The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
It was stained by this nation's original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies and brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least twenty more years, and to leave any final resolution to future generations. Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naive as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy - particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own. That's the change we need right now. Because I've seen it. The third source of tension is our shared interest in the rights and responsibilities of nations on nuclear weapons.
But if we see this conflict only from one side or the other, then we will be blind to the truth: the only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security. In the middle of the Cold War, the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically-elected Iranian government.
In this election, we offer that choice. John Kerry calls on us to hope. The President vetoed a similar plan, but he doesn't have the last word, and we're going to keep at it, until we bring this war to an end. We have to do what we can, knowing it's hard and not swinging from a naive idealism to a bitter defeatism - but rather, accepting the fact that we're not going to solve every problem overnight, but we can still make a difference. The press has scoured every exit poll for the latest evidence of racial polarization, not just in terms of white and black, but black and brown as well. Not just with words, but with deeds - by investing in our schools and our communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were unavailable for previous generations.
They saw that I knew the Scriptures and that many of the values I held and that propelled me in my work were values they shared. Universities and states, including Illinois, are taking part in a divestment campaign to pressure the Sudanese government to stop the killings. It is where our union grows stronger. At the same time, Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel's right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine's.
And until we stop the genocide that's being carried out in Darfur as I speak, our conscience cannot rest. Kennedy called our "intellectual and moral strength." Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient. Change comes to Washington. The enduring faith of over a billion people is so much bigger than the narrow hatred of a few.
Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you.