:00:21. > :00:23.I'm Laura Trevelyan, here in the city where Barack Obama,
:00:24. > :00:25.President of the United States for eight years, will shortly
:00:26. > :00:38.He's returned to the city where he launched his political
:00:39. > :00:42.career and he will make a parting plea to Americans not to lose faith
:00:43. > :00:45.in their future, no matter what they think about their next
:00:46. > :01:02.This is where he met his wife, Michelle, who will be at his side
:01:03. > :01:06.tonight, and in 2008 he made a victory speech in Chicago. It is a
:01:07. > :01:11.very important city to him, which is why he has chosen to come here. This
:01:12. > :01:17.is a speech he has been poring over, thinking about since long before
:01:18. > :01:24.that more election campaign. This is a speech that his aides say is going
:01:25. > :01:29.be beyond politics. His supporters tonight, thousands of loyal
:01:30. > :01:33.supporters, have queued up in the cold to get their free tickets that
:01:34. > :01:38.were given out. They are here tonight, wanting to hear from him, a
:01:39. > :01:43.way ahead. For those who did not vote for Donald Trump, this is an
:01:44. > :01:46.anxious moment. They are seeking reassurance from the man they have
:01:47. > :01:52.seen in the White House for the last eight years. President Obama's aides
:01:53. > :01:59.said the speech is not just for his supporters, but for all Americans.
:02:00. > :02:01.Barack Obama is now taking to the stage in Chicago, let's listen in to
:02:02. > :02:55.his message to the American people. Hello, Chicago! It's great to be
:02:56. > :03:09.home! Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Thank you.
:03:10. > :03:31.Thank you so much, thank you, thank you. Thank you. It's good to be
:03:32. > :03:49.home. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Where are my TV,
:03:50. > :03:57.I've got to move! -- We're on live TV.
:03:58. > :04:13.You can tell that I'm... You can tell that I'm a lame duck because
:04:14. > :04:26.nobody is following instructions. Everybody has a seat. -- have. My
:04:27. > :04:34.fellow Americans. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
:04:35. > :04:43.Michelle and I have been so touched by all the well wishes that we've
:04:44. > :04:53.received over the past few weeks. But tonight, tonight it's my turn to
:04:54. > :05:02.say thanks. Whether we have seen eye to eye, or rarely agreed at all, my
:05:03. > :05:08.conversations with you, the American people, in living rooms and in
:05:09. > :05:15.schools, in farms, on factory floors, diners and on distant
:05:16. > :05:22.military outposts, those conversations are what have kept me
:05:23. > :05:29.honest and kept me inspired and kept me going. And every day I have
:05:30. > :05:37.learned from you. You made me a better president and you made me a
:05:38. > :05:41.better man. So, I first came to Chicago when I was in my early 20s,
:05:42. > :05:48.and I will still trying to figure out who I was, still searching for a
:05:49. > :05:52.purpose in my life. And it was the neighbourhood not far from here
:05:53. > :05:58.where I began working with church groups in the shadows of closed
:05:59. > :06:03.steel mills, it was on these streets where I witnessed the power of
:06:04. > :06:19.faith. And the quiet dignity of working people in the face of
:06:20. > :06:27.struggle. And loss. I can't do that. CHANTING "ONE MORE YEAR"..
:06:28. > :06:35.But this is where I learned that changed only happens when ordinary
:06:36. > :06:41.people get involved, and they get engaged, and they come together to
:06:42. > :06:48.demand it. After eight years as your president, I still believe that. And
:06:49. > :06:57.it's not just my belief. The beating heart of our American ideal, our
:06:58. > :07:04.bold experiment in self-government. If the conviction that we are all
:07:05. > :07:12.created equal, in doubt by our Creator with certain rights, among
:07:13. > :07:15.them, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- it's. It is the
:07:16. > :07:25.insistence that these rights, while sales evidence, have never been self
:07:26. > :07:28.executed -- self-evident. That we, the people, through the instrument
:07:29. > :07:38.of our democracy, can form a more perfect union. What a radical idea.
:07:39. > :07:45.A great gift that our founders gave to us. The freedom to chase our
:07:46. > :07:53.individual dreams through our sweat and toil and imagination, and the
:07:54. > :08:02.imperative to strive together as well to achieve a common good, a
:08:03. > :08:11.greater good. For 240 years, our nations called to citizenship has
:08:12. > :08:16.given work and purpose to each new generation. Is what led patriots to
:08:17. > :08:26.choose fairness of a tyranny. Slaves to brave that makeshift rail Road to
:08:27. > :08:33.freedom. It is what pulled refugees across oceans. It's what pushed
:08:34. > :08:46.women to reach for the ballot. It's what empowered workers to organise.
:08:47. > :08:52.To GI's gave their lives at Omaha Beach, as well as those in Iraq and
:08:53. > :09:05.Afghanistan -- over. And why men and women all over were prepared to give
:09:06. > :09:10.theirs as well. --2. So, that's what we mean when we say in America's
:09:11. > :09:13.exceptional. Not that our nation has been flawless from the start, but
:09:14. > :09:21.that we have shown the capacity to change. And make life better for
:09:22. > :09:30.those who followed. Yes, our progress has been uneven. The work
:09:31. > :09:35.of democracy has always been hard, it's always been contentious.
:09:36. > :09:45.Sometimes it's been bloody. For every two steps forward, it often
:09:46. > :09:51.feels we take one step back. But the long sweep of America has been
:09:52. > :10:03.defined by forward motion, a constant widening of our founding
:10:04. > :10:14.creed to embrace all, not just some. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. If I had told
:10:15. > :10:22.you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession,
:10:23. > :10:28.reboot our water industry and unleash the longer stretch of job
:10:29. > :10:35.creation in our history... -- auto -- longest. If I had told you that
:10:36. > :10:41.we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, sat down WWE
:10:42. > :10:50.nuclear weapons programme, and take up the mastermind of 9/11. If I had
:10:51. > :10:56.told you that we would win marriage equality and secure a right to
:10:57. > :11:07.health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens...
:11:08. > :11:11.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE If I had told you all of that, you might have
:11:12. > :11:22.said, our sights are set a little too high. But, that's's what we did.
