{"id":17436,"date":"2017-01-14T05:18:46","date_gmt":"2017-01-14T05:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/?p=17436"},"modified":"2017-01-15T19:20:35","modified_gmt":"2017-01-15T19:20:35","slug":"obamas-farewell-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/obamas-farewell-speech\/","title":{"rendered":"What can you learn from Obama&#8217;s farewell speech?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Did you hear the United States President Barack Obama&#8217;s farewell speech last week?<\/p>\n<p><code><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/paHYyQHmTus\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/code><\/p>\n<p>This single hour epitomized\u00a0Obama&#8217;s mastery at writing moving dialogue\u00a0that inspires people to act. In addition to expressing hope and gratitude, Obama&#8217;s remarks made listeners\u00a0consider doing three things: stay involved, meet people you disagree with personally, and take responsibility for your role in government.<\/p>\n<p>My favourite quote applies equally to citizens living in other\u00a0democratic nations.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;It falls to each of us to be those anxious jealous guardians of our democracy; to embrace the joyous task we&#8217;ve been given to continually try to improve this great Nation of ours because for all our outward differences, we in fact all share the same proud title, the most important officer of democracy: citizen.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The entire speech is a great model for notable nonfiction writers. It stays focused on story despite a complicated structure primarily because Obama delivers his text slowly and his natural confidence and self-deprecating humour play off one another well. This speech also benefits from several stylistic tricks and many surprising comments that prevented it from being boring despite its earnest nature. The craftspeople who wrote it were careful to duplicate phrases to achieve\u00a0rhythm and yet vary sentences so that the presentation\u00a0flowed.<\/p>\n<h2>Story<\/h2>\n<p>Like his inaugural speech, Obama&#8217;s main message was that positive change\u00a0can only happen with consistent\u00a0individual action. That was the frame in which he presented his gratitude and successes in improving health care, respect for diversity, integrating\u00a0immigrants, making same-sex marriage legal, combating climate change, improving the economy and achieving security while protecting personal freedom. He made it clear that isn&#8217;t going to stop working for the change he believes in and he wants company. Since listening to the speech, I noticed that his personally-named website <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barackobama.com\">https:\/\/www.barackobama.com<\/a>\u00a0is the official site for a nonprofit called\u00a0Organizing for Action (OFA). The organization was founded in January 2013 to get people to take action on these issues. Anyone can still join the network at that site.<\/p>\n<h2>Structure<\/h2>\n<p>The structure of the speech was typical in that it began with a joke, followed by a personal anecdote within historical context followed by a list of accomplishments interspersed with strong opinions all in a past-present-future narrative. There&#8217;s no doubt that the person speaking believes in truth, responsibility and persistance. Despite the rather predictable structure, Obama&#8217;s capacity to lead his\u00a0audience to responde and then integrate his hecklers&#8217; comments into his speech protect listeners from boredom. He&#8217;s very good at playing off emotion because you can tell that he really believes what he&#8217;s saying. Others speakers could turn\u00a0these words into propaganda, but it doesn&#8217;t sound like that when he says them.<\/p>\n<h2>Style<\/h2>\n<p>Obama used several stylistic tricks\u00a0to get people&#8217;s attention. One key phrase: &#8220;We, the People, through the instrument of our democracy, can form a more perfect union&#8221; included a few words from the constitution to give it power. Emotional words like spirit, slave, commitment, immigration and the names of locations in which mass murders took place kept his audience riveted.<\/p>\n<h2>Sound<\/h2>\n<p>The speech also worked\u00a0well in terms of sound. As I read it, I thought of an old-fashioned song by a prominent duo. First he&#8217;d describe something in great detail and then accentuate the point with an almost-rebuttal. Just as a pattern of speaking emerged, it would be broken by a single-sentence paragraph to break up longer descriptions. The hour went by incredibly quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Although the speech was written by several speechwriters, including Cody Keenan, Press Secretary Josh Earnest&#8217;s remarks en route to Chicago on January 10 emphasized that the president had a strong hand in writing it.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;I can tell you that particularly in the last 72 hours or so, the President has been working diligently on his remarks for tonight.\u00a0 The President is not one to be overly sentimental, but given the circumstances I think it would be unrealistic to expect anybody to not feel some nostalgia for this moment&#8230;I would say the speech is all but done.