Barack Obama

as mike said __PUNCT__ todai repres a tragic anniversari for our countri __PUNCT__

through hi faith __PUNCT__ courag __PUNCT__ and wisdom __PUNCT__ dr __PUNCT__ martin_luther_king luther_king_jr __PUNCT__ move an entir nation __PUNCT__

he preach the gospel of brotherhood __PUNCT__ of equal and justic __PUNCT__

that the caus for which he live __PUNCT__ and for which he di forti_year year_ago todai __PUNCT__

and so befor we begin __PUNCT__ i ask you to join me in a moment of silenc in memori of thi extraordinari american __PUNCT__

there been a lot of discuss thi week about how dr __PUNCT__ king life and legaci speak to us todai __PUNCT__

it take place in our school and church __PUNCT__ on televis and around the dinner_tabl __PUNCT__

and i suspect that much of what folk ar talk about center on issu of racial_justic __PUNCT__ on the montgomeri bu boycott and the march on washington __PUNCT__ on the freedom ride and the stand at selma __PUNCT__

and that as it should be __PUNCT__ becaus those were time when ordinari men and women __PUNCT__ straight __PUNCT__ back and clear __PUNCT__ ei __PUNCT__ challeng what thei knew wa wrong and help perfect our union __PUNCT__

and thei did so in larg_part becaus dr __PUNCT__ king point the wai __PUNCT__

but i also think it worth reflect on what dr __PUNCT__ king wa do in memphi __PUNCT__ when he step onto that motel balconi on hi wai out for dinner __PUNCT__

and what he wa do wa stand up for struggl sanit worker __PUNCT__

for year __PUNCT__ these worker had serv their citi without complaint __PUNCT__ pick up other peopl trash for littl pai and even less respect __PUNCT__

passer __PUNCT__ by would call them __PUNCT__ walk buzzard __PUNCT__ and in the segreg south __PUNCT__ most were forc to us separ drink fountain and bathroom __PUNCT__

but in __NUM__ these worker decid thei had enough __PUNCT__ and over __NUM__ went on strike __PUNCT__

their demand were modest __PUNCT__ better wage __PUNCT__ better benefit __PUNCT__ and recognit of their union __PUNCT__

but the opposit wa fierc __PUNCT__

their vigil were met with handcuff __PUNCT__

their protest turn_back with mace __PUNCT__

and at the end of on march __PUNCT__ a __NUM__ __PUNCT__ year old boi lai dead __PUNCT__

thi is the struggl that brought dr __PUNCT__ king to memphi __PUNCT__

it wa a struggl for econom_justic __PUNCT__ for the opportun that should be avail to peopl of all race and all walk of life __PUNCT__

becaus dr __PUNCT__ king understood that the struggl for econom justic and the struggl for racial_justic were realli on __PUNCT__ that each wa part of a larger struggl __PUNCT__ for freedom __PUNCT__ for digniti __PUNCT__ and for human __PUNCT__

so long as american were trap in poverti __PUNCT__ so long as thei were be deni the wage __PUNCT__ benefit __PUNCT__ and fair treatment thei deserv __PUNCT__ so long as opportun wa be open to some but not all __PUNCT__ the dream that he spoke of would remain out of reach __PUNCT__

and on the ev of hi death __PUNCT__ dr __PUNCT__ king gave a sermon in memphi about what the movement there meant to him and to america __PUNCT__

and in tone that would prove eerili prophet __PUNCT__ dr __PUNCT__ king said that despit the threat he receiv __PUNCT__ he didn't fear ani man __PUNCT__ becaus he had been there when birmingham arous the conscienc of thi nation __PUNCT__

and he been there to see the student stand up for freedom by sit in at lunch_counter __PUNCT__

and he been there in memphi when it wa dark enough to see the star __PUNCT__ to see the commun come togeth around a common_purpos __PUNCT__

so dr __PUNCT__ king had been to the mountaintop __PUNCT__

he had seen the promis_land __PUNCT__

and while he knew somewher deep in hi bone that he would not get there with us __PUNCT__ he knew that we would get there __PUNCT__