:11:23. > :11:32.That's's what you did. You were the change. You answered people's hopes,
:11:33. > :11:36.and because of you, by almost every measure, America's a better,
:11:37. > :11:53.stronger place than it was when we started. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE In
:11:54. > :12:03.ten days, the world will witness a hallmark of our democracy. No, the
:12:04. > :12:15.peaceful transfer of power. From one freely elected president to the
:12:16. > :12:19.next. I committed to President-elect Donald Trump that my administration
:12:20. > :12:30.would ensure the smoothest possible transition, just as President Bush
:12:31. > :12:34.did for me. Because it's up to all of us to make sure our government
:12:35. > :12:43.can help us meet the many challenges we still face. We have what we need
:12:44. > :12:48.to do so, we have everything we need to meet those challenges. After all,
:12:49. > :12:56.we remained the wealthiest, most powerful and most respected nation
:12:57. > :13:01.on earth. Our youth, drive, diversity and openness, our
:13:02. > :13:07.boundless capacity for risk and reinvention means that the future
:13:08. > :13:16.should be ours. But that potential will only be realised if our
:13:17. > :13:27.democracy works. Only if our politics better reflects the decency
:13:28. > :13:36.of our people. Only if all of us, regardless of party affiliation or
:13:37. > :13:40.particular interest, help restore the sense of common purpose that we
:13:41. > :13:48.so badly need right now. That's what I want to focus on tonight. The
:13:49. > :13:54.state of our democracy. Understand, democracy does not require
:13:55. > :14:01.uniformity. Our founders argued, they quarrelled, eventually they
:14:02. > :14:11.compromised. They expected us to do the same. But they knew that
:14:12. > :14:21.democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity. The idea that for all
:14:22. > :14:32.our outward differences, we are all in this together. That will rise or
:14:33. > :14:42.fall as one. There have been moments throughout our history that
:14:43. > :14:47.threatened that solidarity. And the beginning of this century has been
:14:48. > :14:53.one of those times. A shrinking world, growing inequality,
:14:54. > :14:59.demographic change in the spectre of terrorism. These forces haven't just
:15:00. > :15:03.tested our security and our prosperity, but are testing our
:15:04. > :15:09.democracy as well. And how we meet these challenges to our democracy
:15:10. > :15:14.will determine our ability to educate our kids and create jobs and
:15:15. > :15:22.protect our homeland. In other words, it will determine our future.
:15:23. > :15:27.To begin with, our democracy won't work without a sense that everyone
:15:28. > :15:35.has economic opportunity. And the good news is that, today, the
:15:36. > :15:38.economy is growing again. Wages, incomes, home values and retirement
:15:39. > :15:45.accounts are rising again. Poverty is falling again.
:15:46. > :15:54.The wealthy are paying a fair share of taxes, even as the stock-market
:15:55. > :16:00.shatters records. The unemployment rate is near a ten year low. The
:16:01. > :16:10.uninsured rate has never been lower. APPLAUSE.
:16:11. > :16:17.Health-care costs are rising at the slowest rate in 50 years. And I have
:16:18. > :16:21.said, and I mean it, if anyone can put together a plan that is better
:16:22. > :16:24.than the improvements we are made to the health-care system, that covers
:16:25. > :16:34.as many people at less cost, I will publicly support.
:16:35. > :16:45.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. Because that, after all, is why we
:16:46. > :16:55.serve. Not to score points or take credit, but to make people's lives
:16:56. > :17:01.better. But for all the real progress that we've made, we know
:17:02. > :17:09.it's not enough. Our economy doesn't work as well or grow as fast when a
:17:10. > :17:17.feud prosper at the expense of the middle class. That is the economic
:17:18. > :17:25.argument, but stark inequality is also corrosive to our democratic
:17:26. > :17:31.idea. While the top 1% has amassed a bigger share of wealth and income,
:17:32. > :17:35.too many of our families in inner cities and in rural counties have
:17:36. > :17:41.been left behind. The laid off factory worker, the waitress or
:17:42. > :17:46.health-care worker who is barely getting by and struggling to pay the
:17:47. > :17:48.Bills, convinced that the game is fixed against them, that the
:17:49. > :17:53.government only serves the interests of the powerful - that is a recipe
:17:54. > :18:00.for more cynicism and polarisation in our politics. Now, there are no
:18:01. > :18:06.quick fixes to this long-term trend. I agree, our trade should be fair
:18:07. > :18:11.and not just free, at the next wave of economic dislocations won't come
:18:12. > :18:14.from overseas, it will come from the relentless pace of automation that
:18:15. > :18:21.makes a lot of good middle-class jobs obsolete. And so we are going
:18:22. > :18:27.to have to forge a new social compact to guarantee all our kids
:18:28. > :18:32.the education they need, to give workers the power to unionise for
:18:33. > :18:39.better wages, to update the social safety net to reflect the way we
:18:40. > :18:43.live now and make more reforms to the tax code so corporations and
:18:44. > :18:46.individuals, who reap the most from this new economy, don't avoid their
:18:47. > :18:56.obligations to the country that has made their very success possible.
:18:57. > :19:01.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. We can argue about how to best
:19:02. > :19:08.achieve these goals. But we can't be complacent about the goals
:19:09. > :19:16.themselves. For if we don't create opportunity for all people, the
:19:17. > :19:21.disaffection and division that has stalled our progress will only
:19:22. > :19:29.sharpen in years to come. There is a second threat to our democracy, and
:19:30. > :19:34.this one is as old as our nation itself - after my election there was
:19:35. > :19:42.talk of a post- racial America and such a vision, however well
:19:43. > :19:51.intended, was never realistic. Race remains a potent and often divisive
:19:52. > :19:55.force in our society. Now, I have lived long enough to know that race
:19:56. > :20:03.relations are better than they were ten or 20 or 30 years ago no matter
:20:04. > :20:08.what some folks say. APPLAUSE. You can see it not just in statistics,
:20:09. > :20:12.you see it in the attitudes of young Americans across the political
:20:13. > :20:23.spectrum. But we are not where we need to be. And all of us have more
:20:24. > :20:27.work to do. If every economic issue is framed as a struggle between a
:20:28. > :20:37.hard-working white middle class and an undeserving minority, then
:20:38. > :20:45.workers of all shades are going to be left fighting for scraps while
:20:46. > :20:56.the wealthy have been building their purse. APPLAUSE. If we are all I'm
:20:57. > :21:01.willing to invest in the children of immigrants just because they don't
:21:02. > :21:05.look like ours, we will diminish the prospects of our own children,
:21:06. > :21:08.because those brown kids will represent a larger and larger share
:21:09. > :21:23.of America's workforce. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.
:21:24. > :21:29.And we have shown that our economy doesn't have to be a zero-sum game.
:21:30. > :21:37.Last year incomes rose for all races, all age groups, for men and
:21:38. > :21:43.four women. So, if we are going to be serious about race going forward,
:21:44. > :21:47.we need to uphold laws against discrimination in hiring and in
:21:48. > :21:52.housing and in education and in the criminal justice system. That is
:21:53. > :22:01.what our Constitution and our highest ideals require. But laws
:22:02. > :22:08.alone won't be enough. Hearts must change. They won't change overnight.
:22:09. > :22:14.Social attitudes oftentimes take generations to change. But if our
:22:15. > :22:20.democracy is to work the way it should in this increasingly diverse
:22:21. > :22:24.nation, then each one of us need to try to heed the advice of a great
:22:25. > :22:32.character in American fiction, Atticus Finch. He said, you never
:22:33. > :22:39.really understand a person until you consider things from his point of
:22:40. > :22:44.view. Until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. For blacks
:22:45. > :22:50.and other minority groups that means tying our own very real struggle for
:22:51. > :22:56.justice to the challenges that a lot of people in this country face. Not
:22:57. > :23:03.only the refugee or the transgender or the raw pork but also the
:23:04. > :23:07.middle-aged white guy who may from the outside seem like he has got
:23:08. > :23:10.advantages but has seen his world upended by economic and cultural and
:23:11. > :23:26.technological change -- rural poor. We have to pay attention and listen.
:23:27. > :23:30.For white Americans it means acknowledging that the effects of
:23:31. > :23:37.slavery and Jim Crow didn't suddenly vanish in the 60s. That when
:23:38. > :23:43.minority groups voiced discontent they are not just engaging in
:23:44. > :23:47.reverse racism or practising political correctness. When they
:23:48. > :23:51.wage peaceful protest they are not demanding special treatment, but the
:23:52. > :24:02.equal treatment that our founders promised.