\u00a0 I think the President is going to reserve the right to make a few last-minute line edits on the flight.\u00a0 I know that that was a presidential directive that was issued to the speechwriters shortly before I walked back here.\u00a0 But I would say that the version that currently rests on Cody Keenan\u2019s laptop is essentially the version that he\u2019ll be reading from tonight.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Transcript<\/h2>\n<p>Here&#8217;s the final transcript of the speech from the White House briefing room:<\/p>\n<div class=\"panel-pane pane-custom pane-1 clearfix\">\n<div class=\"videos-intro-field videos-intro-forall-body forall-body\">\n<div class=\"whr-read-more-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"press-article-header-wrapper\">\n<div id=\"press_article_heading\" class=\"press-article-heading\">\n<blockquote>\n<div id=\"press_article_heading_title\" class=\"heading-title\">The White House<\/div>\n<div id=\"press_article_heading_subtitle\" class=\"heading-subtitle\">Office of the Press Secretary<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<div id=\"press_article_subheading\" class=\"clearfix press-article-subheading\">\n<div id=\"press_article_immediate_release\" class=\"press-article-release\">For Immediate Release<\/div>\n<div id=\"press_article_date_created\" class=\"press-article-date\">January 10, 2017<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"panel-pane pane-node-title\">\n<h1>Remarks by the President in Farewell Address<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"panel-pane pane-entity-field pane-node-field-forall-body\">\n<div class=\"field field-name-field-forall-body field-type-text-long field-label-hidden forall-body\">\n<div class=\"field-items\">\n<div class=\"field-item even\">\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"rtecenter\">McCormick Place<br \/>\nChicago, Illinois<\/p>\n<p>8:02 P.M. CST<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Hello, Chicago!\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 It\u2019s good to be home!\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Thank you, everybody.\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Thank you so much.\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 All right, everybody sit down.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 We\u2019re on live TV here.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got to move.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 You can tell that I\u2019m a lame duck because nobody is following instructions.\u00a0 (Laughter.)\u00a0 Everybody have a seat.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>My fellow Americans &#8212; (applause) &#8212; Michelle and I have been so touched by all the well wishes that we\u2019ve received over the past few weeks.\u00a0 But tonight, it\u2019s my turn to say thanks.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Whether we have seen eye-to-eye or rarely agreed at all, my conversations with you, the American people, in living rooms and in schools, at farms, on factory floors, at diners and on distant military outposts -\u2013 those conversations are what have kept me honest, and kept me inspired, and kept me going.\u00a0 And every day, I have learned from you.\u00a0 You made me a better President, and you made me a better man.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>So I first came to Chicago when I was in my early 20s.\u00a0 And I was still trying to figure out who I was, still searching for a purpose in my life.\u00a0 And it was a neighborhood not far from here where I began working with church groups in the shadows of closed steel mills.\u00a0 It was on these streets where I witnessed the power of faith, and the quiet dignity of working people in the face of struggle and loss.<\/p>\n<p>AUDIENCE:\u00a0 Four more years!\u00a0 Four more years!\u00a0 Four more years!<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 I can\u2019t do that.<\/p>\n<p>AUDIENCE:\u00a0 Four more years!\u00a0 Four more years!\u00a0 Four more years!<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 This is where I learned that change only happens when ordinary people get involved and they get engaged, and they come together to demand it.<\/p>\n<p>After eight years as your President, I still believe that.\u00a0 And it\u2019s not just my belief.\u00a0 It\u2019s the beating heart of our American idea \u2013- our bold experiment in self-government.\u00a0 It\u2019s the conviction that we are all created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.\u00a0 It\u2019s the insistence that these rights, while self-evident, have never been self-executing; that We, the People, through the instrument of our democracy, can form a more perfect union.<\/p>\n<p>What a radical idea.\u00a0 A great gift that our Founders gave to us:\u00a0 The freedom to chase our individual dreams through our sweat and toil and imagination, and the imperative to strive together, as well, to achieve a common good, a greater good.<\/p>\n<p>For 240 years, our nation\u2019s call to citizenship has given work and purpose to each new generation.