In the wake of 9/11, my meetings with Arab and Pakistani Americans, for example, have a more urgent quality, for the stories of detentions and FBI questioning and hard stares from neighbors have shaken their sense of security and belonging. They have been reminded that the history of immigration in this country has a dark underbelly; they need specific reassurances that their citizenship really means something, that America has learned the right lessons from the Japanese internments during World War II, and that I will stand with them should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.
Barack ObamaMy staff was very excited for Brisvegas. When I arrived, they advised I needed some XXXX.
Barack ObamaI think that Mr. Snowden raised some legitimate concerns. How he did it was something that did not follow the procedures and practices of our intelligence community. If everybody took the approach that I make my own decisions about these issues, then it would be very hard to have an organized government or any kind of national security system.
Barack ObamaAfter a decade of profligacy, the American people are tired of politicians who talk the talk but don't walk the walk when it comes to fiscal responsibility. It's easy to get up in front of the cameras and rant against exploding deficits. What's hard is actually getting deficits under control. But that's what we must do. Like families across the country, we have to take responsibility for every dollar we spend.
Barack ObamaTogether we can change our culture for the better by ending violence against women and girls, artists have a unique power to change minds and attitudes and get us thinking and talking about what matters, and all of us, in our lives, have the power to set an example. Join our campaign to stop this violence.
Barack ObamaThis kind of gaping inequality gives lie to the promise thatโs at the very heart of America: that this is a place where you can make it if you try. We tell people - we tell our kids - that in this country, even if youโre born with nothing, work hard and you can get into the middle class. We tell them that your children will have a chance to do even better than you do. Thatโs why immigrants from around the world historically have flocked to our shores.
Barack Obama