Samuel Calto
Writer '19
President Obama's two terms have now come to an end. Serving as the first African-American President, Obama has undoubtedly left his mark on the country, and delivered his final speech on January 10th.
Obama began his eloquent speech with a simple message to all. Using an analogy from his past, he noted that change only occurs when people demand it. People always had the power to protect American rights, and to force America to change and improve. The outgoing president made a point that America was great because the nation was willing to improve the lives of its residents. But this trait is at risk if people forget to act. Democracy can be preserved "Only if all of us, regardless of our party affiliation or particular interest, help restore the sense of common purpose that we so badly need right now.”
Much of Obama's speech focused on specific issues on threats to democracy. Obama's first point was the growing wealth divide between the upper and lower class was damaging. He pushed for reforms targeted to slow the divide and protect the poor, and stated that this should be done regardless if there were conflicts between parties on the best way to achieve this. Obama's next point dealt with racial discrimination and xenophobia. Calling a post-racial America during the time of his first election "never realistic", Obama noted that while the nation was making progress, not all anti-discrimination laws were being upheld. But more importantly, not enough hearts were changing.
Minority groups were the next focus. In his farewell speech, Obama noted that minority groups did not push for unfair treatment, but for equal opportunity. In addition, harsh stereotypes against these groups like immigrants were always false. If one followed unbiased sources, it would be clear that the country was still split. However, a third threat to democracy was that too many rejected established fact.
In an obvious allusion to the "alternative facts" and climate change denial of the Trump campaign and administration, Obama called the behavior "self-destructing" and warned that ignoring the facts would only burden the next generation with mistakes to clean up. The spirit of problem-solving that the Founding Fathers pushed for could easily end, leaving the nation at risk of suffering under terror and dictatorships.
President Obama concluded his speech by returning to citizens themselves. Only with constant vigilance of external and internal threats to democracy could safety be insured. In a democracy, the citizens have power: "Yes We Can" works.
A Nobel Peace Prize recipient, President Obama has undoubtedly accomplished much during his career. Obama's various reforms, especially internally like the Affordable Care Act, have reshaped the landscape of America. In a nod to his successful presidency, Obama left office with an approval rating of roughly 57%, compared to the incoming President Trump's around 40%. In an outgoing remark to Joe Biden, Obama awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award a civilian can receive. The companionship and friendship shared between the two have blossomed from their originally political partnership.
Writer '19
President Obama's two terms have now come to an end. Serving as the first African-American President, Obama has undoubtedly left his mark on the country, and delivered his final speech on January 10th.
Obama began his eloquent speech with a simple message to all. Using an analogy from his past, he noted that change only occurs when people demand it. People always had the power to protect American rights, and to force America to change and improve. The outgoing president made a point that America was great because the nation was willing to improve the lives of its residents. But this trait is at risk if people forget to act. Democracy can be preserved "Only if all of us, regardless of our party affiliation or particular interest, help restore the sense of common purpose that we so badly need right now.”
Much of Obama's speech focused on specific issues on threats to democracy. Obama's first point was the growing wealth divide between the upper and lower class was damaging. He pushed for reforms targeted to slow the divide and protect the poor, and stated that this should be done regardless if there were conflicts between parties on the best way to achieve this. Obama's next point dealt with racial discrimination and xenophobia. Calling a post-racial America during the time of his first election "never realistic", Obama noted that while the nation was making progress, not all anti-discrimination laws were being upheld. But more importantly, not enough hearts were changing.
Minority groups were the next focus. In his farewell speech, Obama noted that minority groups did not push for unfair treatment, but for equal opportunity. In addition, harsh stereotypes against these groups like immigrants were always false. If one followed unbiased sources, it would be clear that the country was still split. However, a third threat to democracy was that too many rejected established fact.
In an obvious allusion to the "alternative facts" and climate change denial of the Trump campaign and administration, Obama called the behavior "self-destructing" and warned that ignoring the facts would only burden the next generation with mistakes to clean up. The spirit of problem-solving that the Founding Fathers pushed for could easily end, leaving the nation at risk of suffering under terror and dictatorships.
President Obama concluded his speech by returning to citizens themselves. Only with constant vigilance of external and internal threats to democracy could safety be insured. In a democracy, the citizens have power: "Yes We Can" works.
A Nobel Peace Prize recipient, President Obama has undoubtedly accomplished much during his career. Obama's various reforms, especially internally like the Affordable Care Act, have reshaped the landscape of America. In a nod to his successful presidency, Obama left office with an approval rating of roughly 57%, compared to the incoming President Trump's around 40%. In an outgoing remark to Joe Biden, Obama awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award a civilian can receive. The companionship and friendship shared between the two have blossomed from their originally political partnership.