Obama Ipsum

Out of many, one. We want to talk about how to bring them home from a war that never should've been authorized and never should've been waged, and we want to talk about how we'll show our patriotism by caring for them, and their families, and giving them the benefits they have earned. The dream of opportunity for all people has not come true for everyone in America, but its promise exists for all who come to our shores - that includes nearly seven million American Muslims in our country today who enjoy incomes and education that are higher than average.

Imagine Lincoln's Second Inaugural without its reference to "the judgments of the Lord." Or King's "I Have a Dream" speech without its reference to "all of God's children." Or President Kennedy's Inaugural without the words, "here on Earth, God's work must truly be our own." At each of these junctures, by summoning a higher truth and embracing a universal faith, our leaders inspired ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things. Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land - enough! This moment - this election - is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. And just as we keep our keep our promise to the next generation here at home, so must we keep America's promise abroad. If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it's best to stop hoping, and settle for what you already know. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own.

Part of it's because of the so-called leaders of the Christian Right, who've been all too eager to exploit what divides us. God is still speaking. She did this for a year until her mom got better, and she told everyone at the roundtable that the reason she joined our campaign was so that she could help the millions of other children in the country who want and need to help their parents too. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work. Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it. At the same time, Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel's right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine's.

We have real enemies in the world. I learned that those things I was too weak to accomplish myself, He would accomplish with me if I placed my trust in Him. It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect. The enduring faith of over a billion people is so much bigger than the narrow hatred of a few.

So it's 1985, and I'm in Chicago, and I'm working with these churches, and with lots of laypeople who are much older than I am. They weren't simply a religious leader's effort to speak out against perceived injustice. That has been my experience at Trinity. For peace to come, it is time for them - and all of us - to live up to our responsibilities. Indeed, faith should bring us together.

Thank you, and God bless America.