The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
We're not going to agree on everything, but we can disagree without being disagreeable. That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper. As the Holy Koran tells us, "Be conscious of God and speak always the truth." That is what I will try to do - to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart. That is not how moral authority is claimed; that is how it is surrendered.
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. For more than sixty years they have endured the pain of dislocation. At the same time, Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel's right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine's. This is not simply about America's interests.
Change happens because the American people demand it - because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time. government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny it. We will help Iraq train its Security Forces and develop its economy. This history is well known. It is about preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that could lead this region and the world down a hugely dangerous path.
These are the Americans that I know. We seek no military bases there. Trade can bring new wealth and opportunities, but also huge disruptions and changing communities.
Why associate myself with Reverend Wright in the first place, they may ask? Why not join another church? And I confess that if all that I knew of Reverend Wright were the snippets of those sermons that have run in an endless loop on the television and You Tube, or if Trinity United Church of Christ conformed to the caricatures being peddled by some commentators, there is no doubt that I would react in much the same way Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. Just as black anger often proved counterproductive, so have these white resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze - a corporate culture rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices, and short-term greed; a Washington dominated by lobbyists and special interests; economic policies that favor the few over the many. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America. The first nation to recognize my country was Morocco.
God bless you.