Weekly Address: The Honor of Serving You as President

this week I traveled to Chicago to deliver my final farewell address to the nation following in the tradition of presidents before me it was an opportunity to say thank you whether we've seen eye to eye or rarely agreed at all my conversations with you the American people in living rooms and schools at farms and on factory floors at diners and on distant military outposts all these conversations are what have kept me honest kept me inspired and kept me going every day I learned from you you made me a better president and you made me a better man over the course of these eight years I've seen the goodness the resilience and the hope of the American people I've seen neighbors looking out for each other as we rescued our economy from the worst crisis of our lifetimes of hunt cancer survivors who finally know the security of affordable health care I've seen communities like Joplin rebuild from disaster and cities like Boston show the world that no terrorists will ever break the American spirit I've seen the hopeful faces of young graduates and our newest military officers I've mourned with grieving families searching for answers and I found grace in a Charleston Church I've seen our scientists help a paralyzed man regain his sense of touch and our wounded warriors walk again I've seen our doctors and volunteers rebuild after earthquakes and stop pandemics in their tracks I've learned from students who are building robots and curing diseases and who will change the world in ways we can't even imagine I've seen the youngest of children remind us of our obligations to care for our refugees to work in peace and above all to look out for each other that's what's possible when we come together in the slow hard sometimes frustrating but always vital work of self-government but we can't take our democracy for granted all of us regardless of party should throw ourselves into the work of citizenship not just when there's an election not just when our own there interest is at stake but over the full span of a lifetime if you're tired of arguing with strangers on the internet try to talk with one in real life if something needs fixing lace up your shoes and do some organizing if you're disappointed by your elected officials then grab a clipboard get some signatures and run for office yourself our success depends on our participation regardless of which way the pendulum of power swings it falls on each of us to be guardians of our democracy to embrace the joyous task we've been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours because for all our outward differences we all share the same proud title citizen it has been the honor of my life to serve you as president eight years later I am even more optimistic about our country's promise and I look forward to working along your side as a citizen for all my days that remain thanks everybody god bless you and God bless the United States of America you

Channel: The Obama White House

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Length: 3min 44sec (224 seconds)

Published: Sat Jan 14 2017