In our attitudes and our actions we are determining the character of our country. When poverty is considered hopeless, America is condemned to permanent social division, becoming a nation of caste and class, divided by fences and gates and guards. Our task is clear, and it's difficult. We must build our country's unity by extending our country's blessings. We make that commitment because we're Americans.
Aspiration is the essence of our country.
We believe in social mobility, not social Darwinism. We are the country of the second chance where failure is never final. And that dream has sometimes been deferred. It must never be abandoned. We are committed to compassion for practical reasons.