Barack Obama stepped onto the stage on August 20, 2024, during the second day of the Democratic National Convention held in Chicago. REUTERS
Former U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to students at Hamilton College in New York on Thursday night. He told them it might be time to make real sacrifices to stand up against the current government’s direction. Obama warned that the policies under President Donald Trump could undo important progress made after World War II.
He said being in favor of progress and free speech has often been easy in recent times. People could say they supported these ideas without facing any real challenge. But now, things are different. Obama stressed that those who truly believe in social justice and free speech may need to act and possibly give something up.
“It has been easy during most of our lifetimes to say you are a progressive, or say you are for social justice, or say you are for free speech, and not have to pay a price for it…And now we’re in one of those moments when…it’s not enough just to say you’re for something. You may actually have to do something and possibly sacrifice a little bit," Obama told the crowd.
He said he believes the Trump administration is working to break down the international system that America helped build after the war. Obama told students that this global system — which has promoted peace and cooperation — is still young and not guaranteed to last. He said it could fall apart if people don’t step up and defend it.
Obama also pointed at universities and law firms. He said these places should take a stronger stand against actions from Trump’s government that threaten free speech and legal fairness. He argued that if he had done the same things as Trump, there would have been much more public anger.
“It’s unimaginable that the same parties that are silent now would have tolerated behavior like that from me or a whole bunch of my predecessors," Obama said.
He also said he feels worried that the federal government could go after schools if they don’t punish students who speak out. That, he added, is a threat to freedom of speech — something students must not take for granted.
"All of you have grown up in an international order that was created by America after World War II. … This is an important moment because in the last two months, the U.S. government has been trying to destroy that order," Obama said. "Democracy is pretty recent in its vintage. An international order where you cooperate instead of fight is new. It's fragile."
The event at Hamilton College was not recorded, but those who attended shared Obama’s strong message. He made it clear: defending what’s right takes more than just words. It might take action. And that action may not always be easy.
