Barack Obama

thank you __PUNCT__ presid roth __PUNCT__ for that gener introduct __PUNCT__ and congratul on your first year at the helm of wesleyan __PUNCT__

congratul also to the class of __NUM__ and thank you for allow me to be a part of your graduat __PUNCT__

i have the distinct honor todai of pinch __PUNCT__ hit for on of my person hero and a hero to thi countri __PUNCT__ senat edward_kennedi __PUNCT__

teddi want to be here veri much __PUNCT__ but as you know __PUNCT__ he had a veri long week and is take some much __PUNCT__ need rest __PUNCT__

he call me up a few dai_ago and i said that i be happi to be hi stand __PUNCT__ in __PUNCT__ even if there wa no wai i could fill hi shoe __PUNCT__

i did __PUNCT__ howev __PUNCT__ get the chanc to glanc at the speech he plan on deliv todai __PUNCT__ and i like to start by pass along a messag from him __PUNCT__ to all those prai for my return to good_health __PUNCT__ i offer my heartfelt thank __PUNCT__

and to ani who rather have a differ result __PUNCT__ i sai __PUNCT__ don't get your hope up just yet __PUNCT__

so we know that ted_kennedi legendari sens of humor is as strong as ever __PUNCT__ and i have no doubt that hi equal legendari fight spirit will carri him through thi latest challeng __PUNCT__

he is our friend __PUNCT__ he is our champion __PUNCT__ and we hope and prai for hi return to good_health __PUNCT__

the topic of hi speech todai wa common for a commenc __PUNCT__ but on that nobodi could discuss with more author or inspir than ted_kennedi __PUNCT__

and that is the topic of servic to on countri __PUNCT__ a caus that is synonym with hi famili name and their legaci __PUNCT__

i wa born the year that hi brother john call a gener of american to ask their countri what thei could do __PUNCT__

and i came of ag at a time when thei did it __PUNCT__

thei were the peac corp volunt who won a gener of goodwil toward america at a time when america ideal were challeng __PUNCT__

thei were the teenag and colleg_student __PUNCT__ not much older than you __PUNCT__ who watch the civil right movement unfold on their televis set __PUNCT__ who saw the dog and the fire hose and the footag of marcher beaten within an inch or their live __PUNCT__ who knew it wa probabl smarter and safer to stai at home __PUNCT__ but still decid to take those freedom ride down south __PUNCT__ who still decid to march __PUNCT__

and becaus thei did __PUNCT__ thei chang the world __PUNCT__

i bring thi up becaus todai __PUNCT__ you ar about to enter a world that make it easi to get caught up in the notion that there ar actual two differ stori at work in our live __PUNCT__

the first is the stori of our everydai care and concern __PUNCT__ the respons we have to our job and our famili __PUNCT__ the bustl and busy of what happen in our own life __PUNCT__

and the second is the stori of what happen in the life of our countri __PUNCT__ of what happen in the wider_world __PUNCT__

it the stori you see when you catch a glimps of the dai headlin or turn on the new at night __PUNCT__ a stori of big challeng like war and recess __PUNCT__ hunger and climat chang __PUNCT__ injustic and inequ __PUNCT__

it a stori that can sometim seem distant and separ from our own __PUNCT__ a destini to be shape by forc beyond our control __PUNCT__

and yet __PUNCT__ the histori of thi nation tell us thi isn't so __PUNCT__

it tell us that we ar a peopl whose destini ha never been written for us __PUNCT__ but by us __PUNCT__ by gener of men and women __PUNCT__ young and old __PUNCT__ who have alwai believ that their stori and the american stori ar not separ __PUNCT__ but share __PUNCT__

and for more than two centuri __PUNCT__ thei have serv thi countri in wai that have forev enrich both __PUNCT__

i sai thi to you as someon who couldn't be stand here todai if not for the servic of other __PUNCT__ and wouldn't be stand here todai if not for the purpos that servic gave my own life __PUNCT__

you see __PUNCT__ i spent much of my childhood adrift __PUNCT__

my father left my mother and i when i wa two __PUNCT__

when my mother remarri __PUNCT__ i live in indonesia for a time __PUNCT__ but wa mostli rais in hawaii by her and my grandpar from kansa __PUNCT__

my teenag year were fill with more than the usual dose of adolesc rebellion __PUNCT__ and i admit that i didn't alwai take myself or my studi veri serious __PUNCT__

