The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
When we send our young men and women into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they're going, to care for their families while they're gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world. 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. It's time for us to change America. Many more are simply skeptical that real change can occur.
Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or do we participate in a politics of hope? That is true genius of this nation. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change. No health care? The market will fix it. In signing the Treaty of Tripoli in 1796, our second President John Adams wrote, "The United States has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims." And since our founding, American Muslims have enriched the United States.
The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. That is one option. This too is part of America's promise - the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort. Too many tears have flowed.
And in time, I came to see faith as more than just a comfort to the weary or a hedge against death, but rather as an active, palpable agent in the world and in my own life. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth and carrying out His works. Our trials and triumphs became at once unique and universal, black and more than black; in chronicling our journey, the stories and songs gave us a means to reclaim memories that we didn't need to feel shame about...memories that all people might study and cherish - and with which we could start to rebuild." It's a story with a simple truth: that violence is a dead end. On economic development, we will create a new corps of business volunteers to partner with counterparts in Muslim-majority countries.
It's that we all have it within our power to make this a better world. At times, that anger is exploited by politicians, to gin up votes along racial lines, or to make up for a politician's own failings. And today, as my call for a time frame to remove our troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush Administration, even after we learned that Iraq has a $79 billion surplus while we're wallowing in deficits, John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war. These are not opinions to be debated; these are facts to be dealt with. Finally, the Arab States must recognize that the Arab Peace Initiative was an important beginning, but not the end of their responsibilities. 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.
Thank you, and God bless America.