Obama, Barack, 1961- -- Inauguration, 2009; Presidents -- United States -- Inaugural addresses
We are the keepers of this legacy, guided by these principles once more,
we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even
greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We'll begin to
responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard- earned peace in
Afghanistan.
With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the
nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet.
We will not apologize for our way of life nor will we waver in its
defense.
And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and
slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that, "Our spirit is stronger
and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."
(APPLAUSE)
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.
We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and
nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from
every end of this Earth.
And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation
and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot
help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines
of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our
common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role
in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest
and mutual respect.
To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame
their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you
on what you can build, not what you destroy.
To those...
(APPLAUSE)
To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the
silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history,
but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
(APPLAUSE)
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make
your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies
and feed hungry minds.
And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can
no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor
can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the
world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble
gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off
deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as
the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.
We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but
because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning
in something greater than themselves.
And yet, at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is
precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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