In the midst of economic recovery and global upheaval, disasters like this remind us of the common humanity that we share.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.

Yes, we can. Yes, we can change. Yes, we can.

When our government is spoken of as some menacing, threatening, foreign entity, it ignores the fact that in our democracy, government is us

One of the best parts of the holiday season is spending time with the special people in your life.

Our alliances and partnerships are not directed against any nation.

For the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change. Now, it's true that no single event makes a trend. But the fact is the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods-all are now more frequent and more intense. We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science-and act before it's too late.