i realiz that none of you can probabl relat to thi __PUNCT__ but there were mani time when i wasn't sure where i wa go __PUNCT__ or what i would do __PUNCT__

but dure my first two year of colleg __PUNCT__ perhap becaus the valu my mother had taught me __PUNCT__ hard_work __PUNCT__ honesti __PUNCT__ empathi __PUNCT__ had resurfac after a long hibern __PUNCT__ or perhap becaus of the exampl of wonder teacher and last friend __PUNCT__ i began to notic a world beyond myself __PUNCT__

i becam activ in the movement to oppos the apartheid regim of south_africa __PUNCT__

i began follow the debat in thi countri about poverti and health_care __PUNCT__

so that by the time i graduat from colleg __PUNCT__ i wa possess with a crazi idea __PUNCT__ that i would work at a grassroot level to bring about chang __PUNCT__

i wrote letter to everi organ in the countri i could think of __PUNCT__

and on dai __PUNCT__ a small_group of church on the south_side of chicago offer me a job to come work as a commun_organ in neighborhood that had been devast by steel plant_close __PUNCT__

my mother and grandpar want me to go to law_school __PUNCT__

my friend were appli to job on wall_street __PUNCT__

meanwhil __PUNCT__ thi organ offer me __MONEY__ a year plu __MONEY__ for an old __PUNCT__ beat __PUNCT__ up car __PUNCT__

and i said ye __PUNCT__

now __PUNCT__ i didn't know a soul in chicago __PUNCT__ and i wasn't sure what thi commun_organ busi wa all about __PUNCT__

i had alwai been inspir by stori of the civil right movement and jfk call to servic __PUNCT__ but when i got to the south_side __PUNCT__ there were no march __PUNCT__ and no soar speech __PUNCT__

in the shadow of an empti steel plant __PUNCT__ there were just a lot of folk who were struggl __PUNCT__

and we didn't get veri far at first __PUNCT__

i still rememb on of the veri first meet we put togeth to discuss gang violenc with a group of commun_leader __PUNCT__

we wait and wait for peopl to show up __PUNCT__ and final __PUNCT__ a group of older_peopl peopl_walk into the hall __PUNCT__

and thei sat down __PUNCT__

and a littl old ladi rais her hand and ask __PUNCT__ is thi where the bingo game is __PUNCT__

it wasn't easi __PUNCT__ but eventu __PUNCT__ we made progress __PUNCT__

dai by dai __PUNCT__ block by block __PUNCT__ we brought the commun togeth __PUNCT__ and regist new voter __PUNCT__ and set up after school program __PUNCT__ and fought for new job __PUNCT__ and help peopl_live live with some measur of digniti __PUNCT__

but i also began to realiz that i wasn't just help other peopl __PUNCT__

through servic __PUNCT__ i found a commun that embrac me __PUNCT__ citizenship that wa meaning __PUNCT__ the direct i been seek __PUNCT__

through servic __PUNCT__ i discov how my own improb stori fit into the larger stori of america __PUNCT__

each of you will have the chanc to make your own discoveri in the year to come __PUNCT__

and i sai __PUNCT__ chanc __PUNCT__ becaus you won't have to take it __PUNCT__

there no commun_servic requir in the real_world __PUNCT__ no on forc you to care __PUNCT__

you can take your diploma __PUNCT__ walk off thi stage __PUNCT__ and chase onli after the big hous and the nice suit and all the other thing that our monei cultur sai you should by __PUNCT__

you can choos to narrow your concern and live your life in a wai that tri to keep your stori separ from america __PUNCT__

but i hope you don't __PUNCT__

not becaus you have an oblig to those who ar less fortun __PUNCT__ though you do have that oblig __PUNCT__

not becaus you have a debt to all those who help you get here __PUNCT__ though you do have that debt __PUNCT__

it becaus you have an oblig to yourself __PUNCT__

becaus our individu salvat depend on collect salvat __PUNCT__

becaus think onli about yourself __PUNCT__ fulfil your immedi want and need __PUNCT__ betrai a poverti of ambit __PUNCT__

becaus it onli when you hitch your wagon to someth larger than yourself that you realiz your true potenti and discov the role you plai in write the next great chapter in america stori

there ar so mani wai to serv and so much need at thi defin moment in our histori __PUNCT__

