Obama farewell speech.docx
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Obama farewell speech.docx
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Obamafarewellspeech
THEPRESIDENT:
Hello,Chicago!
(Applause.)It'sgoodtobehome!
(Applause.)Thankyou,everybody.Thankyou.(Applause.)Thankyousomuch.Thankyou.(Applause.)Allright,everybodysitdown.(Applause.)We'reonliveTVhere.I'vegottomove.(Applause.)YoucantellthatI'malameduckbecausenobodyisfollowinginstructions.(Laughter.)Everybodyhaveaseat.(Applause.)
MyfellowAmericans—(applause)—MichelleandIhavebeensotouchedbyallthewellwishesthatwe'vereceivedoverthepastfewweeks.Buttonight,it'smyturntosaythanks.(Applause.)Whetherwehaveseeneye-to-eyeorrarelyagreedatall,myconversationswithyou,theAmericanpeople,inlivingroomsandinschools,atfarms,onfactoryfloors,atdinersandondistantmilitaryoutposts—thoseconversationsarewhathavekeptmehonest,andkeptmeinspired,andkeptmegoing.Andeveryday,Ihavelearnedfromyou.YoumademeabetterPresident,andyoumademeabetterman.(Applause.)
SoIfirstcametoChicagowhenIwasinmyearly20s.AndIwasstilltryingtofigureoutwhoIwas,stillsearchingforapurposeinmylife.AnditwasaneighborhoodnotfarfromherewhereIbeganworkingwithchurchgroupsintheshadowsofclosedsteelmills.ItwasonthesestreetswhereIwitnessedthepoweroffaith,andthequietdignityofworkingpeopleinthefaceofstruggleandloss.
AUDIENCE:
Fourmoreyears!
Fourmoreyears!
Fourmoreyears!
THEPRESIDENT:
Ican'tdothat.
AUDIENCE:
Fourmoreyears!
Fourmoreyears!
Fourmoreyears!
THEPRESIDENT:
ThisiswhereIlearnedthatchangeonlyhappenswhenordinarypeoplegetinvolvedandtheygetengaged,andtheycometogethertodemandit.
AftereightyearsasyourPresident,Istillbelievethat.Andit'snotjustmybelief.It'sthebeatingheartofourAmericanidea—ourboldexperimentinself-government.It'stheconvictionthatweareallcreatedequal,endowedbyourCreatorwithcertainunalienablerights,amongthemlife,liberty,andthepursuitofhappiness.It'stheinsistencethattheserights,whileself-evident,haveneverbeenself-executing;thatWe,thePeople,throughtheinstrumentofourdemocracy,canformamoreperfectunion.
Whataradicalidea.AgreatgiftthatourFoundersgavetous:
Thefreedomtochaseourindividualdreamsthroughoursweatandtoilandimagination,andtheimperativetostrivetogether,aswell,toachieveacommongood,agreatergood.
For240years,ournation'scalltocitizenshiphasgivenworkandpurposetoeachnewgeneration.It'swhatledpatriotstochooserepublicovertyranny,pioneerstotrekwest,slavestobravethatmakeshiftrailroadtofreedom.It'swhatpulledimmigrantsandrefugeesacrossoceansandtheRioGrande.(Applause.)It'swhatpushedwomentoreachfortheballot.It'swhatpoweredworkerstoorganize.It'swhyGIsgavetheirlivesatOmahaBeachandIwoJima,IraqandAfghanistan.AndwhymenandwomenfromSelmatoStonewallwerepreparedtogivetheirs,aswell.(Applause.)
Sothat'swhatwemeanwhenwesayAmericaisexceptional—notthatournationhasbeenflawlessfromthestart,butthatwehaveshownthecapacitytochangeandmakelifebetterforthosewhofollow.Yes,ourprogresshasbeenuneven.Theworkofdemocracyhasalwaysbeenhard.It'salwaysbeencontentious.Sometimesit'sbeenbloody.Foreverytwostepsforward,itoftenfeelswetakeonestepback.ButthelongsweepofAmericahasbeendefinedbyforwardmotion,aconstantwideningofourfoundingcreedtoembraceallandnotjustsome.(Applause.)
IfIhadtoldyoueightyearsagothatAmericawouldreverseagreatrecession,rebootourautoindustry,andunleashthelongeststretchofjobcreationinourhistory—(applause)—ifIhadtoldyouthatwewouldopenupanewchapterwiththeCubanpeople,shutdownIran'snuclearweaponsprogramwithoutfiringashot,takeoutthemastermindof9/11—(applause)—ifIhadtoldyouthatwewouldwinmarriageequality,andsecuretherighttohealthinsuranceforanother20millionofourfellowcitizens—(applause)—ifIhadtoldyouallthat,youmighthavesaidoursightsweresetalittletoohigh.Butthat'swhatwedid.(Applause.)That'swhatyoudid.
Youwerethechange.Youansweredpeople'shopes,andbecauseofyou,byalmosteverymeasure,Americaisabetter,strongerplacethanitwaswhenwestarted.(Applause.)
In10days,theworldwillwitnessahallmarkofourdemocracy.
AUDIENCE:
Nooo—
THEPRESIDENT:
No,no,no,no,no—thepeacefultransferofpowerfromonefreelyelectedPresidenttothenext.(Applause.)IcommittedtoPresident-electTrumpthatmyadministrationwouldensurethesmoothestpossibletransition,justasPresidentBushdidforme.(Applause.)Becauseit'suptoallofustomakesureourgovernmentcanhelpusmeetthemanychallengeswestillface.
