President Barack Obama's address to the United Nations General Assembly (transcript)
"...America is not the same as it was 100 years ago, 50 years ago, or
even a decade ago. Because we fight for our ideals, and are willing to
criticize ourselves when we fall short. Because we hold our leaders
accountable, and insist on a free press and independent judiciary.
Because we address our differences in the open space of democracy – with
respect for the rule of law; with a place for people of every race and
religion; and with an unyielding belief in the ability of individual men
and women to change their communities and countries for the better.
After nearly six years as President, I believe that this promise can
help light the world. Because I’ve seen a longing for positive change –
for peace and freedom and opportunity – in the eyes of young people I’ve
met around the globe. They remind me that no matter who you are, or
where you come from, or what you look like, or what God you pray to, or
who you love, there is something fundamental that we all share. Eleanor
Roosevelt, a champion of the UN and America’s role in it, once asked,
“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places,”
she said, “close to home – so close and so small that they cannot be
seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual
person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends;
the factory, farm or office where he works.”
The people of the world look to us, here, to be as decent, as dignified,
and as courageous as they are in their daily lives. And at this
crossroads, I can promise you that the United States of America will not
be distracted or deterred from what must be done. We are heirs to a
proud legacy of freedom, and we are prepared to do what is necessary to
secure that legacy for generations to come. Join us in this common
mission, for today’s children and tomorrow’s."
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