\u00a0 It\u2019s what led patriots to choose republic over tyranny, pioneers to trek west, slaves to brave that makeshift railroad to freedom.\u00a0 It\u2019s what pulled immigrants and refugees across oceans and the Rio Grande.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 It\u2019s what pushed women to reach for the ballot.\u00a0 It\u2019s what powered workers to organize.\u00a0 It\u2019s why GIs gave their lives at Omaha Beach and Iwo Jima, Iraq and Afghanistan.\u00a0 And why men and women from Selma to Stonewall were prepared to give theirs, as well.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>So that\u2019s what we mean when we say America is exceptional &#8212; not that our nation has been flawless from the start, but that we have shown the capacity to change and make life better for those who follow.\u00a0 Yes, our progress has been uneven.\u00a0 The work of democracy has always been hard.\u00a0 It\u2019s always been contentious.\u00a0 Sometimes it\u2019s been bloody.\u00a0 For every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back.\u00a0 But the long sweep of America has been defined by forward motion, a constant widening of our founding creed to embrace all and not just some.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>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 &#8212; (applause) &#8212; if I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iran\u2019s nuclear weapons program without firing a shot, take out the mastermind of 9\/11 &#8212; (applause) &#8212; 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 \u2013- (applause) &#8212; if I had told you all that, you might have said our sights were set a little too high.\u00a0 But that\u2019s what we did.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 That\u2019s what you did.<\/p>\n<p>You were the change.\u00a0 You answered people\u2019s hopes, and because of you, by almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>In 10 days, the world will witness a hallmark of our democracy.<\/p>\n<p>AUDIENCE:\u00a0 Nooo &#8212;<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 No, no, no, no, no &#8212; the peaceful transfer of power from one freely elected President to the next.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 I committed to President-elect Trump that my administration would ensure the smoothest possible transition, just as President Bush did for me.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Because it\u2019s up to all of us to make sure our government can help us meet the many challenges we still face.<\/p>\n<p>We have what we need to do so.\u00a0 We have everything we need to meet those challenges.\u00a0 After all, we remain the wealthiest, most powerful, and most respected nation on Earth.\u00a0 Our youth, our drive, our diversity and openness, our boundless capacity for risk and reinvention means that the future should be ours.\u00a0 But that potential will only be realized if our democracy works.\u00a0 Only if our politics better reflects the decency of our people.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Only if all of us, regardless of party affiliation or particular interests, help restore the sense of common purpose that we so badly need right now.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what I want to focus on tonight:\u00a0 The state of our democracy.\u00a0 Understand, democracy does not require uniformity.\u00a0 Our founders argued.\u00a0 They quarreled.\u00a0 Eventually they compromised.\u00a0 They expected us to do the same.\u00a0 But they knew that democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity -\u2013 the idea that for all our outward differences, we\u2019re all in this together; that we rise or fall as one.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>There have been moments throughout our history that threatens that solidarity.\u00a0 And the beginning of this century has been one of those times.\u00a0 A shrinking world, growing inequality; demographic change and the specter of terrorism -\u2013 these forces haven\u2019t just tested our security and our prosperity, but are testing our democracy, as well.\u00a0 And how we meet these challenges to our democracy will determine our ability to educate our kids, and create good jobs, and protect our homeland.\u00a0 In other words, it will determine our future.<\/p>\n<p>To begin with, our democracy won\u2019t work without a sense that everyone has economic opportunity.\u00a0 And the good news is that today the economy is growing again.\u00a0 Wages, incomes, home values, and retirement accounts are all rising again.\u00a0 Poverty is falling again.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 The wealthy are paying a fairer share of taxes even as the stock market shatters records.\u00a0 The unemployment rate is near a 10-year low.\u00a0 The uninsured rate has never, ever been lower.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Health care costs are rising at the slowest rate in 50 years.\u00a0 And I\u2019ve said and I mean it &#8212; if anyone can put together a plan that is demonstrably better than the improvements we\u2019ve made to our health care system and that covers as many people at less cost, I will publicly support it.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Because that, after all, is why we serve.