:24:03. > :24:13.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. For nativeborn Americans... For
:24:14. > :24:17.nativeborn Americans it means reminding ourselves that the
:24:18. > :24:26.stereotypes about immigrants today were said almost word for word about
:24:27. > :24:31.the Irish. And the Italians, and the Poles, who it was said were going to
:24:32. > :24:38.destroy the fundamental character of America. But as it turned out,
:24:39. > :24:44.America was weakened by the presence of these newcomers, these newcomers
:24:45. > :24:54.embraced this nation's read and this nation was strengthened. APPLAUSE.
:24:55. > :25:00.So, regardless of the station that we occupied we all have to try
:25:01. > :25:05.harder. We all have to start with the premise that each of our fellow
:25:06. > :25:12.citizens loves this country just as much as we do, that they value hard
:25:13. > :25:15.work and family just like we do. That their children are just as
:25:16. > :25:35.curious and hopeful and worthy of love as our own. And that is not
:25:36. > :25:39.easy to do. For too many of us it has become safer to retreat into our
:25:40. > :25:46.own bubbles, whether in our neighbourhoods or on college
:25:47. > :25:53.campuses or places of worship, or specially our social media feeds,
:25:54. > :25:58.surrounded by people who look like ours and share the same political
:25:59. > :26:04.outlook and never challenge our assumptions. And the rise of naked
:26:05. > :26:09.partisanship and increasing economic and regional stratification, the
:26:10. > :26:16.splinting of our media into a channel for every taste. All this
:26:17. > :26:20.makes this great sorting seem natural, even inevitable. And
:26:21. > :26:28.increasingly we become so secure in our bubbles that we start accepting
:26:29. > :26:32.only information, whether it is true or not, that fits our opinions,
:26:33. > :26:46.instead of basing our opinions on the evidence that is out there. This
:26:47. > :26:54.trend represents a third threat to our democracy, but politics is a
:26:55. > :26:58.battle of ideas. That is how our democracy was designed. In the
:26:59. > :27:04.course of healthy debate we prioritise different goals and the
:27:05. > :27:13.different means. But without some common baseline effects, without a
:27:14. > :27:17.willingness to admit new information and concede that your opponent might
:27:18. > :27:23.be making a fair point, and that science and reason matter, then we
:27:24. > :27:31.are going to keep talking past each other. And we will make common
:27:32. > :27:42.ground and compromise impossible. And isn't that part of what so often
:27:43. > :27:46.makes politics dispiriting? How can elected officials raided our
:27:47. > :27:49.deficits when we propose to spend money on preschool for kids but not
:27:50. > :27:56.when we are cutting taxes for corporations. How do we excuse
:27:57. > :28:02.ethical lapses in our own party at pounds when the other party does the
:28:03. > :28:10.same thing? It is not just dishonest, this selective sorting of
:28:11. > :28:14.the facts, it is self-defeating. Because, as my mum used to tell me,
:28:15. > :28:26.reality has a way of catching up with you. Take the challenge of
:28:27. > :28:30.climate change, in just eight years we have halved our dependence on
:28:31. > :28:34.foreign oil, we have doubled our renewable energy, we have let the
:28:35. > :28:43.world to an agreement that has the promise to save this planet.
:28:44. > :28:50.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. But without bolder action, our
:28:51. > :28:53.children won't have time to debate the existence of climate change.
:28:54. > :28:58.They will be busy dealing with its effects. More environmental
:28:59. > :29:05.disasters, more economic disruptions, waves of climate
:29:06. > :29:10.refugees seeking sanctuary. Now, we can and should argue about the best
:29:11. > :29:18.approach to solve the problem, but to simply deny the problem, not only
:29:19. > :29:26.betray its future generations, it betrays the essential spirit of this
:29:27. > :29:28.country, the essential spirit of innovation and practical
:29:29. > :29:37.problem-solving that guided our founders.
:29:38. > :29:47.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. It is that spirit, that spirit born
:29:48. > :29:52.of the enlightenment that made us an economic powerhouse. The spirit that
:29:53. > :29:56.took flight at Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral. The spirit that he was
:29:57. > :30:05.disease and put a computer in every pocket. It is that spirit, a faith
:30:06. > :30:12.in reason and enterprise, and the primacy of rights over might, that
:30:13. > :30:20.allowed us to resist the lure of fascism and tyranny during the Great
:30:21. > :30:25.Depression, that allowed us to build a post-World War II order with other
:30:26. > :30:31.democracies, not just based on military power or national
:30:32. > :30:36.affiliations, but built on principles, the rule of law, human
:30:37. > :30:37.rights, freedom of religion and speech and assembly and an
:30:38. > :30:55.independent press. That order is now being challenged.
:30:56. > :31:06.First by violent fanatics who claim to speak for is Lahm, more recently
:31:07. > :31:13.by autocrats in foreign capitals who see civil society itself as a threat
:31:14. > :31:21.to their power -- Islam. The peril each poses to our democracy is more
:31:22. > :31:26.far reaching than a missile. They represent the fear of change, the
:31:27. > :31:34.fear of people who look or speak or play differently. A contempt for the
:31:35. > :31:42.rule of law that holds leaders accountable, and intolerance of free
:31:43. > :31:52.thought. The belief that the sword or become -- or the gun or the bomb
:31:53. > :31:57.is the arbiter of what is true and right. -- pray. Because of the
:31:58. > :32:01.extraordinary courage of our men and women in uniform, because of our
:32:02. > :32:08.intelligence officers and law enforcement, diplomats who support
:32:09. > :32:12.our troops, no foreign terrorist organisation has successfully
:32:13. > :32:23.planned and executed an attack on our homeland these past eight years.
:32:24. > :32:35.And although Boston, and Orlando, and San Bernardino, and Fort Hood
:32:36. > :32:38.were victims of dangerous radicalisation, our law enforcement
:32:39. > :32:42.agencies are more vigilant than ever. We have taken out tens of
:32:43. > :32:50.thousands of terrorist, including Bin Laden. -- terrorists. The global
:32:51. > :32:54.coalition we are taking against ISIL has taken out a leaders and about
:32:55. > :32:58.half their territory. Islamic State will be destroyed and nobody who
:32:59. > :33:06.threatens America will ever be safe. And all who serve, who have served,
:33:07. > :33:11.it has been the honour of my lifetime to be your commander in
:33:12. > :33:15.chief. And we all owe you a deep debt of gratitude. CHEERING AND
:33:16. > :33:37.APPLAUSE But protecting our way of life,
:33:38. > :33:51.that's's not just the job of our military. Democracy can buckle when
:33:52. > :33:57.it gives in to fear. So, just as we, as citizens, must remain vigilant
:33:58. > :34:04.against external aggression, we must guard against a weakening of the
:34:05. > :34:08.values that make us who we are. And that's why, for the past eight
:34:09. > :34:13.years, I've worked to put the fight against terrorism on a firmer legal
:34:14. > :34:18.footing. That's why we've ended torture, worked to close Guantanamo
:34:19. > :34:24.Bay, reformed our laws governing surveillance to protect privacy and
:34:25. > :34:30.civil liberties. That's why I reject discrimination against Muslim
:34:31. > :34:46.Americans, who are just as patriotic as we are. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
:34:47. > :35:08.That's why we cannot withdraw from big global fights to expand
:35:09. > :35:12.democracy and human rights, women's rights, LGBTQI rights. No matter our
:35:13. > :35:21.efforts and how expedient ignoring such values may seem, that's part of
:35:22. > :35:32.defending America. For the fight against extremism and intolerance
:35:33. > :35:38.and sectarianism and chauvinism, our peace with the fight against
:35:39. > :35:44.authoritarianism and nationalist aggression, if the scope of freedom
:35:45. > :35:48.and respect for the rule of law threads around the world, the
:35:49. > :35:57.likelihood of war within and between nations increases. Our own freedoms
:35:58. > :36:03.will eventually be threatened. So, let's be vigilant, but not afraid.
