That has been my experience at Trinity. 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. For more than sixty years they have endured the pain of dislocation. There is so much fear, so much mistrust.
Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is – you’re on your own. It is based upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied. The Palestinian Authority must develop its capacity to govern, with institutions that serve the needs of its people.
No, the word is very near. Why else would he define middle-class as someone making under five million dollars a year? How else could he propose hundreds of billions in tax breaks for big corporations and oil companies but not one penny of tax relief to more than one hundred million Americans? How else could he offer a health care plan that would actually tax people’s benefits, or an education plan that would do nothing to help families pay for college, or a plan that would privatize Social Security and gamble your retirement? These things we share. And any nation – including Iran – should have the right to access peaceful nuclear power if it complies with its responsibilities under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. I know there is debate about this issue.
Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America – there is the United States of America. That’s why pastors, friends of mine like Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes and organizations like World Vision and Catholic Charities are wielding their enormous influence to confront poverty, HIV/AIDS, and the genocide in Darfur. It’s not because John McCain doesn’t care. This too is part of America’s promise – the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort. It is about preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that could lead this region and the world down a hugely dangerous path.
I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible. They know those things. I believe that we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity.
Thank you.