will assist and ceasing ISIL’s access to funding and recruitment technology. According to the president, America is working with Turkey to “seal its border with Syria.”

3. Cooperating with Muslim countries

According to the President, many of the countries which say they belong to the ISIL coalition willingly are not actually united or willing to fight for ISIL. He says that America must work with “Muslim countries at home to counter the vicious ideology ISIL promotes online.”

4. Focusing on a common goal

The President says he wishes to “establish a process and timeline” to enact cease-fire between countries so that everyone can work toward destroying the common enemy that is ISIL.

4. The President discussed gun control.

The President said that he is aware that many oppose gun control on any level, but the truth of the matter is that it is too easy for enemies to America to buy weapons. As such, President Obama says that he wants Congress to ensure that nobody on a no-fly list can buy a gun. “This is a matter of national security,” the {resident says.

Additionally, he wants to “make it harder to buy high-powered assault rifles.” The shooters in the San Bernardino attacks used high-powered assault rifles in the attack. “The fact is our intelligence and law enforcement agencies, no matter how good they are,” the President said, “cannot identify every potential shooter.”

5. Islam is not the enemy. ISIL is.

The President made sure to point out that ISIL does not speak for Islam, or even a large portion of Islam. “ISIL does not speak for Islam,” the president said. “They are thugs and killers, taking part in a cult of death.” The President said that it is our job to “root out misguided ideas that lead to radicalization.” The {resident emphasized that it is our responsibility to reject religious discrimination.

We must retain “religious tolerance, mutual respect, and human dignity,” the president said. “Muslim-Americans are our friends, our neighbors, our coworkers, our sports heroes,” Obama said, “and yes, they are our men and women in uniform who are willing to fight and die for our country.” He said that there should be no religious tests or discrimination toward Muslim-Americans, because we are “one nation and one people. As long as we stay true to that tradition, America will prevail.”