“You can tell I am a lame duck no one is following instructions”. President Obama
In a crowd of 20,000 people, president Obama gave his farewell address to the nation, in Chicago. Similar to his victory speech with a crowd of thousands at Grant Park, the same emotion, and enthusiasm from the beginning was there at the end. President Obama farewell address was emotional, personal, and honest. It was a calling to we millennials, a generation where we will be the future leaders of this country and truthful about the ongoing race relations in this country. President Obama speech outlined the threats to our democracy economic, race relations and the divisive politics in our country. If we the people do not come together our democracy will fail.
“Democracy does not require uniformity, but our founding fathers know it required a basic common solidarity.” President Obama
America is not in solidarity and has not been for a long time, we have become more polarized and biased when discussing the issues we are facing. From globalization, a growing population, a younger larger generation poised to take over as future leaders, the problems we face have become bigger, however solving them has become more divisive. Additionally, because of a black man being president, congress became more dysfunctional and obstructionist which has hurt we the people and our nation. This polarization among our elected officials is the reasons why the biggest problems we face have become bigger without any solutions. Our elected officials have neglected to increase wages, which has remained stagnant for over thirty years, past generations income was higher than what we millennials are currently bringing home. Furthermore, it is the GOPPERS who often side with big businesses and big banks, the culprits who almost caused a global economic collapse.
“Additionally, because of a black man being president, congress became more dysfunctional and obstructionist which has hurt we the people and our nation.”
The farewell address was a staunch reminder of how in 2017 America continues to grapple with race relations and just how bad our politics has become. President Obama had to constantly deal with the issue of race because he was the first black president and the many shooting deaths of young black males during his presidency. It is depressing that America continues to grapple with the issue of race, the color of a person skin should not matter, it is their character who they are as a person is what matters. The millennial generation is the largest and most diverse generation this country has ever had and if we are to resolve the race relations, get rid of the pessimistic ideology about a group of people skin color, the millennial generation will take on the task.
It is depressing that America continues to grapple with the issue of race, the color of a person skin should not matter, it is their character who they are as a person is what matters.
In the 2015 state of the union address, president Obama stated, “we need to have better politics”. Currently, our politics lacks the respect and decency among we the people. Instead of listening we constantly quarrel, promote false information and fail to do research on actual evidence out there. Politics has become extremely polarizing in our country, and with this division, we the people and our country will fall. Politics is a battle of great ideas, we lost the great ideas part but continue to battle and get nowhere. Our current state of politics do not reflect the decency of we the people nor does it reflect who we are. When we change our politics, we will find solutions to our issues and people will listen to opposing views without arguing and delivering false information.
Politics is a battle of great ideas, we lost the great ideas part but continue to battle and get nowhere.
In order for we the people to survive the next four years, we have to be engaged and informed citizens. What can be taken away from the farewell address is president Obama constant push for we the people to become involved in the political process. We have to VOTE in EVERY ELECTION, local, state and national, and with Donald Trump being elected, now is the time for we the people to tie up our shoes and get active.
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Also published on Medium.