\u00a0 Not to score points or take credit, but to make people\u2019s lives better.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>But for all the real progress that we\u2019ve made, we know it\u2019s not enough.\u00a0 Our economy doesn\u2019t work as well or grow as fast when a few prosper at the expense of a growing middle class and ladders for folks who want to get into the middle class.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 That&#8217;s the economic argument.\u00a0 But stark inequality is also corrosive to our democratic ideal.\u00a0 While the top one percent has amassed a bigger share of wealth and income, too many families, in inner cities and in rural counties, have been left behind &#8212; the laid-off factory worker; the waitress or health care worker who\u2019s just barely getting by and struggling to pay the bills &#8212; convinced that the game is fixed against them, that their government only serves the interests of the powerful &#8212; that&#8217;s a recipe for more cynicism and polarization in our politics.<\/p>\n<p>But there are no quick fixes to this long-term trend.\u00a0 I agree, our trade should be fair and not just free.\u00a0 But the next wave of economic dislocations won\u2019t come from overseas.\u00a0 It will come from the relentless pace of automation that makes a lot of good, middle-class jobs obsolete.<\/p>\n<p>And so we&#8217;re going to have to forge a new social compact to guarantee all our kids the education they need &#8212; (applause) &#8212; to give workers the power to unionize for better wages; to update the social safety net to reflect the way we live now, and make more reforms to the tax code so corporations and individuals who reap the most from this new economy don\u2019t avoid their obligations to the country that\u2019s made their very success possible.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>We can argue about how to best achieve these goals.\u00a0 But we can\u2019t be complacent about the goals themselves.\u00a0 For if we don\u2019t create opportunity for all people, the disaffection and division that has stalled our progress will only sharpen in years to come.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a second threat to our democracy &#8212; and this one is as old as our nation itself.\u00a0 After my election, there was talk of a post-racial America.\u00a0 And such a vision, however well-intended, was never realistic.\u00a0 Race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society.\u00a0 Now, I\u2019ve lived long enough to know that race relations are better than they were 10, or 20, or 30 years ago, no matter what some folks say.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 You can see it not just in statistics, you see it in the attitudes of young Americans across the political spectrum.<\/p>\n<p>But we\u2019re not where we need to be.\u00a0 And all of us have more work to do.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 If every economic issue is framed as a struggle between a hardworking white middle class and an undeserving minority, then workers of all shades are going to be left fighting for scraps while the wealthy withdraw further into their private enclaves.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 If we&#8217;re unwilling to invest in the children of immigrants, just because they don\u2019t look like us, we will diminish the prospects of our own children &#8212; because those brown kids will represent a larger and larger share of America\u2019s workforce.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 And we have shown that our economy doesn\u2019t have to be a zero-sum game.\u00a0 Last year, incomes rose for all races, all age groups, for men and for women.<\/p>\n<p>So if we&#8217;re going to be serious about race going forward, we need to uphold laws against discrimination &#8212; in hiring, and in housing, and in education, and in the criminal justice system.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 That is what our Constitution and our highest ideals require.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>But laws alone won\u2019t be enough.\u00a0 Hearts must change.\u00a0 It won&#8217;t change overnight.\u00a0 Social attitudes oftentimes take generations to change.\u00a0 But if our democracy is to work in this increasingly diverse nation, then each one of us need to try to heed the advice of a great character in American fiction &#8212; Atticus Finch &#8212; (applause) &#8212; who said \u201cYou never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view\u2026until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For blacks and other minority groups, it means tying our own very real struggles for justice to the challenges that a lot of people in this country face &#8212; not only the refugee, or the immigrant, or the rural poor, or the transgender American, but also the middle-aged white guy who, from the outside, may seem like he\u2019s got advantages, but has seen his world upended by economic and cultural and technological change.\u00a0 We have to pay attention, and listen.