he knew it becaus he had seen that american have __PUNCT__ the capac __PUNCT__ as he said that night __PUNCT__ to project the __PUNCT__ i __PUNCT__ into the __PUNCT__ thou __PUNCT__

to recogn that no matter what the color of our skin __PUNCT__ no matter what faith we practic __PUNCT__ no matter how much monei we have __PUNCT__ no matter whether we ar sanit worker or unit_state state_senat __PUNCT__ we all have a stake in on anoth __PUNCT__ we ar our brother keeper __PUNCT__ we ar our sister keeper __PUNCT__ and __PUNCT__ either we go up togeth __PUNCT__ or we go down togeth __PUNCT__

and when he wa kill the follow dai __PUNCT__ it left a wound on the soul of our nation that ha yet to fulli heal __PUNCT__

and in few place wa the pain more pronounc than in indianapoli __PUNCT__ where robert_kennedi happen to be campaign __PUNCT__

and it fell to him to inform a crowd park that dr __PUNCT__ king had been kill __PUNCT__

and as the shock turn toward anger __PUNCT__ kennedi remind them of dr __PUNCT__ king compass __PUNCT__ and hi love __PUNCT__

and on a night when citi across the nation were alight with violenc __PUNCT__ all wa quiet in indianapoli __PUNCT__

in the dark_dai after dr __PUNCT__ king death __PUNCT__ coretta scott king point out the star __PUNCT__

she took up her husband caus and led a march in memphi __PUNCT__

but while those sanit worker eventu got their union_contract __PUNCT__ the struggl for econom_justic remain an unfinish part of the king legaci __PUNCT__

becaus the dream is still out of reach for too mani american __PUNCT__

just thi morn __PUNCT__ it wa announc that more american ar unemploi now than at ani time in year __PUNCT__

and all across thi countri __PUNCT__ famili ar face rise_cost __PUNCT__ stagnant wage __PUNCT__ and the terribl burden of lose a home __PUNCT__

part of the problem is that for a long_time __PUNCT__ we had a polit that been too small for the scale of the challeng we face __PUNCT__

thi is someth i spoke about a few week_ago in a speech i gave in philadelphia __PUNCT__

and what i said wa that instead of have a polit that live up to dr __PUNCT__ king call for uniti __PUNCT__ we had a polit that us race to drive us apart __PUNCT__ when all thi doe is feed the forc of divis and distract __PUNCT__ and stop us from solv our problem __PUNCT__

that is why the great need of thi hour is much the same as it wa when dr __PUNCT__ king deliv hi sermon in memphi __PUNCT__

we have to recogn that while we each have a differ past __PUNCT__ we all share the same hope for the futur __PUNCT__ that we be abl to find a job that pai a decent_wage __PUNCT__ that there will be afford health_care when we get sick __PUNCT__ that we be abl to send our kid to colleg __PUNCT__ and that after a lifetim of hard_work __PUNCT__ we be abl to retir with secur __PUNCT__

thei common hope __PUNCT__ modest dream __PUNCT__

and thei at the heart of the struggl for freedom __PUNCT__ digniti __PUNCT__ and human that dr __PUNCT__ king began __PUNCT__ and that it is our task to complet __PUNCT__

you know __PUNCT__ dr __PUNCT__ king onc said that the arc of the moral univers is long __PUNCT__ but that it bend toward justic __PUNCT__

but what he also knew wa that it doesn't bend on it own __PUNCT__

it bend becaus each of us put our hand on that arc and bend it in the direct of justic __PUNCT__

so on thi dai __PUNCT__ of all dai __PUNCT__ let each do our part to bend that arc __PUNCT__

let bend that arc toward justic __PUNCT__

let bend that arc toward opportun __PUNCT__

let bend that arc toward prosper for all __PUNCT__

and if we can do that and march togeth __PUNCT__ as on nation __PUNCT__ and on peopl __PUNCT__ then we won't just be keep faith with what dr __PUNCT__ king live and di for __PUNCT__ we be make_real the word of amo that he invok so often __PUNCT__ and __PUNCT__ let justic roll down like water and righteous like a mighti stream __PUNCT__