The profound mistake of Reverend Wright's 3

And yet, it has only been in the last couple of weeks that the discussion of race in this campaign has taken a particularly divisive turn. The profound mistake of Reverend Wright's sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. But I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose. I know there are many - Muslim and non-Muslim - who question whether we can forge this new beginning.

The pundits, the pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. I've gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world's poorest nations. This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected. It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. These are not opinions to be debated; these are facts to be dealt with.

This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people. And then another one. They have affiliates in many countries and are trying to expand their reach.

So let me be clear: no system of government can or should be imposed upon one nation by any other. That is the spirit we need today.

But if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we'll be talking about some other distraction. We meet at one of those defining moments - a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more. And despite the costs involved, America's commitment will not weaken.