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>For white Americans, it means acknowledging that the effects of slavery and Jim Crow didn\u2019t suddenly vanish in the \u201860s &#8212; (applause) &#8212; that when minority groups voice discontent, they\u2019re not just engaging in reverse racism or practicing political correctness.\u00a0 When they wage peaceful protest, they\u2019re not demanding special treatment but the equal treatment that our Founders promised.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>For native-born Americans, it means reminding ourselves that the stereotypes about immigrants today were said, almost word for word, about the Irish, and Italians, and Poles &#8212; who it was said we&#8217;re going to destroy the fundamental character of America.\u00a0 And as it turned out, America wasn\u2019t weakened by the presence of these newcomers; these newcomers embraced this nation\u2019s creed, and this nation was strengthened.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>So regardless of the station that we occupy, we all have to try harder.\u00a0 We all have to start with the premise that each of our fellow citizens loves this country just as much as we do; that they value hard work and family just like we do; that their children are just as curious and hopeful and worthy of love as our own.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And that&#8217;s not easy to do.\u00a0 For too many of us, it\u2019s become safer to retreat into our own bubbles, whether in our neighborhoods or on college campuses, or places of worship, or especially our social media feeds, surrounded by people who look like us and share the same political outlook and never challenge our assumptions.\u00a0 The rise of naked partisanship, and increasing economic and regional stratification, the splintering of our media into a channel for every taste &#8212; all this makes this great sorting seem natural, even inevitable.\u00a0 And increasingly, we become so secure in our bubbles that we start accepting only information, whether it&#8217;s true or not, that fits our opinions, instead of basing our opinions on the evidence that is out there. (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And this trend represents a third threat to our democracy.\u00a0 But politics is a battle of ideas.\u00a0 That\u2019s how our democracy was designed.\u00a0 In the course of a healthy debate, we prioritize different goals, and the different means of reaching them.\u00a0 But without some common baseline of facts, without a willingness to admit new information, and concede that your opponent might be making a fair point, and that science and reason matter &#8212; (applause) &#8212; then we&#8217;re going to keep talking past each other, and we&#8217;ll make common ground and compromise impossible.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And isn\u2019t that part of what so often makes politics dispiriting?\u00a0 How can elected officials rage about deficits when we propose to spend money on preschool for kids, but not when we\u2019re cutting taxes for corporations?\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 How do we excuse ethical lapses in our own party, but pounce when the other party does the same thing?\u00a0 It\u2019s not just dishonest, this selective sorting of the facts; it\u2019s self-defeating.\u00a0 Because, as my mother used to tell me, reality has a way of catching up with you.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Take the challenge of climate change.\u00a0 In just eight years, we\u2019ve halved our dependence on foreign oil; we\u2019ve doubled our renewable energy; we&#8217;ve led the world to an agreement that has the promise to save this planet.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 But without bolder action, our children won\u2019t have time to debate the existence of climate change.\u00a0 They\u2019ll be busy dealing with its effects: more environmental disasters, more economic disruptions, waves of climate refugees seeking sanctuary.<\/p>\n<p>Now, we can and should argue about the best approach to solve the problem.\u00a0 But to simply deny the problem not only betrays future generations, it betrays the essential spirit of this country &#8212; the essential spirit of innovation and practical problem-solving that guided our Founders.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>It is that spirit, born of the Enlightenment, that made us an economic powerhouse &#8212; the spirit that took flight at Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral; the spirit that cures disease and put a computer in every pocket.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s that spirit &#8212; a faith in reason, and enterprise, and the primacy of right over might &#8212; that allowed us to resist the lure of fascism and tyranny during the Great Depression; that allowed us to build a post-World War II order with other democracies, an order based not just on military power or national affiliations but built on principles &#8212; the rule of law, human rights, freedom of religion, and speech, and assembly, and an independent press.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>That order is now being challenged &#8212; first by violent fanatics who claim to speak for Islam; more recently by autocrats in foreign capitals who see free markets and open democracies and and civil society itself as a threat to their power.