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John Kerry understands the ideals of community, faith, and service because they've defined his life. And it's around this time that some pastors I was working with came up to me and asked if I was a member of a church. Each of us in our own lives needs to do what we can to help the poor. Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. I saw it firsthand as a child in Indonesia, where devout Christians worshiped freely in an overwhelmingly Muslim country.
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. But we cannot walk away this time. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear. Likewise, many Israelis recognize the need for a Palestinian state. There is no straight line to realize this promise.
He's still speaking to our Catholic friends - who are holding up a consistent ethic of life that goes beyond abortion - one that includes a respect for life and dignity whether it's in Iraq, in poor neighborhoods, in African villages or even on death row. At various stages in the campaign, some commentators have deemed me either "too black" or "not black enough." We saw racial tensions bubble to the surface during the week before the South Carolina primary. I am grateful to finish this journey with one of the finest statesmen of our time, a man at ease with everyone from world leaders to the conductors on the Amtrak train he still takes home every night. And you know what - it's worked before. That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn't. To play a role in fulfilling Palestinian aspirations, and to unify the Palestinian people, Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, and recognize Israel's right to exist.
John Kerry knows this. And if we can do that - if we can embrace a common destiny - then I believe we'll not just help bring about a more hopeful day in America, we'll not just be caring for our own souls, we'll be doing God's work here on Earth. We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job - an economy that honors the dignity of work. Not with so much work to be done. It is costly and politically difficult to continue this conflict.
My faith teaches me that I can sit in church and pray all I want, but I won't be fulfilling God's will unless I go out and do the Lord's work. And it's a testament to what we can achieve when good people with strong convictions stand up for their beliefs. For we have a choice in this country. He does not say health care or the economy. Now let there be no doubt.
Thank you very much everybody.