With less than a week to go until president-elect Trump takes office, President Obama gave his farewell speech in Chicago. Though I was not able to watch the address live, I watched it a few days later, sitting at my desk in Young Hall. Obama's farewell address was one of the most beautiful, eloquent speeches I have ever heard. Whether you like President Obama or not, the man certainly knows how to deliver a speech.
While watching Obama address the American people one final time, I felt all different kinds of emotions. The most prominent one was thankfulness. I have had the great honor of being alive when the first African-American president was elected; it will be a moment I will tell my future children about, how a man overcame odds that were stacked against him to become the most powerful man in the world. I am thankful I was able to witness President Obama lead a country with intelligence, dignity, and recognition that being the president means sacrificing your own comfort for the sake of the American people.
Unfortunately, the other predominant emotion I felt was fear. I am afraid at what will happen when president-elect Trump is sworn in. If Trump truly has a plan to make this country better, he needs to stop with the Twitter rants, the blatant disregard for the feelings of others, and realize politics is more than just a game.
Throughout Trump's campaign, a common theme he expressed was the idea of "winning". Yes, Donald Trump won the election, and yes, he did beat Hillary Clinton. But now, he needs to drop his attitude of "I won, I'm the best, I beat you all". Being the president is not about keeping score of your wins and losses. Being president means doing whatever it takes to protect America and make life better for the American people.
Donald Trump needs to understand that what he is about to take on will involve compromise, hard-work, and more compromise. He can't do the job by thinking he has to "win" every step along the way.
The last emotion I felt watching Obama deliver his address was hope. I am hopeful that even in the darkest times, there are still good people in America. I am hopeful that the ideals President Obama has brought to light will not fade away quickly as he leaves office. I am hopeful that those in America who feel left behind, mistreated, and forgotten will one day feel accepted. I refuse to give in to fear. I refuse to feel ashamed of my identity as a woman and a proud Hispanic. I refuse to give up on my dreams of scientific research, even if there are more men in the scientific field than women.
To end, I'll say this: Thanks Obama. Thank you for inspiring me and making me feel proud to be an American.
