The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
I believe that we have a righteous wind at our backs and that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices, and meet the challenges that face us. But we also know our conscience cannot rest so long as the war goes on in Iraq. What would be needed were Americans in successive generations who were willing to do their part - through protests and struggle, on the streets and in the courts, through a civil war and civil disobedience and always at great risk - to narrow that gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time. You don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. I am aware that some question or justify the events of 9/11.
We will all have to make concessions to achieve this. On one end of the spectrum, we've heard the implication that my candidacy is somehow an exercise in affirmative action; that it's based solely on the desire of wide-eyed liberals to purchase racial reconciliation on the cheap. But I will also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less - because we cannot meet twenty-first century challenges with a twentieth century bureaucracy. We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security. The richness of religious diversity must be upheld - whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt. I know there is debate about this issue.
It is not enough to give health care to the sick, or jobs to the jobless, or education to our children. That is not how moral authority is claimed; that is how it is surrendered.
Last time we took up immigration reform, it failed. Throughout the first year of this campaign, against all predictions to the contrary, we saw how hungry the American people were for this message of unity. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation - the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election. Perhaps somebody told her along the way that the source of her mother's problems were blacks who were on welfare and too lazy to work, or Hispanics who were coming into the country illegally. This is a difficult responsibility to embrace. Instead, it must be a cause for action to help the Palestinian people develop the institutions that will sustain their state; to recognize Israel's legitimacy; and to choose progress over a self-defeating focus on the past.
And all across the country, communities of faith are sponsoring day care programs, building senior centers, and in so many other ways, taking part in the project of American renewal. We can affirm our faith without endangering the separation of church and state, as long as we understand that when we're in the public square, we have to speak in universal terms that everyone can understand. America, now is not the time for small plans. Yet in this new age, such attitudes are self-defeating. That does not mean we should ignore sources of tension.
Thank you.