Obama Ipsum

He told me he'd joined the Marines, and was heading to Iraq the following week. He simply says to everyone in the room, "I am here because of Ashley."

Because we all have the capacity to do justice and show mercy; to treat others with dignity and respect; and to rise above what divides us and come together to meet those challenges we can't meet alone. Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy. Those stories - of survival, and freedom, and hope - became our story, my story; the blood that had spilled was our blood, the tears our tears; until this black church, on this bright day, seemed once more a vessel carrying the story of a people into future generations and into a larger world. We can do that. This is a difficult responsibility to embrace.

Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters, the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. We can do that. The children of America are not those kids, they are our kids, and we will not let them fall behind in a 21st century economy. Well it's time for them to own their failure. The attacks of September 11th, 2001 and the continued efforts of these extremists to engage in violence against civilians has led some in my country to view Islam as inevitably hostile not only to America and Western countries, but also to human rights.

And yet words on a parchment would not be enough to deliver slaves from bondage, or provide men and women of every color and creed their full rights and obligations as citizens of the United States. I can assure you it is not. Even for those blacks who did make it, questions of race, and racism, continue to define their worldview in fundamental ways. I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. That's why we're partnering with a coalition of forty-six countries.

But then I asked myself: Are we serving Shamus as well as he is serving us? And I've found that no matter where I am, or who I'm talking to, there's a common theme that emerges. And it means taking full responsibility for own lives - by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own. Among some Muslims, there is a disturbing tendency to measure one's own faith by the rejection of another's. The issues that I have described will not be easy to address.

Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you.