:36:04. > :36:09.Islamic State will try to kill innocent people. But they cannot
:36:10. > :36:19.defeat America unless we betray our Constitution and our principles in
:36:20. > :36:24.the fight. Rivals like Russia or China cannot match our influence
:36:25. > :36:29.around the world unless we give up what we stand for. And turn
:36:30. > :36:42.ourselves into just another big country that boys smaller
:36:43. > :36:46.neighbours. -- fights against smaller neighbours. And that brings
:36:47. > :36:57.me to my final point. Our democracy is threatened whenever we take it
:36:58. > :37:03.for granted. All of us, regardless of anything, should be throwing
:37:04. > :37:09.ourselves into the task of rebuilding our democratic
:37:10. > :37:14.institutions. When voting rates in America are some of the lowest among
:37:15. > :37:24.advanced democracies, we should be making it easier, not harder, to
:37:25. > :37:34.vote. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE When trust in our institutions is low, we
:37:35. > :37:39.should reduce the course of influence of money in our politics
:37:40. > :37:44.and insist on the principles of transparency and ethics in public
:37:45. > :37:50.service. When Congress is dysfunctional, we should draw our
:37:51. > :38:00.congressional districts to encourage auditions to cater to common sense,
:38:01. > :38:07.and not rigid extremes. But remember, none of this happens on
:38:08. > :38:15.its own. All of this depends on our participation. On each of us
:38:16. > :38:19.accepting the responsibility of citizenship, regardless of which way
:38:20. > :38:33.the pendulum of power happens to be swinging. Our Constitution is a
:38:34. > :38:42.remarkable, beautiful gift. But it's really just a piece of parchment. It
:38:43. > :38:50.has no power on its own. We, the people, give its power. We, the
:38:51. > :38:54.people, give it meaning. With our participation and with the choices
:38:55. > :39:02.that we make. And the alliances that we forge. Whether or not we stand up
:39:03. > :39:10.for our freedoms, whether or not we respect and enforce the rule of law.
:39:11. > :39:14.That's up us. -- up to us. America is no fragile thing, but the gains
:39:15. > :39:21.of our long journey to freedom are not as sure. In his own farewell
:39:22. > :39:25.address, George Washington wrote that self-government is the
:39:26. > :39:34.underpinning of our safety, prosperity and liberty. But, from
:39:35. > :39:39.different causes and from different quarters, much pains will be taken
:39:40. > :39:45.to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth. And so, we
:39:46. > :39:52.have to preserve this truth with jealous anxiety, that we should
:39:53. > :39:58.reject the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of
:39:59. > :40:11.our country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties that make
:40:12. > :40:15.us one. America, we weaken those ties when we allow our political
:40:16. > :40:20.dialogue to become so corrosive that people of good character aren't even
:40:21. > :40:28.willing to enter into the public service. The Americans with whom we
:40:29. > :40:34.disagree are seen not just as misguided, but as malevolent. We
:40:35. > :40:42.weaken those ties when we do find some of us as more American than
:40:43. > :40:49.others. When we write off the whole system as inevitably corrupt. And
:40:50. > :40:59.when we sit back and blamed the leaders we elect without examining
:41:00. > :41:10.our own role in electing them. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE It falls to
:41:11. > :41:15.each of us to be those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy.
:41:16. > :41:25.To embrace the joyous task we've been given, to continually try to
:41:26. > :41:32.improve this great nation of ours. Because, for all our outward
:41:33. > :41:37.differences, we in fact all share the same proud tie. The most
:41:38. > :41:54.important office in democracy. Citizen. Citizen. So, you see,
:41:55. > :42:04.that's what our democracy demands. It needs you. Not just when there's
:42:05. > :42:11.an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but
:42:12. > :42:15.over the full span of a lifetime. If you're tired of arguing with
:42:16. > :42:31.strangers on the Internet, try talking with one of them in real
:42:32. > :42:41.life. LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE If something needs fixing, then lace up
:42:42. > :42:46.your shoes and do some organising. If you're disappointed by your
:42:47. > :42:53.elected officials, grab a clipboard, pets and signatures and run for
:42:54. > :43:10.office yourself -- get some signatures. Show up, dive in.
:43:11. > :43:17.Sometimes you'll win, sometimes you'll lose. Preserving a reservoir
:43:18. > :43:22.of goodness in other people will be a risk, and there will be times when
:43:23. > :43:27.the process will disappoint you. But for those of us fortunate enough to
:43:28. > :43:34.have been part of this world and to see it up close, let me tell you, it
:43:35. > :43:41.can energise and inspire. And more often than not, your faith in
:43:42. > :43:53.America and in Americans, will be confirmed. Mine Shaw has been. --
:43:54. > :43:58.sure. Over the course of these eight years, I have seen the hopeful faces
:43:59. > :44:05.of young graduates, and of our military officers. I have mourned
:44:06. > :44:13.with grieving families searching for answers, and found grace in
:44:14. > :44:17.Charleston church. I've see our scientists help a paralysed man
:44:18. > :44:28.regain his sense of touch. I've seen wounded warriors who, at points,
:44:29. > :44:31.were given up for dead, walk again. I seen our doctors and volunteers
:44:32. > :44:38.rebuilt after earthquakes and stop pandemics in their tracks. I've seen
:44:39. > :44:42.the youngest of children remind us, through their actions and through
:44:43. > :44:49.their generosity, of our obligations to care for refugees, will work for
:44:50. > :44:58.peace. And above all, to look out for each other -- or work. So, that
:44:59. > :45:05.face at I placed all those years ago, not far from here, in the power
:45:06. > :45:10.of ordinary Americans to bring about change, that fate has been rewarded
:45:11. > :45:17.in ways I could not have possibly imagined. And I hope your face has,
:45:18. > :45:21.too. -- faith. Some of you here tonight or watching at home, you
:45:22. > :45:34.were there with us in 2004 in 2008, 2012. -- and. Maybe you still can't
:45:35. > :45:37.believe we pulled this whole thing off. Let me tell you, you're not the
:45:38. > :46:17.only ones. Michelle? CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.
:46:18. > :46:20.Michelle Robinson, girl of the Southside...
:46:21. > :46:29.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. .. For the past 25 years you have
:46:30. > :46:41.not only been my wife and mother of my children, you have been my best
:46:42. > :46:54.friend. You took on a roll you didn't ask for Andy made it your own
:46:55. > :47:14.with grace and with grit and with style -- and you made it your own.
