Obama Ipsum

Segregated schools were, and are, inferior schools; we still haven't fixed them, fifty years after Brown v. Politicians routinely exploited fears of crime for their own electoral ends.

But what the people heard instead - people of every creed and color, from every walk of life - is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith.

And the lack of basic services in so many urban black neighborhoods - parks for kids to play in, police walking the beat, regular garbage pick-up and building code enforcement - all helped create a cycle of violence, blight and neglect that continue to haunt us. This is the reality in which Reverend Wright and other African-Americans of his generation grew up. But if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we'll be talking about some other distraction.

This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. So let there be no doubt: Islam is a part of America.

And I'm glad to see that. That's why I stand here tonight. It's been about you. I believe that as hard as it will be, the change we need is coming. And I am hopeful that all countries in the region can share in this goal. It is easier to blame others than to look inward; to see what is different about someone than to find the things we share.

Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America.