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AMorePerfectUnionPhiladelphia,PA|March18,2008Wethepeople,inordertoformamoreperfectunion.Twohundredandtwentyoneyearsago,inahallthatstillstandsacrossthestreet,agroupofmengatheredand,withthesesimplewords,launchedAmerica'simprobableexperimentindemocracy.Farmersandscholars;statesmenandpatriotswhohadtraveledacrossanoceantoescapetyrannyandpersecutionfinallymaderealtheirdeclarationofindependenceataPhiladelphiaconventionthatlastedthroughthespringof1787.Thedocumenttheyproducedwaseventuallysignedbutultimatelyunfinished.Itwasstainedbythisnation'soriginalsinofslavery,aquestionthatdividedthecoloniesandbroughttheconventiontoastalemateuntilthefounderschosetoallowtheslavetradetocontinueforatleasttwentymoreyears,andtoleaveanyfinalresolutiontofuturegenerations.Ofcourse,theanswertotheslaveryquestionwasalreadyembeddedwithinourConstitution-aConstitutionthathadatitsverycoretheidealofequalcitizenshipunderthelaw;aConstitutionthatpromiseditspeopleliberty,andjustice,andaunionthatcouldbeandshouldbeperfectedovertime.Andyetwordsonaparchmentwouldnotbeenoughtodeliverslavesfrombondage,orprovidemenandwomenofeverycolorandcreedtheirfullrightsandobligationsascitizensoftheUnitedStates.WhatwouldbeneededwereAmericansinsuccessivegenerationswhowerewillingtodotheirpart-throughprotestsandstruggle,onthestreetsandinthecourts,throughacivilwarandcivildisobedienceandalwaysatgreatrisk-tonarrowthatgapbetweenthepromiseofouridealsandtherealityoftheirtime.Thiswasoneofthetaskswesetforthatthebeginningofthiscampaign-tocontinuethelongmarchofthosewhocamebeforeus,amarchforamorejust,moreequal,morefree,morecaringandmoreprosperousAmerica.IchosetorunforthepresidencyatthismomentinhistorybecauseIbelievedeeplythatwecannotsolvethechallengesofourtimeunlesswesolvethemtogether-unlessweperfectourunionbyunderstandingthatwemayhavedifferentstories,butweholdcommonhopes;thatwemaynotlookthesameandwemaynothavecomefromthesameplace,butweallwanttomoveinthesamedirection-towardsabetterfutureforourchildrenandourgrandchildren.ThisbeliefcomesfrommyunyieldingfaithinthedecencyandgenerosityoftheAmericanpeople.ButitalsocomesfrommyownAmericanstory.IamthesonofablackmanfromKenyaandawhitewomanfromKansas.IwasraisedwiththehelpofawhitegrandfatherwhosurvivedaDepressiontoserveinPatton'sArmyduringWorldWarIIandawhitegrandmotherwhoworkedonabomberassemblylineatFortLeavenworthwhilehewasoverseas.I'vegonetosomeofthebestschoolsinAmericaandlivedinoneoftheworld'spoorestnations.IammarriedtoablackAmericanwhocarrieswithinherthebloodofslavesandslaveowners-aninheritancewepassontoourtwopreciousdaughters.Ihavebrothers,sisters,nieces,nephews,unclesandcousins,ofeveryraceandeveryhue,scatteredacrossthreecontinents,andforaslongasIlive,IwillneverforgetthatinnoothercountryonEarthismystoryevenpossible.It'sastorythathasn'tmademethemostconventionalcandidate.Butitisastorythathassearedintomygeneticmakeuptheideathatthisnationismorethanthesumofitsparts-thatoutofmany,wearetrulyone.Throughoutthefirstyearofthiscampaign,againstallpredictionstothecontrary,wesawhowhungrytheAmericanpeoplewereforthismessageofunity.Despitethetemptationtoviewmycandidacythroughapurelyraciallens,wewoncommandingvictoriesinstateswithsomeofthewhitestpopulationsinthecountry.InSouthCarolina,wheretheConfederateFlagstillflies,webuiltapowerfulcoalitionofAfricanAmericansandwhiteAmericans.Thisisnottosaythatracehasnotbeenanissueinthecampaign.Atvariousstagesinthecampaign,somecommentatorshavedeemedmeeithertooblackornotblackenough.WesawracialtensionsbubbletothesurfaceduringtheweekbeforetheSouthCarolinaprimary.Thepresshasscouredeveryexitpollforthelatestevidenceofracialpolarization,notjustintermsofwhiteandblack,butblackandbrownaswell.Andyet,ithasonlybeeninthelastcoupleofweeksthatthediscussionofraceinthiscampaignhastakenaparticularlydivisiveturn.Ononeendofthespectrum,we'veheardtheimplicationthatmycandidacyissomehowanexerciseinaffirmativeaction;thatit'sbasedsolelyonthedesireofwide-eyedliberalstopurchaseracialreconciliationonthecheap.Ontheotherend,we'veheardmyformerpastor,ReverendJeremiahWright,useincendiarylanguagetoexpressviewsthathavethepotentialnotonlytowidentheracialdivide,butviewsthatdenigrateboththegreatnessandthegoodnessofournation;thatrightlyoffendwhiteandblackalike.Ihavealreadycondemned,inunequivocalterms,thestatementsofReverendWrightthathavecausedsuchcontroversy.Forsome,naggingquestionsremain.DidIknowhimtobeanoccasionallyfiercecriticofAmericandomesticandforeignpolicy?Ofcourse.DidIeverhearhimmakeremarksthatcouldbeconsideredcontroversialwhileIsatinchurch?Yes.DidIstronglydisagreewithmanyofhispoliticalviews?Absolutely-justasI'msuremanyofyouhaveheardremarksfromyourpastors,priests,orrabbiswithwhichyoustronglydisagreed.Buttheremarksthathavecausedthisrecentfirestormweren'tsimplycontroversial.Theyweren'tsimplyareligiousleader'sefforttospeakoutagainstperceivedinjustice.Instead,theyexpressedaprofoundlydistortedviewofthiscountry-aviewthatseeswhiteracismasendemic,andthatelevateswhatiswrongwithAmericaaboveallthatweknowisrightwithAmerica;aviewthatseestheconflictsintheMiddleEastasrootedp