Don't get cynical. Don't ever think you can't make a difference.

As you get older, your mind gets a little more set. And it needs the poking and prodding and breaking through of stereotypes that I think young people provide.

I learned to slip back and forth between my black and white worlds. One of those tricks I had learned: People were satisfied so long as you were courteous and smiled and made no sudden moves. They were more than satisfied; they were relieved -- such a pleasant surprise to find a well-mannered young black man who didn't seem angry all the time.

I do have an obligation to make sure that I am following some of the rules. I can't simply ignore laws that are out there.

If there's one thing I would like to see, it'd be for us to be able to price the cost of carbon emissions.

Is this money well spent? This is taxpayer money, it is going to be adding to the deficit short term and if we can't justify it, then we're not going to spend tens or hundreds of billions of dollars, just to make somebody happy, if it's not good for the economy.

Our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes - and I see many of them in the audience here today.