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But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Too many tears have flowed. The Holy Koran tells us, "O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another."
They want a sense of purpose, a narrative arc to their lives. Legalized discrimination - where blacks were prevented, often through violence, from owning property, or loans were not granted to African-American business owners, or black homeowners could not access FHA mortgages, or blacks were excluded from unions, or the police force, or fire departments - meant that black families could not amass any meaningful wealth to bequeath to future generations. The fifth issue that we must address together is religious freedom.
John Edwards calls on us to hope. It's a journey that takes us back to our nation's founding, when none other than a UCC church inspired the Boston Tea Party and helped bring an Empire to its knees. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. 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. That does not mean we should ignore sources of tension. America's strong bonds with Israel are well known.
From Willow Creek to the 'emerging church,' from the Southern Baptist Convention to the National Association of Evangelicals, folks are realizing that the four walls of the church are too small for a big God.God is still speaking. They've worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. And I am hopeful that all countries in the region can share in this goal.
And fellow Americans, Democrats, Republicans, Independents - I say to you tonight: we have more work to do. We can recognize the truth that's at the heart of the UCC: that the conversation is not over; that our roles are not defined; that through ancient texts and modern voices, God is still speaking, challenging us to change not just our own lives, but the world around us. Legalized discrimination - where blacks were prevented, often through violence, from owning property, or loans were not granted to African-American business owners, or black homeowners could not access FHA mortgages, or blacks were excluded from unions, or the police force, or fire departments - meant that black families could not amass any meaningful wealth to bequeath to future generations. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality. The Talmud tells us: "The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace."
Thank you, and God bless America.