So did you watch President Trump's State of the Union address to the nation? Depending on your leanings, you either felt that he hit a home run or that he was a failure. And that was true of the different media outlets that are supposed to "report" the news and not put their slant on it. Yeah right!

From my "biased" opinion, I thought that he knocked it out of the park. I normally don't watch any presidential speech in its entirety -- instead getting the highlights from a couple of different news sources. Not this one. I watched and listened to the whole thing and thought that President Trump finally acted, well ... presidential.

I am not a blind partisan hack that thinks one party is always completely right and the other completely wrong on every issue. And, yes, I have been embarrassed by some of President Trump's actions over the last year. But on this speech, I was very proud of him and what he had to say to the country.

I have sat in the State Capitol and listened to State of the State addresses by Democratic and Republican Governors and I get the partisan games that are played as speeches are delivered. Depending on who is governor (or president) their respective parties will make a big deal over certain points while the other side will sit there stone-faced. But, I don't know how the Democrats can't have been embarrassed by the actions of their legislative leaders.

While I may not like Trump's personal quirks and his propensity to act somewhat childish at times, I do like what he says and the fact that he is not afraid to deliver on his promises. And, I sure like the fact that he is getting the chance to appoint a whole bunch of federal judges.

In watching the State of the Union, I was especially proud of the president's reference to God. Although he has not represented himself in the past as being very religious, as president he always acknowledges the influence of God in this country and embraces the power of faith. How refreshing that is to hear from our country's leader.

So, if you didn't like the president's State of the Union address, you may have liked the "People's State of the Union" event hosted by some so-called celebrities. The emcee of the event attacked the "ugly underbelly" of Americans who voted for Trump.

So let me get this right, first Obama, in 2008, had this to say about small-town folks in the Midwest, "They get bitter, they cling to their guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." Then last year Hillary brands people like us "deplorables," and now Hollywood "celebrities" refer to us as the "ugly underbelly" of America.

Gee, I guess if I were just a little bit brighter, I might be offended. But, you know, I'm just a simple country boy from Missouri so I suppose I don't measure up to the "celebrities" in this country.

Let me tell you this, if these "celebrities" ever spent any time outside of their cozy fantasy world of Hollywood, they might understand just who makes this country great. And it sure isn't a bunch of overrated, self-absorbed elitists who think that because people may know their names, that makes them an expert in what is best for us and this nation.

I for one am getting beyond tired of the "enlightened ones" in this country who look down on the people who keep this nation running. Good, down-to-earth people who want to take care of their families and to make their communities better places don't need "celebrities" telling them why they don't really know anything.

My dad was not an educated man by the standards of the "elites," but I learned more about serving my family, my community and my country from him than I ever learned from college or listening to "celebrities." His generation, the Greatest Generation, saved this country from near destruction and built with their grit, hard work and determination a nation that far surpasses any that has ever existed.

So, I may cling to my guns and religion and am "a deplorable" and represent the "ugly underbelly of America," but I guess I'm OK with that because, from my perspective, I'm in pretty good company.

Kevin Wilson is a former State Representative who was born in Goodman and now lives in Neosho. Opinions expressed are those of the author.