Barack Obama Gives Last Speech As US President
MEP: Barack Obama in his farewell speech in Chicago has addressed the US and the world for the final time as president, in an emotional speech that listed the landmark achievements of his presidency and stressed unity as nation.
He thanked his family and declared his time as president the honor of his life and gently prodded the public to embrace his vision of progress while repudiating some of the policies that Trump promoted during his campaign for the White House.
The president called on citizens to maintain faith in democracy by participating in it, such as having an open dialogue with those that disagree and running for office. “Show up. Dive in. Stay at it. Sometimes you will win, sometimes you will lose,” he said.
He warned against divisiveness between Americans of different backgrounds, including people of color, LGBTQ people, immigrants, Muslims and also white Americans who’ve struggled with economic changes. He quoted Attitcus Finch from Harper Lee’s classic To Kill a Mockingbird, who said “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
“I’ll be thinking back to be a community organizer, pretty much fresh out of school,” he was heard, saying in a video released by the White House on Sunday.
“The two things I take away from this office are, number one, that change can happen, that the system will respond to ordinary people coming together to try to move the country in a better direction and the second thing I’ll take away from this office is the fundamental goodness of the American people,” added the outgoing president.
Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, proposed temporarily banning Muslims from entering the country, building a wall on the border with Mexico, upending a global deal to fight climate change and dismantling Obama’s healthcare reform law.
The country’s first black president, now 55, was first elected in 2008 on a message of hope and change.
Barack Obama’s final speech – in quotes
On race
After my election, there was talk of a post-racial America. Such a vision, however well-intended, was never realistic. For race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society. I’ve lived long enough to know that race relations are better than they were 10, or 20, or 30 years ago.
On his achievements
If I had told you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history… If I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons programme without firing a shot, and take out the mastermind of 9/11… If I had told you that we would win marriage equality, and secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens – you might have said our sights were set a little too high.
On Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, girl of the South Side, for the past 25 years, you’ve been not only my wife and mother of my children, you have been my best friend. You took on a role you didn’t ask for and you made it your own with grace and grit and style and good humour. You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody.