:47:15. > :47:28.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. You made the White House a place
:47:29. > :47:32.that belongs to everybody, and a new generation sets its sights higher
:47:33. > :47:55.because it has you as a role model. So, you have made me proud and you
:47:56. > :48:00.have made the country proud. Maleah and Sasha, under the strangest of
:48:01. > :48:05.circumstances you have become two amazing young women. You are smart
:48:06. > :48:09.and you are beautiful, but more importantly you are kind and you are
:48:10. > :48:19.thoughtful and you are full of passion.
:48:20. > :48:24.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. And you bore the burden of years in
:48:25. > :48:42.the spotlight so easily. Of all that I have done in my life, I am most
:48:43. > :48:54.proud to be your dad. To Joe Biden...
:48:55. > :49:12.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE. .. The scrappy kid who became
:49:13. > :49:17.Delaware's favourite son, the first decision I made as a nominee, and it
:49:18. > :49:21.was the best, not just because you have been a great vice president but
:49:22. > :49:30.because in the bargain I gained a brother, and we love you and Jill
:49:31. > :49:45.like family and your friendship has been one of the latest of our lives.
:49:46. > :49:51.To my remarkable, for eight years and for some of you at a lot more, I
:49:52. > :49:57.have drawn from your energy, and every day I tried to reflect back
:49:58. > :50:04.what you displayed - heart and character and idealism. I have
:50:05. > :50:14.watched you grow up, get married, have kids, starting credible new
:50:15. > :50:18.journeys of your own. Even when times got tough and frustrating, you
:50:19. > :50:24.never let Washington get the better of you. You guarded against
:50:25. > :50:28.cynicism. And the only thing that makes me prouder than all the good
:50:29. > :50:35.that we have done is the thought of all the amazing things that you are
:50:36. > :50:45.going to achieve from here. APPLAUSE.
:50:46. > :50:51.And all of you out there, every organiser who moved to an unfamiliar
:50:52. > :50:58.town, every kind family who welcomed them in, every volunteer who knocked
:50:59. > :51:02.on doors, every young person who cast a ballot for the first time,
:51:03. > :51:06.every American who lived and breathed the hard work of change,
:51:07. > :51:13.you are the best supporters and organises anybody could ever hope
:51:14. > :51:20.for and I will be forever grateful. Because you did change the world.
:51:21. > :51:23.You did. And that is why I leave this stage tonight even more
:51:24. > :51:31.optimistic about this country than when we started. Because I know our
:51:32. > :51:35.work has not only helped so many Americans, it has inspired so many
:51:36. > :51:41.Americans, especially so many young people out there to believe that you
:51:42. > :51:45.can make a difference, to hitch a wagon to something bigger than
:51:46. > :51:52.yourselves. Let me tell you, this generation coming up, I'm selfish,
:51:53. > :51:59.all juristic, creative, patriotic. I have seen you in every corner of the
:52:00. > :52:04.country. You believe in a fair and just and inclusive America. You know
:52:05. > :52:09.that constant change has been America's Hallmark, that it is not
:52:10. > :52:13.something to fear, but something to embrace. You are willing to carry
:52:14. > :52:18.this hard work of democracy forward. You will soon outnumber all of us
:52:19. > :52:36.and I believe as a result the future is in good hands. My fellow
:52:37. > :52:42.Americans, it has been the honour of my life to serve you. I won't stop.
:52:43. > :52:51.In fact, I will be right there with you as a citizen for all my
:52:52. > :52:57.remaining days. But for now, whether you are young or whether you are
:52:58. > :53:02.young at heart, I do have one final ask of you as your president, the
:53:03. > :53:07.same thing I asked when he took a chance on me eight years ago, I am
:53:08. > :53:14.asking you to believe not in my ability to bring about change, but
:53:15. > :53:18.in yours. I are asking you to hold fast in that faith written into our
:53:19. > :53:24.founding documents, that idea whispered by slaves and abolition
:53:25. > :53:29.is, the spirit sung by immigrants and Homestead is, those who marched
:53:30. > :53:40.for justice, the creed reaffirmed by those who planted s and created a
:53:41. > :53:51.story for every American whose story is not yet written, yes we can, yes
:53:52. > :53:57.we did, yes we can. Thank you, God bless you, may God continue to bless
:53:58. > :53:58.the United States of America -- abolitionists. -- homesteaders.
:53:59. > :54:40.Thank you. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.
:54:41. > :54:51.Sir, there is Barack Obama finishing his farewell address, The Crowd
:54:52. > :54:54.there here inside the Lakeside convention centre in Chicago giving
:54:55. > :55:00.him applause for the last time as president, and in that speech he
:55:01. > :55:05.laid out what he sees as his legacy, his achievements, getting rid of Bin
:55:06. > :55:10.Laden, bringing economic stability after time of crisis, but also
:55:11. > :55:15.America's first black president directly addressed the issue of race
:55:16. > :55:19.relations. He had a list of subjects he felt could be corrosive to
:55:20. > :55:25.American democracy. He pleaded with Americans to understand with one
:55:26. > :55:30.another, to walk in their shoes. He warned against corrosive politics.
:55:31. > :55:36.And he paid tribute to his wife, Michelle Obama, to his daughters,
:55:37. > :55:42.Sasha and Malia, he talked about their significance, of those strong
:55:43. > :55:46.women in his life, he said he couldn't be more proud of them and
:55:47. > :55:52.he teared up when he was talking, and the crowd chanting at the
:55:53. > :55:55.beginning, "Four more years," and Barack Obama telling them, "I
:55:56. > :56:01.can't". This was his farewell moment. And to his supporters who
:56:02. > :56:04.have doubt in American democracy, worried about the election of the
:56:05. > :56:11.President-elect, Donald Trump, he had an up to beat and optimistic
:56:12. > :56:14.message, that the document of the American Constitution, as he called
:56:15. > :56:18.it, to have faith in this, to have faith in the strength and the great
:56:19. > :56:21.good sense of the American people, especially the young generation
:56:22. > :56:27.coming forward. He paid huge tribute there. But he also made reference to
:56:28. > :56:30.this divisive and bruising election campaign that we have had and he
:56:31. > :56:35.warned that the greatest threat of economic dislocation comes not, he
:56:36. > :56:40.said, from trade, but it will come from automation. That this is what
:56:41. > :56:44.will lose the next set of jobs and will be the next issue that America
:56:45. > :56:51.must deal with. And you can see there is the president with Michelle
:56:52. > :56:55.Obama. He is with his daughter, Sasha, the older daughter Mahlia is
:56:56. > :56:59.at Harvard, that is why she isn't here tonight, and the President is
:57:00. > :57:03.savouring this moment, this moment that he could sum up his eight years
:57:04. > :57:06.in office, which a White House aide said they hoped would be beyond
:57:07. > :57:12.politics, and he deliberately took the 30,000 Ford view, the view of
:57:13. > :57:18.how America is making regressed -- foot view. He was careful also,
:57:19. > :57:24.careful to warn that there are impediments to America's forward
:57:25. > :57:29.progress, that there are issues that must be dealt with, and he dwelt on
:57:30. > :57:33.the subject of fake news, of people believing what they want to believe,
:57:34. > :57:38.of people being in social media, and he urged Americans, if you don't
:57:39. > :57:45.like what's happening, he told them, get out there and organise, and
:57:46. > :57:49.joining me now is Danika Miller, Chicago resident. What did you make
:57:50. > :57:57.of what the President had to say tonight? I think he has been
:57:58. > :58:03.consistent in his message of hope, he was open in his transition to
:58:04. > :58:09.power message, he opened with his accomplishments in eight years as
:58:10. > :58:13.president, and the peaceful and hopeful anticipation to the changes,
:58:14. > :58:16.and to be respectful of what is to come with the President-elect. Did
:58:17. > :58:19.you find his message to be reassuring after what has been such
:58:20. > :58:25.a brutal and divisive election? Yes, indeed. It was kind of like a
:58:26. > :58:31.renewed faith in the American dream and the American democracy. Just to
:58:32. > :58:35.keep us in a place where, despite their negativity and all of the
:58:36. > :58:38.crazy things that have gone on, to stay focused on all we have
:58:39. > :58:44.accomplished and all that we have done. You were in the wall listening
:58:45. > :58:51.when the crowd was chanting, "Four more years", and he said, "I can't".
