The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
They know we can do better. The man I met more than twenty years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor. As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."
And in all these ways, they helped make this country more decent and more just. It's a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years. Many bring up a specific issue. If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice - but it is not the change we need. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles - principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.
Louis, and thousands more like her, who has the grades, has the drive, has the will, but doesn't have the money to go to college. They know those things. And occasionally it finds voice in the church on Sunday morning, in the pulpit and in the pews. It's that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; as if this country - a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old - is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. The sooner the extremists are isolated and unwelcome in Muslim communities, the sooner we will all be safer. And while America in the past has focused on oil and gas in this part of the world, we now seek a broader engagement.
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. Our conscience cannot rest until we not only secure our borders, but give the 12 million undocumented immigrants in this country a chance to earn their citizenship by paying a fine and waiting in line behind all those who came here legally. It is where our union grows stronger. That is why I intend to personally pursue this outcome with all the patience that the task requires.
But the remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren't simply controversial. Well it's time for them to own their failure. For peace to come, it is time for them - and all of us - to live up to our responsibilities. There is so much fear, so much mistrust.
Thank you, and God bless America.