Obama Ipsum

And they, too, had big dreams for their daughter. John Kerry believes in America. 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. He does not say that he was there because of Barack Obama. These are not whiners. The dream of opportunity for all people has not come true for everyone in America, but its promise exists for all who come to our shores - that includes nearly seven million American Muslims in our country today who enjoy incomes and education that are higher than average.

It is that fundamental belief, it is that fundamental belief, I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper that makes this country work. Anger over welfare and affirmative action helped forge the Reagan Coalition. Without these ingredients, elections alone do not make true democracy. Many Gulf States have enjoyed great wealth as a consequence of oil, and some are beginning to focus it on broader development.

In that time, I've had the chance to talk with Americans all across this country. What's remarkable is not how many failed in the face of discrimination, but rather how many men and women overcame the odds; how many were able to make a way out of no way for those like me who would come after them. The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of co-existence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. And I believe that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations - to live in peace and security; to get an education and to work with dignity; to love our families, our communities, and our God. I saw it firsthand as a child in Indonesia, where devout Christians worshiped freely in an overwhelmingly Muslim country.

The skeptical bent of my mind didn't suddenly vanish. So let's rededicate ourselves to a new kind of politics - a politics of conscience. These are the Americans that I know. And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced. It will be hard to overcome decades of mistrust, but we will proceed with courage, rectitude and resolve. Meanwhile, the struggle for women's equality continues in many aspects of American life, and in countries around the world.

It got hijacked. You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country. Fear that because of modernity we will lose of control over our economic choices, our politics, and most importantly our identities - those things we most cherish about our communities, our families, our traditions, and our faith.

Thank you, and God bless America.