\u00a0 The peril each poses to our democracy is more far-reaching than a car bomb or a missile.\u00a0 It represents the fear of change; the fear of people who look or speak or pray differently; a contempt for the rule of law that holds leaders accountable; an intolerance of dissent and free thought; a belief that the sword or the gun or the bomb or the propaganda machine is the ultimate arbiter of what\u2019s true and what\u2019s right.<\/p>\n<p>Because of the extraordinary courage of our men and women in uniform, because of our intelligence officers, and law enforcement, and diplomats who support our troops &#8212; (applause)<\/p>\n<p>&#8212; no foreign terrorist organization has successfully planned and executed an attack on our homeland these past eight years.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 And although Boston and Orlando and San Bernardino and Fort Hood remind us of how dangerous radicalization can be, our law enforcement agencies are more effective and vigilant than ever.\u00a0 We have taken out tens of thousands of terrorists &#8212; including bin Laden.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 The global coalition we\u2019re leading against ISIL has taken out their leaders, and taken away about half their territory.\u00a0 ISIL will be destroyed, and no one who threatens America will ever be safe.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And to all who serve or have served, it has been the honor of my lifetime to be your Commander-in-Chief.\u00a0 And we all owe you a deep debt of gratitude.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>But protecting our way of life, that&#8217;s not just the job of our military.\u00a0 Democracy can buckle when we give in to fear.\u00a0 So, just as we, as citizens, must remain vigilant against external aggression, we must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s why, for the past eight years, I\u2019ve worked to put the fight against terrorism on a firmer legal footing.\u00a0 That\u2019s why we\u2019ve ended torture, worked to close Gitmo, reformed our laws governing surveillance to protect privacy and civil liberties.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 That\u2019s why I reject discrimination against Muslim Americans, who are just as patriotic as we are.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why we cannot withdraw from big global fights &#8212; to expand democracy, and human rights, and women\u2019s rights, and LGBT rights.\u00a0 No matter how imperfect our efforts, no matter how expedient ignoring such values may seem, that&#8217;s part of defending America.\u00a0 For the fight against extremism and intolerance and sectarianism and chauvinism are of a piece with the fight against authoritarianism and nationalist aggression.\u00a0 If the scope of freedom and respect for the rule of law shrinks around the world, the likelihood of war within and between nations increases, and our own freedoms will eventually be threatened.<\/p>\n<p>So let\u2019s be vigilant, but not afraid.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 ISIL will try to kill innocent people.\u00a0 But they cannot defeat America unless we betray our Constitution and our principles in the fight.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Rivals like Russia or China cannot match our influence around the world &#8212; unless we give up what we stand for &#8212; (applause) &#8212;\u00a0 and turn ourselves into just another big country that bullies smaller neighbors.<\/p>\n<p>Which brings me to my final point:\u00a0 Our democracy is threatened whenever we take it for granted.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 All of us, regardless of party, should be throwing ourselves into the task of rebuilding our democratic institutions.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When voting rates in America are some of the lowest among advanced democracies, we should be making it easier, not harder, to vote.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 When trust in our institutions is low, we should reduce the corrosive influence of money in our politics, and insist on the principles of transparency and ethics in public service.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 When Congress is dysfunctional, we should draw our congressional districts to encourage politicians to cater to common sense and not rigid extremes.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>But remember, none of this happens on its own.\u00a0 All of this depends on our participation; on each of us accepting the responsibility of citizenship, regardless of which way the pendulum of power happens to be swinging.<\/p>\n<p>Our Constitution is a remarkable, beautiful gift.\u00a0 But it\u2019s really just a piece of parchment.\u00a0 It has no power on its own.\u00a0 We, the people, give it power.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 We, the people, give it meaning.\u00a0 With our participation, and with the choices that we make, and the alliances that we forge.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Whether or not we stand up for our freedoms.\u00a0 Whether or not we respect and enforce the rule of law.\u00a0 That&#8217;s up to us.