Obama farewell speech.docx

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