:58:52. > :58:55.That is hurtful, but it is the way it is in America. We enjoyed the
:58:56. > :59:02.eight years we had with him. He said it won't be the end of him. He was
:59:03. > :59:06.urging Americans, if you don't like what is happening, get out and get
:59:07. > :59:11.organised, because his roots were in Chicago as a community organiser. Is
:59:12. > :59:16.that message inspiring? Yes, indeed, an IM glad he reminded us we have a
:59:17. > :59:20.chance to make a change. Despite the little things we feel like we don't
:59:21. > :59:23.have control over. We can still be proactive in certain things we want
:59:24. > :59:28.to see taking place. It was a good message. Will you miss President
:59:29. > :59:34.Barack Obama? Yes, yes indeed. The whole first family on his beautiful
:59:35. > :59:40.wife and children, everything about them, they are leaving behind some
:59:41. > :59:46.big shoes to fill. Danika Miller, thank you for joining us. So, that
:59:47. > :59:52.was Danika Miller, one of just thousands of people packed inside
:59:53. > :59:55.that hall. So, that is the special coverage from inside the convention
:59:56. > :00:01.centre in Chicago as president Barack Obama makes his farewell
:00:02. > :00:04.address to the American people following in a tradition that began
:00:05. > :00:13.with America's very first president, George Washington. Laura, many
:00:14. > :00:17.thanks indeed. We will be here in the studio in London. Let's run
:00:18. > :00:18.through some of the highlights of the final speech from President
:00:19. > :00:44.Obama to the nation as president. My fellow Americans. Michelle and I
:00:45. > :00:50.have been so touched by all the well wishes we have received over the
:00:51. > :00:58.past few weeks. But, tonight, it's my turn to say thanks. Whether we
:00:59. > :01:06.have seen eye to eye, or rarely agreed at all, my conversations with
:01:07. > :01:18.you, the American people, in living rooms and in schools, in farms, on
:01:19. > :01:24.factory floors, diners, and on distant military outposts, those
:01:25. > :01:28.conversations are what has kept me honest and kept me inspired and kept
:01:29. > :01:34.me going. And every day, I have learned from you. -- have. You made
:01:35. > :01:41.me a better president, and you made me a better man.
:01:42. > :01:44.During the address in Chicago where his political career began,
:01:45. > :01:47.he started by saying the people had made him a better president.
:01:48. > :01:54.I first came to Chicago when I was in my early 20s, and I was still
:01:55. > :01:57.trying to figure out who I was, still searching for a purpose in my
:01:58. > :02:02.life. And it was a neighbourhood not far from here where I began working
:02:03. > :02:07.with church groups, in the shadows of closed steel mills. It was on
:02:08. > :02:13.these streets where I witnessed the power of faith and the quiet dignity
:02:14. > :02:33.of working people in the face of struggle and loss. I can't do that.
:02:34. > :02:40.CHANTING "ONE MORE YEAR" Now, this is where I learned that change only
:02:41. > :02:48.happens when ordinary people get involved, and they get engaged, and
:02:49. > :02:52.they come together to demand it. After eight years as your president,
:02:53. > :03:06.I still believe that. And it's not just my belief. It's the beating
:03:07. > :03:10.heart of American ideal, our bold experiment in self-government. If
:03:11. > :03:17.conviction that we are all created equal, endowed by our Creator with
:03:18. > :03:24.certain unalienable rights, among them, life, liberty and the pursuit
:03:25. > :03:29.of happiness. The insistence that these rights, while self-evident,
:03:30. > :03:36.have never been self executed. That we, the people, through the
:03:37. > :03:46.instrument of our democracy, can form a more perfect union. What a
:03:47. > :03:48.radical idea. A great gift that our founders gave to us.
:03:49. > :03:51.He then went on to list what he considered his successes.
:03:52. > :04:03.If I have told you eight years ago -- had told you, that America would
:04:04. > :04:09.reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry and unleashed the
:04:10. > :04:16.greater stretch of job creation in our history... If I had told you
:04:17. > :04:22.that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down
:04:23. > :04:32.Iran's nuclear weapons programme without firing a shot, take up the
:04:33. > :04:40.mastermind of 9/11... If I had told you that we would secure marriage
:04:41. > :04:47.equality and secure health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow
:04:48. > :04:55.citizens... If I had told you all that, you might have said, our sites
:04:56. > :05:08.were set a little too high. But that's what we did! -- sights.
:05:09. > :05:13.That's what you did. You were the change. The answer to people's
:05:14. > :05:19.hopes. And because of you, I almost every measure, America is a better,
:05:20. > :05:25.stronger place than it was when we started.
:05:26. > :05:28.In his speech the President, Barack Obama, focused on the state
:05:29. > :05:42.Understand democracy does not require uniformity. Our founders
:05:43. > :05:50.argued, they quarrelled, and eventually they compromised. They
:05:51. > :06:01.expected us to do the same. But they knew that democracy does require a
:06:02. > :06:08.basic sense of solidarity. The idea that for all our outward
:06:09. > :06:10.differences, we are all in this together. That we rise or fall as
:06:11. > :06:12.one. And he went on to focus
:06:13. > :06:15.on the state of the economy, and its relationship
:06:16. > :06:22.to healthcare and education. To begin with, our democracy won't
:06:23. > :06:28.work without a sense that everyone has economic opportunity. And the
:06:29. > :06:35.good news is that today, the economy is growing again, wages, incomes,
:06:36. > :06:45.home values and retirement accounts are all rising again. Poverty is
:06:46. > :06:50.falling again. The wealthy are paying a fair share of taxes, even
:06:51. > :06:55.as the stock-market shatters records the unemployment rate is near a ten
:06:56. > :07:08.year low. The uninsured rate has never, ever been lower. Health-care
:07:09. > :07:14.costs are rising at the slowest rate in 50 years. And I said, and I mean
:07:15. > :07:20.it, if anyone can put together a plan that is demonstrably better
:07:21. > :07:26.than the improvements need made to our health-care system, that covers
:07:27. > :07:37.as many people with similar or lower costs, I will publicly support it.
