Obama Ipsum

You know, a while back, I met a young man named Shamus [Seamus?] in a V.F.W. Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution - a Constitution that had at is very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty, and justice, and a union that could be and should be perfected over time. And the lack of basic services in so many urban black neighborhoods - parks for kids to play in, police walking the beat, regular garbage pick-up and building code enforcement - all helped create a cycle of violence, blight and neglect that continue to haunt us.

Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. The enduring faith of over a billion people is so much bigger than the narrow hatred of a few.

And God is still speaking. This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners - an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. He is a man who served his country as a U.S. Marine; who has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country, and who for over thirty years led a church that serves the community by doing God's work here on Earth - by housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing day care services and scholarships and prison ministries, and reaching out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS. These are not whiners. We also know that military power alone is not going to solve the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

I thought of the families I've met who were struggling to get by without a loved one's full income, or whose loved ones had returned with a limb missing or nerves shattered, but who still lacked long-term health benefits because they were Reservists. We are taking concrete actions to change course.

There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own. The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements.

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