The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
The Holy Koran teaches that whoever kills an innocent, it is as if he has killed all mankind; and whoever saves a person, it is as if he has saved all mankind. America does not presume to know what is best for everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the outcome of a peaceful election.
We shouldn't use the obstacles we face as an excuse for cynicism. Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787. When Washington doesn't work, all its promises seem empty. Part of this conviction is rooted in my own experience.
It's a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years. For many years, Iran has defined itself in part by its opposition to my country, and there is indeed a tumultuous history between us.
It's not consistent with our traditions of justice and fairness. Segregated schools were, and are, inferior schools; we still haven't fixed them, fifty years after Brown v. That promise is our greatest inheritance. But all of us must recognize that education and innovation will be the currency of the 21st century, and in too many Muslim communities there remains underinvestment in these areas.
And yet, I know that, on this night, they look down on me with great pride. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for their prescription drugs, and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandparent. There was even a time when the Christian Coalition determined that its number one legislative priority was tax cuts for the rich. They have killed people of different faiths - more than any other, they have killed Muslims. No matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who hold power: you must maintain your power through consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities, and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; you must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party.
God bless you.