And we have done more in the two and a half years that I've been in here than the previous 43 Presidents to uphold that principle, whether it's ending 'don't ask, don't tell,' making sure that gay and lesbian partners can visit each other in hospitals, making sure that federal benefits can be provided to same-sex couples.
Barack ObamaWe proved that we are still a people capable of doing big things and tackling our biggest challenges.
Barack ObamaJobs was brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.
Barack ObamaBecause our right to worship freely and safely, that right was denied to Christians in Charleston, South Carolina, and that was denied Jews in Kansas City, and that was denied Muslims in Chapel Hill, and Sikhs in Oak Creek. They had rights too. Our right to peaceful assembly, that right was robbed from movie goers in Aurora and Lafayette.
Barack ObamaEach of us deserves the freedom to pursue our own version of happiness. No one deserves to be bullied.
Barack ObamaAnd Iโve said this all across the country when I talk to parents about education, government has to fulfill its obligations to fund education, but parents have to do their job too. Weโve got to turn off the TV set, weโve got to put away the video game, and we have to tell our children that education is not a passive activity, you have to be actively engaged in it. If we encourage that attitude and our community is enforcing it, I have no doubt we can compete with anybody in the world.
Barack Obama