The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
He told me he'd joined the Marines, and was heading to Iraq the following week. Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story - of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to. A nation of whiners? Tell that to the proud auto workers at a Michigan plant who, after they found out it was closing, kept showing up every day and working as hard as ever, because they knew there were people who counted on the brakes that they made. They work hard and give back and keep going without complaint.
We can dismiss Reverend Wright as a crank or a demagogue, just as some have dismissed Geraldine Ferraro, in the aftermath of her recent statements, as harboring some deep-seated racial bias. We can tackle race only as spectacle - as we did in the OJ trial - or in the wake of tragedy, as we did in the aftermath of Katrina - or as fodder for the nightly news. Well it's time for them to own their failure. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality. These things we share.
They weren't simply a religious leader's effort to speak out against perceived injustice. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future.
In fact, it isn't even past." We do not need to recite here the history of racial injustice in this country. But I have asserted a firm conviction - a conviction rooted in my faith in God and my faith in the American people - that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice is we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union. America, we cannot turn back. 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. It was a peaceful and determined insistence upon the ideals at the center of America's founding. In ancient times and in our times, Muslim communities have been at the forefront of innovation and education.
Clearly, the past 50 years have not weakened your resolve as faithful witnesses of the gospel. This is where we are right now. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class. They could've heard words of anger and discord. But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors.
Thank you, and God bless America.