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This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning of this campaign - to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America. I know there has been controversy about the promotion of democracy in recent years, and much of this controversy is connected to the war in Iraq.
America! Tonight, if you feel the same energy that I do, if you feel the same urgency that I do, if you feel the same passion I do, if you feel the same hopefulness that I do - if we do what we must do, then I have no doubts that all across the country, from Florida to Oregon, from Washington to Maine, the people will rise up in November, and John Kerry will be sworn in as president, and John Edwards will be sworn in as vice president, and this country will reclaim its promise, and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come. It's a journey that takes us back to our nation's founding, when none other than a UCC church inspired the Boston Tea Party and helped bring an Empire to its knees. When violent extremists operate in one stretch of mountains, people are endangered across an ocean.
I have a plan that would have already begun redeploying our troops with the goal of bringing all our combat brigades home by March 31st of next year. Even for those blacks who did make it, questions of race, and racism, continue to define their worldview in fundamental ways. 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.
People don't expect government to solve all their problems. John Kerry knows this. And just as Lieutenant Kerry did not hesitate to risk his life to protect the men who served with him in Vietnam, President Kerry will not hesitate one moment to use our military might to keep America safe and secure. But we shouldn't use our humility as an excuse for inaction. Threatening Israel with destruction - or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews - is deeply wrong, and only serves to evoke in the minds of Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve.
But somehow, somewhere along the way, faith stopped being used to bring us together and started being used to drive us apart. Our conscience cannot rest until we not only secure our borders, but give the 12 million undocumented immigrants in this country a chance to earn their citizenship by paying a fine and waiting in line behind all those who came here legally. We all put our country first. So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, and who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith. Much has been made of the fact that an African-American with the name Barack Hussein Obama could be elected President.
Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you.