The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
There is real evil and hardship and pain and suffering in the world and we should be humble in our belief that we can eliminate them. This is not to say that race has not been an issue in the campaign. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Not even close. That promise is our greatest inheritance.
And nothing will change. We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma.
He was nominally a Muslim since there were a number of Muslims in the village where he was born. But I think they also sensed that a part of me remained removed and detached - that I was an observer in their midst. But at the end of the day, we cannot walk away - not for the sake of passing a bill, but so that we can finally address the real concerns of Americans and the persistent hopes of all those brothers and sisters who want nothing more than their own chance at our common dream.
That anger is not always productive; indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems; it keeps us from squarely facing our own complicity in our condition, and prevents the African-American community from forging the alliances it needs to bring about real change. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation - the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was President - when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush. This cycle of suspicion and discord must end. Americans are ready to join with citizens and governments; community organizations, religious leaders, and businesses in Muslim communities around the world to help our people pursue a better life.
And they want that choice. So doing the Lord's work is a thread that's run through our politics since the very beginning. Today there are 12 million undocumented immigrants in America, most of them working in our communities, attending our churches, and contributing to our country. Not with so much work to be done. For many years, Iran has defined itself in part by its opposition to my country, and there is indeed a tumultuous history between us. Among some Muslims, there is a disturbing tendency to measure one's own faith by the rejection of another's.
Thank you, and God bless America.