e,todient,toaociate,toworshipwithoutinterferencefromthestate.thesearetheidealsthatwereatthecoreofourfoundingover220yearsago.thesearetheideasthatledusacroourcontinentandontotheworldstage.thesearetheidealsthatamericacherishtoday.
asisaidinmypreconferencewithpresidentjiang,wehaveanongoingquestourselvestoliveuptothoseideals.thepeoplewhoframedourcotitutionunderstoodthatwewouldneverachieveperfection.theysaidthatthemiionofamericawouldalwaysbe"toformamoreperfectunion"--inotherwords,thatwewouldneverbeperfect,butwehadtokeeptryingtodobetter.
thedarkestmomentsinourhistoryhavecomewhenweabandonedtheefforttodobetter,whenwedeniedfreedomtoourpeoplebecauseoftheirraceortheirreligion,becausetherewerenewimmigrantsorbecausetheyhelduopularopinio.thebestmomentsinourhistoryhavecomewhenweprotectedthefreedomofpeoplewhohelduopularopinion,orextendedrightsenjoyedbythemanytothefewwhohadpreviouslybeendeniedthem,making,therefore,thepromisesofourdeclarationofindependenceandcotitutionmorethanfadedwordsonoldparchment.
todaywedonotseektoimposeourvisiononothers,butweareconvincedthatcertainrightsareuniversal--notamericanrightsoreuropeanrightsorrightsfordevelopednatio,butthebirthrightsofpeopleeverywhere,nowehrinedintheunitednatiodeclarationonhumanrights--therighttobetreatedwithdignity;therighttoexpreone'sopinio,tochooseone'sownleaders,toaociatefreelywithothers,andtoworship,ornot,freely,howeveronechooses.
inthelastletterofhislife,theauthorofourdeclarationofindependenceandourthirdpresident,tho
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