In his almost-hour long speech, Obama never strayed from one message – that the US democracy is what it is because of its inclusiveness and its promise of equality of economic opportunity for all, regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual identity. The thrust of the speech couldn’t have been clearer, as Americans head into four years of a Trump presidency. Of a Trump who has publicly vilified women, the weak, immigrants and the poor. Of a Trump who was democratically elected.
“In ten days, the world will witness a hallmark of our democracy,” Obama said, and that statement’s import wasn’t lost on the crowd. The reference was obvious. America voted Trump to power, and American democracy must go on. But not without the strictest vigilance to ensure equal rights for all.
“Going forward, we must uphold laws against discrimination – in hiring, in housing, in education and the criminal justice system… we, as citizens, must remain vigilant against external aggression, we must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are. That’s why I reject discrimination against Muslim Americans. That’s why we cannot withdraw from global fights – to expand democracy, and human rights, women’s rights, and LGBT rights – no matter how imperfect our efforts, no matter how expedient ignoring such values may seem,” Obama said.
The US President stressed the importance of economic and social equality, not for a select few, but for all. Again here, the reference was to Trump who has talked about Mexican immigrants being “rapists”, about building a wall “to keep out Mexicans” and even about banning Muslims from entering the US. That last election promise of Trump’s has watered down some, since he was elected November 8.
That equality that the US constitution has granted has yet to be fully realized, Obama said.
