Barack Obama urges reconciliation in message for US veterans

Obama said veterans were an example of unity for a nation that at times is divided along partisan lines

Washington, Nov 13: President Barack Obama urged all Americans to reconcile their differences and called for "loving our neighbours as ourselves" in a speech honouring veterans of the US Armed Forces.

In his regular Saturday address, Obama said veterans were an example of unity for a nation that at times is divided along partisan lines, Efe news agency reported.

"This weekend, as we search for ways to bridge our differences, we look to the principles that are more enduring than politics," Obama said a day after the Veterans Day holiday.

Obama described the US military as a "united team" and the country's "single most diverse institution," made up of native-born Americans and immigrants, Christians, Muslims, Jews and non-believers.

Without mentioning Republican Party nominee Donald Trump's victory or protests that have erupted in several US cities, Obama appealed to the values of solidarity and patriotism.

"We can practice kindness. We can volunteer, serve and respect one another. We can always get each other's backs. And we can show how much we love our country by loving our neighbours as ourselves," Obama, who will leave office in January, said.

Trump's upset victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's presidential balloting put an end to one of the most contentious and polarizing election campaigns in the country's recent history.

IANS