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1KeynoteAddressatthe2004DemocraticNationalConvention:TheAudacityofHopeJuly27,2004OnbehalfofthegreatstateofIllinois,crossroadsofanation,landofLincoln,letmeexpressmydeepestgratitudefortheprivilegeofaddressingthisconvention.Tonightisaparticularhonorformebecause,let'sfaceit,mypresenceonthisstageisprettyunlikely.Myfatherwasaforeignstudent,bornandraisedinasmallvillageinKenya.Hegrewupherdinggoats,wenttoschoolinatin-roofshack.Hisfather,mygrandfather,wasacook,adomesticservanttotheBritish.Butmygrandfatherhadlargerdreamsforhisson.Throughhardworkandperseverancemyfathergotascholarshiptostudyinamagicalplace:America,thatshoneasabeaconoffreedomandopportunitytosomanywhohadcomebefore.Whilestudyinghere,myfathermetmymother.Shewasborninatownontheothersideoftheworld,inKansas.HerfatherworkedonoilrigsandfarmsthroughmostoftheDepression.ThedayafterPearlHarbormygrandfathersignedupforduty,joinedPatton'sarmyandmarchedacrossEurope.Backhome,mygrandmotherraisedtheirbabyandwenttoworkonabomberassemblyline.Afterthewar,theystudiedontheGIBill,boughtahousethroughFHA,andlatermovedwestallthewaytoHawaiiinsearchofopportunity.Andthey,too,hadbigdreamsfortheirdaughter,acommondream,bornoftwocontinents.Myparentssharednotonlyanimprobablelove;theysharedanabidingfaithinthepossibilitiesofthisnation.TheywouldgivemeanAfricanname,Barack,orblessed,believingthatinatolerantAmericayournameisnobarriertosuccess.Theyimaginedmegoingtothebestschoolsintheland,eventhoughtheyweren'trich,becauseinagenerousAmericayoudon'thavetoberichtoachieveyourpotential.Theyarebothpassedawaynow.Yet,Iknowthat,onthisnight,theylookdownonmewithgreatpride.2Theystandhere,andIstandheretoday,gratefulforthediversityofmyheritage,awarethatmyparents'dreamsliveoninmytwopreciousdaughters.IstandhereknowingthatmystoryispartofthelargerAmericanstory,thatIoweadebttoallofthosewhocamebeforeme,andthat,innoothercountryonearth,ismystoryevenpossible.Tonight,wegathertoaffirmthegreatnessofournation,notbecauseoftheheightofourskyscrapers,orthepowerofourmilitary,orthesizeofoureconomy.Ourprideisbasedonaverysimplepremise,summedupinadeclarationmadeovertwohundredyearsago,Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal.ThattheyareendowedbytheirCreatorwithcertaininalienablerights.Thatamongthesearelife,libertyandthepursuitofhappiness.ThatisthetruegeniusofAmerica,afaithinthesimpledreams,theinsistenceonsmallmiracles.Thatwecantuckinourchildrenatnightandknowtheyarefedandclothedandsafefromharm.Thatwecansaywhatwethink,writewhatwethink,withouthearingasuddenknockonthedoor.Thatwecanhaveanideaandstartourownbusinesswithoutpayingabribeorhiringsomebody'sson.Thatwecanparticipateinthepoliticalprocesswithoutfearofretribution,andthatourvoteswillhecounted-oratleast,mostofthetime.Thisyear,inthiselection,wearecalledtoreaffirmourvaluesandcommitments,toholdthemagainstahardrealityandseehowwearemeasuringup,tothelegacyofourforbearers,andthepromiseoffuturegenerations.AndfellowAmericans-Democrats,Republicans,Independents-Isaytoyoutonight:wehavemoreworktodo.MoreworktodofortheworkersImetinGalesburg,Illinois,whoarelosingtheirunionjobsattheMaytagplantthat'smovingtoMexico,andnowarehavingtocompetewiththeirownchildrenforjobsthatpaysevenbucksanhour.MoretodoforthefatherImetwhowaslosinghisjobandchokingbacktears,wonderinghowhewouldpay$4,500amonthforthedrugshissonneedswithoutthehealthbenefitshecountedon.MoretodofortheyoungwomaninEastSt.Louis,andthousandsmorelikeher,whohasthegrades,hasthedrive,hasthewill,butdoesn'thavethemoneyto3gotocollege.Don'tgetmewrong.ThepeopleImeetinsmalltownsandbigcities,indinersandofficeparks,theydon'texpectgovernmenttosolvealltheirproblems.Theyknowtheyhavetoworkhardtogetaheadandtheywantto.GointothecollarcountiesaroundChicago,andpeoplewilltellyoutheydon'twanttheirtaxmoneywastedbyawelfareagencyorthePentagon.Gointoanyinnercityneighborhood,andfolkswilltellyouthatgovernmentalonecan'tteachkidstolearn.Theyknowthatparentshavetoparent,thatchildrencan'tachieveunlessweraisetheirexpectationsandturnoffthetelevisionsetsanderadicatetheslanderthatsaysablackyouthwithabookisactingwhite.No,peopledon'texpectgovernmenttosolvealltheirproblems.Buttheysense,deepintheirbones,thatwithjustaslightchangeinpriorities,wecanmakesurethateverychildinAmericahasadecentshotatlife,andthatthedoorsofopportunityremainopentoall.Theyknowwecandobetter.Andtheywantthatchoice.Awhileback,ImetayoungmannamedShamusattheVFWHallinEastMoline,Illinois.Hewasagood-lookingkid,six-twoorsix-three,clear-eyed,withaneasysmile.Hetoldmehe'djoinedtheMarinesandwasheadingtoIraqthefollowingweek.AsIlistenedtohimexplainwhyhe'denlisted,hisabsolutefaithinourcountryanditsleaders,hisdevotiontodutyandservice,Ithoughtthisyoungmanwasallanyofusmighthopeforinachild.ButthenIaskedmyself:AreweservingShamusaswellashewasservingus?Ithoughtofmorethan900servicemenandwomen,sonsanddaughters,husbandsandwives,friendsandneighbors,whowon’tbereturningtotheirhometowns.IthoughtoffamiliesIhadmetwhowerestrugglingtogetbywithoutalovedone'sfullincome,orwhoselovedoneshadreturnedwithalimbmissingorwithnervesshattered,butwhostilll