:07:38. > :07:47.Because that, after all, is why we serve. Not to score points or take
:07:48. > :07:55.credit, but to make people's lives better. But for all the real
:07:56. > :08:04.progress that we've made, we know it's not enough. Our economy doesn't
:08:05. > :08:11.work as well or grow as fast. When a few prosper, the expenses grow for
:08:12. > :08:15.the middle class, and the same for those who want to get into the
:08:16. > :08:21.middle class. That is the economic argument. Starc inequality is also
:08:22. > :08:28.corrosive to our democratic ideal. While the top 1% has amassed a eager
:08:29. > :08:31.share of wealth and income, too many of our friends in cities and in
:08:32. > :08:38.rural counties have been left behind -- Stark. Lead of factory workers,
:08:39. > :08:41.the wages, the health-care worker who is barely getting by in
:08:42. > :08:45.struggling to pay the bills, convinced that the game is fixed
:08:46. > :08:52.against them. That the government only serves the interests of the
:08:53. > :08:56.powerful. That is the recipe for more citizens to make polarisation
:08:57. > :09:02.in our politics. But there are no quick fixes to this long-term trend.
:09:03. > :09:07.I agree, our trade should be fair. But the next wave of economic
:09:08. > :09:10.dislocations won't come from overseas, it will come from the
:09:11. > :09:16.relentless pace of automation that makes a lot of good middle-class
:09:17. > :09:20.jobs obsolete. And so, we are going to have to forge a new social
:09:21. > :09:27.contract to guarantee all our kids the education they need, to get
:09:28. > :09:33.workers the power to unionise for better wages, to update the social
:09:34. > :09:38.safety net to reflect the way we live now. To make more reforms to
:09:39. > :09:42.the tax code so that corporations and individuals who reaped the most
:09:43. > :09:45.from this new economy torrent of wheat there obligations to the
:09:46. > :09:55.country that has made their very success possible.
:09:56. > :09:57.In the last hour, President Obama spoke about race relations
:09:58. > :10:10.After May election, there was talk of a post- racial America -- my. In
:10:11. > :10:19.such a vision, however well intended, was never realistic. Race
:10:20. > :10:25.remains a potent and often divisive force in our society. Now, I've
:10:26. > :10:31.lived long enough to know that race relations are better than they were
:10:32. > :10:38.ten, 20, 30 years ago, no matter what some folks say. You can see it
:10:39. > :10:43.not just in statistics, you see it in the attitudes of young Americans
:10:44. > :10:53.across the political spectrum. But we are not where we need to be. And
:10:54. > :10:59.all of us have more work to do. If every economic issue is framed as a
:11:00. > :11:06.struggle between a hard-working, white middle class, and an
:11:07. > :11:10.undeserving minority, then workers of all shades are going to be left
:11:11. > :11:26.fighting for scraps while the wealthy withdraw further into their
:11:27. > :11:30.private anglaise. If we are unwilling to invest in the children
:11:31. > :11:35.of immigrants just because they don't look like us, we will diminish
:11:36. > :11:38.the prospects of our own children. Because those brown kids will
:11:39. > :11:41.represent a larger and larger share of America's work off. CHEERING AND
:11:42. > :11:46.APPLAUSE Climate change, a controversial
:11:47. > :11:49.issue which has seen him at odds with the incoming President,
:11:50. > :12:05.was next on the speech agenda. Take the challenge climate change.
:12:06. > :12:10.In just eight years, with halved our dependence on foreign oil, doubled
:12:11. > :12:23.our renewable energy and lead the world to an agreement that has a
:12:24. > :12:25.promise to save this planet. But without more direction, our children
:12:26. > :12:31.won't have time to debate the existence of climate change. Thou be
:12:32. > :12:35.busy dealing with its effects. More environmental disasters, more
:12:36. > :12:43.economic disruptions, ways of climate refugees seeking sanctuary
:12:44. > :12:48.-- waves. We can and should argue about the best approach to solve the
:12:49. > :12:55.problem. But to simply deny the problem, it's not only betrays
:12:56. > :13:02.future generations, it betrays the essential spirit of this country.
:13:03. > :13:03.The essential spirit of innovation and practical problem-solving that
:13:04. > :13:07.guided our founders. He highlighted what he called
:13:08. > :13:09.the post-war successes, including the rule of law
:13:10. > :13:12.and freedoms of religion and speech. Freedoms he said which were under
:13:13. > :13:29.threat from terrorism. That order is now being challenged.
:13:30. > :13:34.First, by violent fanatics who try to speak for Islam. More recently by
:13:35. > :13:39.autocrats in foreign capitals who see free markets and open democracy
:13:40. > :13:47.in civil society itself as a threat to their power. The peril it poses
:13:48. > :13:54.to our democracy is more far reaching than a car bomb or a
:13:55. > :14:01.missile -- each poses. They represent the fear of change, the
:14:02. > :14:05.fear of people who look or speak or pray differently. A contempt for the
:14:06. > :14:11.rule of law that holds leaders accountable. And intolerance of
:14:12. > :14:19.dissent and free thought. A belief that the forward, the gun or the
:14:20. > :14:27.bomb is the ultimate arbiter of what is true and right -- sword. Because
:14:28. > :14:32.of the extraordinary courage of our men and women in uniform, because of
:14:33. > :14:37.our intelligence officers and law enforcement, our diplomats who
:14:38. > :14:42.support our troops. No foreign terrorist organisation has
:14:43. > :14:52.successfully planned and executed an attack on our homeland these past
:14:53. > :15:03.eight years. And although Boston, and Orlando, and San Bernardino, and
:15:04. > :15:06.Fort Hood remind us of how dangerous radicalisation can be, our law
:15:07. > :15:10.enforcement agencies are more effective and vigilant than ever. We
:15:11. > :15:19.have taken out tens of thousands of terrorists, including Bin Laden. The
:15:20. > :15:24.global coalition we are leading against Islamic State has taken out
:15:25. > :15:27.their leaders and taken away about half their territory. Islamic State
:15:28. > :15:34.will be destroyed and nobody who threatens America will ever be safe.
:15:35. > :15:38.And to all who serve, all who have served, it has been the honour of my
:15:39. > :15:40.lifetime to be your commander in chief. And we all owe you a deep
:15:41. > :15:47.debt of gratitude. During his speech Barack Obama said
:15:48. > :15:50.that laws against discrimination wont be enough in an increasingly
:15:51. > :16:04.diverse nation. We need to uphold laws against
:16:05. > :16:08.discrimination in hiring and in housing and in education and in the
:16:09. > :16:15.criminal justice system. That is what our Constitution and our
:16:16. > :16:23.highest ideals require. But laws or loan won't be enough. Hearts must
:16:24. > :16:29.change. They won't change overnight. Social attitudes oftentimes take
:16:30. > :16:34.generations to change. But if our democracy is to work the way it
:16:35. > :16:43.should in this increasingly diverse nation, then each one of us need to
:16:44. > :16:48.try to heed the advice of a great character in American fiction,
:16:49. > :16:52.Atticus Finch, who said, "You never really understand a person until you
:16:53. > :16:54.consider things from his point of view until you climb into his skin
:16:55. > :16:57.and walk around in it." He invoked the first
:16:58. > :17:08.American President when talking In his own farewell address, George
:17:09. > :17:14.Washington wrote that self-government is the underpinning
:17:15. > :17:22.of our safety, prosperity and liberty, but from different causes
:17:23. > :17:26.and from different quarters much pains will be taken to weaken in
:17:27. > :17:35.your mind is the conviction of this truth. And so, we have to preserve
:17:36. > :17:41.this truth with jealous anxiety, that we should reject the first
:17:42. > :17:47.dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the
:17:48. > :17:59.rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties that make us one. America, we weaken
:18:00. > :18:05.those ties when we allow our political dialogue to become so
:18:06. > :18:09.corrosive that people of good character aren't even willing to
:18:10. > :18:17.enter into public service stops so of course with rancour, Americans
:18:18. > :18:21.with whom we disagree are seen not just as misguided but seen as
:18:22. > :18:25.malevolent. We weaken those ties when we define some of us as more
:18:26. > :18:34.American than others, when we write off the whole system as inevitably
:18:35. > :18:40.corrupt, and when we sit back and blame the leaders we elect without
:18:41. > :18:45.examining our own role in electing them.
