The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
For we have a choice in this country. This time we want to reject the cynicism that tells us that these kids can't learn; that those kids who don't look like us are somebody else's problem. And that's to be expected. And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.
I'm talking about something more substantial. I can assure you it is not. And it means taking full responsibility for own lives - by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny. And that is why we are providing more than $2.8 billion to help Afghans develop their economy and deliver services that people depend upon. That is the world we seek.
My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. So one Sunday, I put on one of the few clean jackets I had, and went over to Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street on the South Side of Chicago. That's why I've been fighting to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and the minimum wage. They had to file for bankruptcy, and that's when Ashley decided that she had to do something to help her mom. And when I hear a woman talk about the difficulties of starting her own business, I think about my grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle-management, despite years of being passed over for promotions because she was a woman. And when innocents in Bosnia and Darfur are slaughtered, that is a stain on our collective conscience.
This time we want to talk about the men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. And in exchange, I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability. It is a sign of neither courage nor power to shoot rockets at sleeping children, or to blow up old women on a bus. Israel must also live up to its obligations to ensure that Palestinians can live, and work, and develop their society. And I will host a Summit on Entrepreneurship this year to identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations and social entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world.
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. But it is a story that has seared into my genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more than the sum of its parts - that out of many, we are truly one. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was President - when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush. When one nation pursues a nuclear weapon, the risk of nuclear attack rises for all nations. And so in that spirit, let me speak as clearly and plainly as I can about some specific issues that I believe we must finally confront together. On economic development, we will create a new corps of business volunteers to partner with counterparts in Muslim-majority countries.
God bless you.