you don't have to be a commun_organ or do someth crazi like run for presid __PUNCT__

right here at wesleyan __PUNCT__ mani of you have alreadi volunt at local_school __PUNCT__ contribut to unit wai __PUNCT__ and even start a program that bring fresh produc to needi famili in the area __PUNCT__

on hundr and sixti __PUNCT__ four graduat of thi school have join the peac corp sinc __NUM__ and i especi proud that two of you ar about to leav for my father homeland of kenya to bring altern sourc of energi to impoverish area __PUNCT__

i ask you to seek these opportun when you leav here __PUNCT__ becaus the futur of thi countri __PUNCT__ your futur __PUNCT__ depend on it __PUNCT__

at a time when our secur and moral stand depend on win heart and mind in the forgotten corner of thi world __PUNCT__ we need more of you to serv abroad __PUNCT__

as presid __PUNCT__ i intend to grow the foreign servic __PUNCT__ doubl the peac corp over the next few year __PUNCT__ and engag the young_peopl of other nation in similar program __PUNCT__ so that we work side by side to take on the common challeng that confront all human __PUNCT__

at a time when our ic cap ar melt and our ocean ar rise __PUNCT__ we need you to help lead a green_revolut __PUNCT__

we still have time to avoid the catastroph consequ of climat chang if we get seriou about invest in renew_sourc of energi __PUNCT__ and if we get a gener of volunt to work on renew_energi project __PUNCT__ and teach folk about conserv __PUNCT__ and help clean up pollut area __PUNCT__ if we send talent engin and scientist abroad to help develop_countri promot clean_energi __PUNCT__

at a time when a child in boston must compet with children in beij and bangalor __PUNCT__ we need an armi of you to becom teacher and princip in school that thi nation cannot afford to give up on __PUNCT__

i will pai our educ what thei deserv __PUNCT__ and give them more support __PUNCT__ but i will also ask more of them to be mentor to other teacher __PUNCT__ and serv in high __PUNCT__ need school and high __PUNCT__ need subject area like math and scienc __PUNCT__

at a time when there ar children in the citi of new orlean who still spend each night in a lone trailer __PUNCT__ we need more of you to take a weekend or a week off from work __PUNCT__ and head down south __PUNCT__ and help rebuild __PUNCT__

if you can't get the time __PUNCT__ volunt at the local homeless_shelter or soup_kitchen in your own commun __PUNCT__

find an organ that fight poverti __PUNCT__ or a candid who promot polici you believ in __PUNCT__ and find a wai to help them __PUNCT__

at a time of war __PUNCT__ we need you to work for peac __PUNCT__

at a time of inequ __PUNCT__ we need you to work for opportun __PUNCT__

at a time of so much cynic and so much doubt __PUNCT__ we need you to make us believ again __PUNCT__

now understand thi __PUNCT__ believ that chang is possibl is not the same as be naïv __PUNCT__

go into servic with your ey wide_open __PUNCT__ for chang will not come easili __PUNCT__

on the big_issu that our nation_face __PUNCT__ difficult choic await __PUNCT__

we have to face some hard truth __PUNCT__ and some sacrific will be requir __PUNCT__ not onli from you individu __PUNCT__ but from the nation as a whole __PUNCT__

there is no magic bullet to our energi problem __PUNCT__ for exampl __PUNCT__ no perfect energi_sourc __PUNCT__ so all of us will have to us the energi sourc we have more wise __PUNCT__

deep __PUNCT__ root poverti will not be revers overnight __PUNCT__ and will requir both monei and reform at a time when our feder and state_budget ar strap and washington is skeptic that reform is possibl __PUNCT__

transform our educ_system will requir not onli bold govern_action __PUNCT__ but a chang in attitud among parent and student __PUNCT__

bring an end to the slaughter in darfur will involv navig extrem_difficult realiti on the ground __PUNCT__ even for those with the best of intent __PUNCT__

and so __PUNCT__ should you take the path of servic __PUNCT__ should you choos to take up on of these caus as your own __PUNCT__ know that you experi frustrat and failur __PUNCT__

even your success will be mark by imperfect and unintend consequ __PUNCT__

i guarante you __PUNCT__ there will certainli be time when friend or famili urg you to pursu more sensibl endeavor with more tangibl reward __PUNCT__

