The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
It is not up in heaven. And they are a part of America, this country that I love. But we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow. Politicians routinely exploited fears of crime for their own electoral ends.
Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place, America, that shone as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before. The hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta. Like the anger within the black community, these resentments aren't always expressed in polite company. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism. Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend.
Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. And just as Lieutenant Kerry did not hesitate to risk his life to protect the men who served with him in Vietnam, President Kerry will not hesitate one moment to use our military might to keep America safe and secure. Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. Some are eager to stoke the flames of division, and to stand in the way of progress.
The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. 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. And I've seen it in this campaign. Among some Muslims, there is a disturbing tendency to measure one's own faith by the rejection of another's. In all nations - including my own - this change can bring fear.
The second major source of tension that we need to discuss is the situation between Israelis, Palestinians and the Arab world. I understand those who protest that some countries have weapons that others do not.
Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you.