Nelson Mandela's extraordinary life and steadfast commitment to the principles of democracy and reconciliation continues to be a beacon for people of all backgrounds who strive for dignity, justice, and freedom.
Statement on Nelson Mandela International Day
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More from Barack Obama
It is a basic principle of American democracy that the government can’t selectively target individuals simply because of their political beliefs or what they say.
The effort, he said, “should outrage all Americans, regardless of how they feel about Congresswoman Omar’s political views.”
Because if this becomes the new normal, there’s no reason to believe it will stop with her — or that future presidents, in either party, won’t do the same.
People need to “rediscover what’s the story we tell about how we’re going to live together, and see each other, and recognise each other, and disagree, and yet, still care for each other”.
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