The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
And as I listened to him explain why he'd enlisted, the absolute faith he had in our country and its leaders, his devotion to duty and service, I thought this young man was all that any of us might hope for in a child. It's been several months now since I announced I was running for president. But as Americans, we also know that this is a nation of laws, and we cannot have those laws broken when more than 2,000 people cross our borders illegally every day. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from. If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it's best to stop hoping, and settle for what you already know. That is the world we seek.
It is that fundamental belief, it is that fundamental belief, I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper that makes this country work. It wasn't until after college, when I went to Chicago to work as a community organizer for a group of Christian churches, that I confronted my own spiritual dilemma. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And just as it devastates Palestinian families, the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza does not serve Israel's security; neither does the continuing lack of opportunity in the West Bank.
And it's around this time that some pastors I was working with came up to me and asked if I was a member of a church. These are not whiners. These are the policies I will pursue. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own. And fault lines must be closed among Muslims as well, as the divisions between Sunni and Shia have led to tragic violence, particularly in Iraq.
That legacy of defeat was passed on to future generations - those young men and increasingly young women who we see standing on street corners or languishing in our prisons, without hope or prospects for the future. Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story - of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to. Change comes to Washington. I know, too, that Islam has always been a part of America's story. But that is not yet the case. It is easy to point fingers - for Palestinians to point to the displacement brought by Israel's founding, and for Israelis to point to the constant hostility and attacks throughout its history from within its borders as well as beyond.
I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow. When Washington doesn't work, all its promises seem empty. The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of co-existence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. We know that is God's vision.
Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you.