We are so ready for 2017, but are we ready to let go of President Obama?
Barack Obama is a legend, who truly unified this country. A lot of people learned to shed their differences to come together to support this man's political agendas and objectives for this country for last eight years. I admire his courage and the goals that he has achieved and worked hard to provide for the country. Unfortunately, people have become jaded over time and has not been able to acknowledge all the milestones that were reached over the last two Obama's presidential terms.
So that’s what we mean when we say America is exceptional. 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.
Yes, our progress has been uneven. The work of democracy has always been hard. It has been contentious. Sometimes it has been bloody. For every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back. 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.
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 program without firing a shot, 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 — if I had told you all that, you might have said our sights were set a little too high.
But that’s what we did. That’s what you did. You were the change. The answer to people’s hopes and, because of you, by almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started.
There needs to be a huge shift in people's mindset of the country's political climate.
Which brings me to my final point — our democracy is threatened whenever we take it for granted.
All of us, regardless of party, should be throwing ourselves into the task of rebuilding our democratic institutions.
When voting rates in America are some of the lowest among advanced democracies, we should be making it easier, not harder, to vote.
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. When Congress is dysfunctional, we should draw our districts to encourage politicians to cater to common sense and not rigid extremes.
But remember, none of this happens on its own. 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.
Our Constitution is a remarkable, beautiful gift. But it’s really just a piece of parchment. It has no power on its own. We, the people, give it power. We, the people, give it meaning — with our participation, and with the choices that we make and the alliances that we forge.
Whether or not we stand up for our freedoms. Whether or not we respect and enforce the rule of law, that’s up to us. America is no fragile thing. But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured.
President Obama has witnessed a lot, more than any of us will ever know. So it's easy for us to criticize and blame our political and world leaders, but who are we to judge them for their failures and errors? What have we done to better our political, social and economical environment? We still need more education and exposure and we need to spread this notion. Help yourself to help each other.
The Obamas are remarkable, our role models, our heroes. Thank you for making us proud, because we are so proud of your efforts and involvement. Truly a remarkable president, remarkable man, remarkable husband, best friend, father. Thank you for everything.
Don't take this democracy for granted! Go out and vote, get educated, raise awareness, fight for freedom! Tomorrow is another day to fight for justice, equality, girl power, human rights!
Never give up. The future is counting on us.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/10/us/politics/obama-farewell-address-speech.html