Wehavewhatweneedtodoso.Wehaveeverythingweneedtomeetthosechallenges.Afterall,weremainthewealthiest,mostpowerful,andmostrespectednationonEarth.Ouryouth,ourdrive,ourdiversityandopenness,ourboundlesscapacityforriskandreinventionmeansthatthefutureshouldbeours.Butthatpotentialwillonlyberealizedifourdemocracyworks.Onlyifourpoliticsbetterreflectsthedecencyofourpeople.(Applause.)Onlyifallofus,regardlessofpartyaffiliationorparticularinterests,helprestorethesenseofcommonpurposethatwesobadlyneedrightnow.
That'swhatIwanttofocusontonight:
Thestateofourdemocracy.Understand,democracydoesnotrequireuniformity.Ourfoundersargued.Theyquarreled.Eventuallytheycompromised.Theyexpectedustodothesame.Buttheyknewthatdemocracydoesrequireabasicsenseofsolidarity—theideathatforallouroutwarddifferences,we'reallinthistogether;thatweriseorfallasone.(Applause.)
Therehavebeenmomentsthroughoutourhistorythatthreatensthatsolidarity.Andthebeginningofthiscenturyhasbeenoneofthosetimes.Ashrinkingworld,growinginequality;demographicchangeandthespecterofterrorism—theseforceshaven'tjusttestedoursecurityandourprosperity,butaretestingourdemocracy,aswell.Andhowwemeetthesechallengestoourdemocracywilldetermineourabilitytoeducateourkids,andcreategoodjobs,andprotectourhomeland.Inotherwords,itwilldetermineourfuture.
Tobeginwith,ourdemocracywon'tworkwithoutasensethateveryonehaseconomicopportunity.Andthegoodnewsisthattodaytheeconomyisgrowingagain.Wages,incomes,homevalues,andretirementaccountsareallrisingagain.Povertyisfallingagain.(Applause.)Thewealthyarepayingafairershareoftaxesevenasthestockmarketshattersrecords.Theunemploymentrateisneara10-yearlow.Theuninsuredratehasnever,everbeenlower.(Applause.)Healthcarecostsarerisingattheslowestratein50years.AndI'vesaidandImeanit—ifanyonecanputtogetheraplanthatisdemonstrablybetterthantheimprovementswe'vemadetoourhealthcaresystemandthatcoversasmanypeopleatlesscost,Iwillpubliclysupportit.(Applause.)
Becausethat,afterall,iswhyweserve.Nottoscorepointsortakecredit,buttomakepeople'slivesbetter.(Applause.)
Butforalltherealprogressthatwe'vemade,weknowit'snotenough.Oureconomydoesn'tworkaswellorgrowasfastwhenafewprosperattheexpenseofagrowingmiddleclassandladdersforfolkswhowanttogetintothemiddleclass.(Applause.)That'stheeconomicargument.Butstarkinequalityisalsocorrosivetoourdemocraticideal.Whilethetoponepercenthasamassedabiggershareofwealthandincome,toomanyfamilies,ininnercitiesandinruralcounties,havebeenleftbehind—thelaid-offfactoryworker;thewaitressorhealthcareworkerwho'sjustbarelygettingbyandstrugglingtopaythebills—convincedthatthegameisfixedagainstthem,thattheirgovernmentonlyservestheinterestsofthepowerful—that'sarecipeformorecynicismandpolarizationinourpolitics.
Buttherearenoquickfixestothislong-termtrend.Iagree,ourtradeshouldbefairandnotjustfree.Butthenextwaveofeconomicdislocationswon'tcomefromoverseas.Itwillcomefromtherelentlesspaceofautomationthatmakesalotofgood,middle-classjobsobsolete.
Andsowe'regoingtohavetoforgeanewsocialcompacttoguaranteeallourkidstheeducationtheyneed—(applause)—togiveworkersthepowertounionizeforbetterwages;toupdatethesocialsafetynettoreflectthewaywelivenow,andmakemorereformstothetaxcodesocorporationsandindividualswhoreapthemostfromthisneweconomydon'tavoidtheirobligationstothecountrythat'smadetheirverysuccesspossible.(Applause.)
Wecanargueabouthowtobestachievethesegoals.Butwecan'tbecomplacentaboutthegoalsthemselves.Forifwedon'tcreateopportunityforallpeople,thedisaffectionanddivisionthathasstalledourprogresswillonlysharpeninyearstocome.
There'sasecondthreattoourdemocracy—andthisoneisasoldasournationitself.Aftermyelection,therewastalkofapost-racialAmerica.Andsuchavision,howeverwell-intended,wasneverrealistic.Raceremainsapotentandoftendivisiveforceinoursociety.Now,I'velivedlongenoughtoknowthatracerelationsarebetterthantheywere10,or20,or30yearsago,nomatterwhatsomefolkssay.(Applause.)Youcanseeitnotjustinstatistics,youseeitintheattitudesofyoungAmericansacrossthepoliticalspectrum.
Butwe'renotwhereweneedtobe.Andallofushavemoreworktodo.(Applause.)Ifeveryeconomicissueisframedasastrugglebetweenahardworkingwhitemiddleclassandanundeservingminority,thenworkersofallshadesaregoingtobeleftfightingf
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