President Obama and his nephews Austin and Aaron Robinson react to an unexpected commotion by Tot, the National Thanksgiving Turkey Nov. 23, 2016. National Turkey Federation Chairman John Reicks watches at left. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“As long as we continue to welcome the contributions of all people, as long as we stand up for each other, speak out for what is right and stay true to these ideals – not just when it’s easy, but when it’s hard – then no one can ever take away our liberty,” President Barack Obama said Thursday
“Our best days will always be ahead,” he added in his last Thanksgiving message from the White House, as the United States transitions to a new President-elect Donald Trump administration on January 20, 2016.
In the video message, Obama asked Americans to come together after a “noisy, passionate and sometimes divisive campaign season.”
“Elections are often where we emphasize what sets us apart,” the president said in the message posted on YouTube.
“We face off in a contest of ‘us’ versus ‘them.’ We focus on the candidate we support instead of some of the ideals we share.”
“But a few short weeks later, Thanksgiving reminds us that no matter our differences, we are still one people, part of something bigger than ourselves,” he continued. “We are communities that move forward together. We are neighbors who look out for one another, especially those among us with the least. We are always, simply, Americans.”
The 2016 election campaign has been particularly termed as one of the most abrasive and divisive in recent American history as candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton constantly attacked each other. Several days after Trump’s election victory, protests continue against his campaign rhetoric.
Obama, in his address, also cited the importance of the day as noted by President Abraham Lincoln.
“Through the fog of civil war, President Lincoln saw what mattered most – the unalienable truths for which so many gave their lives, and which made possible ‘a new birth of freedom,’” Mr. Obama said. “And so precisely when the fate of the Union hung in the balance, he boldly proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving.”