and there will be time when you ar tempt to take their advic __PUNCT__

but i hope you rememb __PUNCT__ dure those time of doubt and frustrat __PUNCT__ that there is noth naïv about your impuls to chang thi world __PUNCT__

becaus all it take is on act of servic __PUNCT__ on blow against injustic __PUNCT__ to send forth that tini rippl of hope that robert_kennedi spoke of __PUNCT__

you know __PUNCT__ ted_kennedi often tell a stori about the fifth anniversari celebr of the peac corp __PUNCT__

he wa there __PUNCT__ and he ask on of the young_american why he had chosen to volunt __PUNCT__

and the man repli __PUNCT__ becaus it wa the first time someon ask me to do someth for my countri __PUNCT__

i don't know how mani of you have been ask that question __PUNCT__ but after todai __PUNCT__ you have no excus __PUNCT__

i am ask you __PUNCT__ and if i should have the honor of serv thi nation as presid __PUNCT__ i will be ask again in the come year __PUNCT__

we mai disagre on certain issu and posit __PUNCT__ but i believ we can be unifi in servic to a greater_good __PUNCT__

i intend to make it a caus of my presid __PUNCT__ and i believ with all my heart that thi gener is readi __PUNCT__ and eager __PUNCT__ and up to the challeng __PUNCT__

we will face our share of cynic and doubter __PUNCT__

but we alwai have __PUNCT__

i can still rememb a convers i had with an older_man all those year_ago just befor i left for chicago __PUNCT__

he said __PUNCT__ barack __PUNCT__ i give you a bit of advic __PUNCT__

forget thi commun_organ busi and do someth that gonna make you some monei __PUNCT__

you can't chang the world __PUNCT__ and peopl won't appreci you try __PUNCT__

but you got a nice voic __PUNCT__ so you should think about go into televis broadcast __PUNCT__

i tell you __PUNCT__ you got a futur __PUNCT__

now __PUNCT__ he mai have been right about the tv thing __PUNCT__ but he wa wrong about everyth els __PUNCT__

for that old man ha not seen what i have seen __PUNCT__

he ha not seen the face of ordinari_peopl the first time thei clear a vacant_lot or build a new playground or forc an unrespons leader to provid servic to their commun __PUNCT__

he ha not seen the face of a child brighten becaus of an inspir teacher or mentor __PUNCT__

he ha not seen score of young_peopl educ their parent on issu like darfur __PUNCT__ or mobil the conscienc of a nation around the challeng of climat chang __PUNCT__

he ha not seen line of men and women that wrap around school and church __PUNCT__ that stretch block after block just so thei could make their voic_heard __PUNCT__ mani for the veri first time __PUNCT__

and that old man who didn't believ the world could chang __PUNCT__ who didn't think on person could make a differ __PUNCT__ well he certainli didn't know much about the life of joseph kennedi youngest son __PUNCT__

it is rare in thi countri of our that a person exist who ha touch the live of nearli everi singl american without mani of us even realiz it __PUNCT__

and yet __PUNCT__ becaus of ted_kennedi __PUNCT__ million of children can see a doctor when thei get sick __PUNCT__

mother and father can leav work to spend_time with their newborn __PUNCT__

work_american ar paid higher_wage __PUNCT__ and compens for overtim __PUNCT__ and can keep their health_insur when thei chang job __PUNCT__

thei ar protect from discrimin in the workplac __PUNCT__ and those who ar born with disabl can still get an educ __PUNCT__ and health_care __PUNCT__ and fair treatment on the job __PUNCT__

our school ar stronger and our colleg ar fill with more american who can afford it __PUNCT__

and i have a feel that ted_kennedi is not done just yet __PUNCT__

but sure __PUNCT__ if on man can achiev so much and make such a differ in the live of so mani __PUNCT__ then each of us can do our part __PUNCT__

sure __PUNCT__ if hi servic and hi stori can forev shape america stori __PUNCT__ then our collect servic can shape the destini of thi gener __PUNCT__

at the veri least __PUNCT__ hi live exampl call each of us to try __PUNCT__

that is all i ask of you on thi joyou dai of new begin __PUNCT__ that is what senat kennedi ask of you as well __PUNCT__ and that is how we will keep so much need work go __PUNCT__ and the caus of justic everlast __PUNCT__ and the dream aliv for gener to come __PUNCT__

thank you so much to the class of __NUM__ and congratul on your graduat __PUNCT__