The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son. If there is a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child. I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don't have that chance. They have killed people of different faiths - more than any other, they have killed Muslims. But we will support a secure and united Iraq as a partner, and never as a patron.
That's why pastors, friends of mine like Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes and organizations like World Vision and Catholic Charities are wielding their enormous influence to confront poverty, HIV/AIDS, and the genocide in Darfur. You're on your own. They have fought in our wars, served in government, stood for civil rights, started businesses, taught at our Universities, excelled in our sports arenas, won Nobel Prizes, built our tallest building, and lit the Olympic Torch.
His father - my grandfather - was a cook, a domestic servant to the British. Yet what we also understand is that our values should express themselves not just through our churches or synagogues, temples or mosques; they should express themselves through our government.
And they, too, had big dreams for their daughter. So one Sunday, I put on one of the few clean jackets I had, and went over to Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street on the South Side of Chicago. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely - just as I'm sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed. We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job - an economy that honors the dignity of work. And today, as my call for a time frame to remove our troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush Administration, even after we learned that Iraq has a $79 billion surplus while we're wallowing in deficits, John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war. In the Republicans who never thought they'd pick up a Democratic ballot, but did.
John Kerry calls on us to hope. The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. But by the time he was a young adult, he was an atheist. But they have helped shape the political landscape for at least a generation. And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise will require more than just money.
Thank you, and God bless America.