\u00a0 America is no fragile thing.\u00a0 But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured.<\/p>\n<p>In his own farewell address, George Washington wrote that self-government is the underpinning of our safety, prosperity, and liberty, but \u201cfrom different causes and from different quarters much pains will be taken\u2026to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth.\u201d\u00a0 And so we have to preserve this truth with \u201cjealous anxiety;\u201d that we should reject \u201cthe first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest or to enfeeble the sacred ties\u201d that make us one.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>America, we weaken those ties when we allow our political dialogue to become so corrosive that people of good character aren&#8217;t even willing to enter into public service; so coarse with rancor that Americans with whom we disagree are seen not just as misguided but as malevolent.\u00a0 We weaken those ties when we define some of us as more American than others; when we write off the whole system as inevitably corrupt, and when we sit back and blame the leaders we elect without examining our own role in electing them.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>It falls to each of us to be those those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy; to embrace the joyous task we\u2019ve been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.\u00a0 Because for all our outward differences, we, in fact, all share the same proud title, the most important office in a democracy:\u00a0 Citizen.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Citizen.<\/p>\n<p>So, you see, that\u2019s what our democracy demands.\u00a0 It needs you.\u00a0 Not just when there\u2019s an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime.\u00a0 If you\u2019re tired of arguing with strangers on the Internet, try talking with one of them in real life.\u00a0 (Applause.) If something needs fixing, then lace up your shoes and do some organizing.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 If you\u2019re disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Show up.\u00a0 Dive in.\u00a0 Stay at it.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes you\u2019ll win.\u00a0 Sometimes you\u2019ll lose.\u00a0 Presuming a reservoir of goodness in other people, that can be a risk, and there will be times when the process will disappoint you.\u00a0 But for those of us fortunate enough to have been a part of this work, and to see it up close, let me tell you, it can energize and inspire.\u00a0 And more often than not, your faith in America &#8212; and in Americans &#8212; will be confirmed.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Mine sure has been.\u00a0 Over the course of these eight years, I\u2019ve seen the hopeful faces of young graduates and our newest military officers.\u00a0 I have mourned with grieving families searching for answers, and found grace in a Charleston church.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen our scientists help a paralyzed man regain his sense of touch.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve seen wounded warriors who at points were given up for dead walk again.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen our doctors and volunteers rebuild after earthquakes and stop pandemics in their tracks.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen the youngest of children remind us through their actions and through their generosity of our obligations to care for refugees, or work for peace, and, above all, to look out for each other.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>So that faith that I placed all those years ago, not far from here, in the power of ordinary Americans to bring about change &#8212; that faith has been rewarded in ways I could not have possibly imagined.\u00a0 And I hope your faith has, too.\u00a0 Some of you here tonight or watching at home, you were there with us in 2004, in 2008, 2012 &#8212; (applause) &#8212; maybe you still can\u2019t believe we pulled this whole thing off.\u00a0 Let me tell you, you&#8217;re not the only ones.\u00a0 (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Michelle &#8212; (applause) &#8212; Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, girl of the South Side &#8212; (applause) &#8212; for the past 25 years, you have not only been my wife and mother of my children, you have been my best friend.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 You took on a role you didn\u2019t ask for and you made it your own, with grace and with grit and with style and good humor.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 And the new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 So you have made me proud.\u00a0 And you have made the country proud.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Malia and Sasha, under the strangest of circumstances, you have become two amazing young women.\u00a0 You are smart and you are beautiful, but more importantly, you are kind and you are thoughtful and you are full of passion.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 You wore the burden of years in the spotlight so easily.\u00a0 Of all that I\u2019ve done in my life, I am most proud to be your dad.