We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. 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. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. 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.
Take a good look, folks- these are the faces of America's future. Lydia and I were lounging around , listening to parts of last night's speeches this morning, and I told her to listen hard- this is history in the making. I've never seen anything like this (though I'm told the feeling is a lot like the Kennedy campaign in 1960).
America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise -- that American promise -- and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.
I think that the thing that I see as the biggest difference in Obama's message and all of the other words around him is that his is about the future- not the past or even the present- that we can't stay here where we are now but have to face ahead. I like that.
Needless to say, tonight's speech sealed the deal for me.
2 comments:
Yes! I watched it on youtube yesterday. I am getting super excited to vote for this man.
And won't it be awesome to have a president who can speak in complete sentences? =) Yay!!!
Complete sentences, coherent thoughts, cogent arguments... it's like, he's _educated_ or something!
I have no munniez and not enough energy to do volunteer work for him, but I'm taking a batch of brownies down to the local office this week- they'll need the energy!
Doesn't it say something about a man who chose Joe Biden for VP vs the man who chose Sarah Palin? Talk about a contrast!
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