In addition to giving our children the science and math skills they need to compete in the new global context, we should also encourage the ability to think creatively that comes from a meaningful arts education.

I'm here with the Girardo family here in St. Louis.

We've endured too many tragedies. And each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would - as a parent.

How do we in the African American community build a culture in which we are saying to our kids, "Here's what it takes to succeed. Here's the sacrifices you need to make to be able to get ahead. Here's how we support each other. Here's how we look out for each other."

We believe that no matter where you live - whether a village in Punjab or the bylanes of Chandni Chowk, an old section of Kolkata or a new high-rise in Bangalore - every person deserves the same chance to live in security and dignity, to get an education, to find work, and to give their children a better future.

Some heinous crimes justify the ultimate punishment.

I'd like to think that "President Obama believed deeply in this democracy and the American people."