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>To Joe Biden &#8212; (applause) &#8212; the scrappy kid from Scranton who became Delaware\u2019s favorite son &#8212; you were the first decision I made as a nominee, and it was the best.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Not just because you have been a great Vice President, but because in the bargain, I gained a brother.\u00a0 And we love you and Jill like family, and your friendship has been one of the great joys of our lives.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>To my remarkable staff:\u00a0 For eight years &#8212; and for some of you, a whole lot more &#8212; I have drawn from your energy, and every day I tried to reflect back what you displayed &#8212; heart, and character, and idealism.\u00a0 I\u2019ve watched you grow up, get married, have kids, start incredible new journeys of your own.\u00a0 Even when times got tough and frustrating, you never let Washington get the better of you.\u00a0 You guarded against cynicism.\u00a0 And the only thing that makes me prouder than all the good that we\u2019ve done is the thought of all the amazing things that you\u2019re going to achieve from here.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And to all of you out there &#8212; every organizer who moved to an unfamiliar town, every kind family who welcomed them in, every volunteer who knocked on doors, every young person who cast a ballot for the first time, every American who lived and breathed the hard work of change &#8212; you are the best supporters and organizers anybody could ever hope for, and I will be forever grateful.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 Because you did change the world.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 You did.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s why I leave this stage tonight even more optimistic about this country than when we started.\u00a0 Because I know our work has not only helped so many Americans, it has inspired so many Americans &#8212; especially so many young people out there &#8212; to believe that you can make a difference &#8212; (applause) &#8212; to hitch your wagon to something bigger than yourselves.<\/p>\n<p>Let me tell you, this generation coming up &#8212; unselfish, altruistic, creative, patriotic &#8212; I\u2019ve seen you in every corner of the country.\u00a0 You believe in a fair, and just, and inclusive America.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 You know that constant change has been America\u2019s hallmark; that it&#8217;s not something to fear but something to embrace.\u00a0 You are willing to carry this hard work of democracy forward.\u00a0 You\u2019ll soon outnumber all of us, and I believe as a result the future is in good hands.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>My fellow Americans, it has been the honor of my life to serve you.\u00a0 (Applause.)\u00a0 I won\u2019t stop.\u00a0 In fact, I will be right there with you, as a citizen, for all my remaining days.\u00a0 But for now, whether you are young or whether you&#8217;re young at heart, I do have one final ask of you as your President &#8212; the same thing I asked when you took a chance on me eight years ago.\u00a0 I&#8217;m asking you to believe.\u00a0 Not in my ability to bring about change &#8212; but in yours.<\/p>\n<p>I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents; that idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists; that spirit sung by immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched for justice; that creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the moon; a creed at the core of every American whose story is not yet written:\u00a0 Yes, we can.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Yes, we did.\u00a0 Yes, we can.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Thank you.\u00a0 God bless you.\u00a0 May God continue to bless the United States of America.\u00a0 (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>END<br \/>\n8:53 P.M. CST<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Did you hear the United States President Barack Obama&#8217;s farewell speech last week? This single hour epitomized\u00a0Obama&#8217;s mastery at writing moving dialogue\u00a0that inspires people to act. In addition to expressing hope and gratitude, Obama&#8217;s remarks made listeners\u00a0consider doing three things: stay involved, meet people you disagree with personally, and take responsibility for your role in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17475,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"0","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[801],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-notable-nonfiction","post-wrapper","thrv_wrapper"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2buQs-4xe","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":497,"url":"https:\/\/traceyarial.com\/blog\/en\/farewell-denyse\/","url_meta":{"origin":17436,"position":0},"title":"Farewell Denyse","author":"Tracey Arial","date":"May 26, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Crawford Park lost an active citizen last week. 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