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. It was stained by this nation’s original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies and brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least twenty more years, and to leave any final resolution to future generations. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. Today, America has a dual responsibility: to help Iraq forge a better future - and to leave Iraq to Iraqis.

They know they have to work hard to get ahead - and they want to. If there is a child on the south side of Chicago who can’t read, that matters to me, even if it’s not my child. It’s been about you. “And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.” I know that for many, the face of globalization is contradictory.