:18:46. > :18:48.He also talked of the support and love he'd received
:18:49. > :18:51.throughout his presidency from his family.
:18:52. > :18:57.P Teater when he talked of the resort port and love he received
:18:58. > :19:02.throughout his presidency from his family -- he then teared up.
:19:03. > :19:12.Michelle Robinson, goal of the Southside -- girl of the Southside.
:19:13. > :19:16.For the past with ideas you have not only been my wife and mother of my
:19:17. > :19:31.children, you have been my best friend. You took on a roll you
:19:32. > :19:36.didn't ask for and you made it your own with grace and with grit and
:19:37. > :20:09.with style and good humour. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.
:20:10. > :20:15.You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody. And a new
:20:16. > :20:21.generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model.
:20:22. > :20:30.So, you have made me proud and you have made the country proud. And he
:20:31. > :20:34.ended where he began, with a call for people to continue to believe in
:20:35. > :20:41.bringing about change at a hold on to the values of the country's
:20:42. > :20:45.founding fathers. My fellow Americans, it has been the honour of
:20:46. > :20:55.my life to serve you. I won't stop. In fact, I will be right there with
:20:56. > :20:59.you as a citizen for all my remaining days. But for now, whether
:21:00. > :21:05.you are young or whether you are young at heart, I do have one final
:21:06. > :21:10.ask of you as your president, the same thing I asked when you took a
:21:11. > :21:17.chance on me eight years ago, I am asking you to believe not in my
:21:18. > :21:22.ability to bring about change but in yours. I am asking you to hold fast
:21:23. > :21:27.to that faith written into our founding documents, that idea
:21:28. > :21:33.whispered by slaves and abolitionists, that spirit sung by
:21:34. > :21:38.immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched for justice the
:21:39. > :21:41.creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign
:21:42. > :21:46.battlefields to the surface of the mood Delma Moon, a creed of every
:21:47. > :21:55.American whose story is not yet written, "Yes, we can." Yes we did,
:21:56. > :22:01.yes we can. Thank you, God bless you. May God continue to bless the
:22:02. > :22:12.United States of America. Thank you. APPLAUSE.
:22:13. > :22:21.President Obama, of course, in Chicago, in his final address to the
:22:22. > :22:24.nation as president, and lest you forget what the President called the
:22:25. > :22:30.hallmark of democracy, the peaceful transfer of power from one freely
:22:31. > :22:34.elected leader to the next, Donald Trump to be sworn in on January 20.
:22:35. > :22:41.I should also tell you he has announced a press conference for
:22:42. > :22:42.tomorrow. There will be a statement before hand, some of it possibly
:22:43. > :22:48.about this: Donald Trump has complained
:22:49. > :22:50.of a political witch hunt against him after unconfirmed
:22:51. > :22:53.reports emerged in the US media that Russian intelligence had gathered
:22:54. > :22:56.compromising information about him. In a tweet, the President-elect
:22:57. > :22:58.denounced the reports as fake news. Unnamed American officials say
:22:59. > :23:01.the US intelligence services have briefed Mr Trump and President Obama
:23:02. > :23:10.about the unsubstantiated claims. There has been nothing said publicly
:23:11. > :23:14.by the US intelligence community to support the claims so far.
:23:15. > :23:17.In just ten days Donald Trump will take over as president
:23:18. > :23:21.of the United States and today was a key moment for the team
:23:22. > :23:24.Senator Jeff Sessions was the first to go before lawmakers
:23:25. > :23:27.in his confirmation hearing to become the next Attorney General.
:23:28. > :23:29.Concerns have been raised about his record especially when it
:23:30. > :23:33.comes to civil rights but today he defended his past and pledged
:23:34. > :23:37.The BBC's Barbara Plett-Usher reports.
:23:38. > :23:44.This was always going to be a hard sell, a senator dog for years by
:23:45. > :23:48.allegations of racism now set to become the country's top law
:23:49. > :23:51.enforcement official. Jeff Sessions is the first of Donald Trump's
:23:52. > :23:56.cabinet nominees to be questioned by Congress, and the most
:23:57. > :24:02.controversial. I am not a racist, I am not insensitive to black. 30
:24:03. > :24:06.years ago he was accused of races comments. It rejected him as
:24:07. > :24:11.position as that will judge. Other charges of civil rights they'll eat
:24:12. > :24:19.and have followed. He has defending himself since. A fellow senator from
:24:20. > :24:23.the gave him the opportunity. When I came as United States attorney, I
:24:24. > :24:26.didn't prepare myself well in 1986 and it was an organised effort to
:24:27. > :24:33.caricature me as something that wasn't true. Macro to strongly --
:24:34. > :24:39.Sessions denied being part of the clue cost clan. I know that was
:24:40. > :24:46.wrong. -- Ku Klux Klan. We can never go back. Civil rights concerns
:24:47. > :24:49.tapped into the fears of what a Trott administration would bring,
:24:50. > :24:52.especially from a supporter like Sessions. Communities across this
:24:53. > :24:57.country are concerned about whether they would be able to rely on the
:24:58. > :25:01.Department of Justice to protect their rights and freedoms.
:25:02. > :25:04.Democratic senators quizzed Sessions about his hardline views on
:25:05. > :25:09.immigration and social issues. Could he enforce laws he voted against?
:25:10. > :25:14.Yes, he said, including same-sex marriage and abortion. It is the law
:25:15. > :25:18.of the land, it has been so established and settled for quite a
:25:19. > :25:22.long time and it deserves respect, and I will respect it and follow it.
:25:23. > :25:26.He also sought to ease fears that he supported Trump's initial call for a
:25:27. > :25:30.ban on Muslim is entering the country. But reassuring testimony
:25:31. > :25:33.has limited impact in this climate. And black lawmakers plan to testify
:25:34. > :25:37.against their fellow congressmen, something almost unheard-of. Please
:25:38. > :25:38.understand I think these are extraordinary times and they call
:25:39. > :25:49.for extraordinary measures. Just a reminder of the main news
:25:50. > :25:54.that President Obama has given his farewell official speech to the
:25:55. > :25:56.nation. More on that and all of the news anytime on the BBC News
:25:57. > :26:07.website. Before our weather turns
:26:08. > :26:10.increasingly wintry, A particularly lively day
:26:11. > :26:13.across the northern half