The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
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. She had this enormous capacity for wonder, and lived by the Golden Rule. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother - a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe. The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives - on health care and education and the economy - Senator McCain has been anything but independent.
Despite the temptation to view my candidacy through a purely racial lens, we won commanding victories in states with some of the whitest populations in the country. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. And then another one. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together.
It seems to me that each day, thousands of Americans are going about their lives - dropping the kids off at school, driving to work, shopping at the mall, trying to stay on their diets, trying to kick a cigarette habit - and they're coming to the realization that something is missing. And yet, it has only been in the last couple of weeks that the discussion of race in this campaign has taken a particularly divisive turn. That is not how moral authority is claimed; that is how it is surrendered. This truth transcends nations and peoples - a belief that isn't new; that isn't black or white or brown; that isn't Christian, or Muslim or Jew.
I have a plan that would have already begun redeploying our troops with the goal of bringing all our combat brigades home by March 31st of next year. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Our trials and triumphs became at once unique and universal, black and more than black; in chronicling our journey, the stories and songs gave us a means to reclaim memories that we didn't need to feel shame about...memories that all people might study and cherish - and with which we could start to rebuild." The children of America are not those kids, they are our kids, and we will not let them fall behind in a 21st century economy. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work. Islam has a proud tradition of tolerance.
I thought of the 900 men and women - sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors, who won't be returning to their own hometowns. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President. Their actions are irreconcilable with the rights of human beings, the progress of nations, and with Islam.
Thank you.