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Yes We Can
Almost a year ago, this video appeared.
It was based, of course, on the soul-stirring words that Obama delivered in New Hampshire on January 9, 2008.
That speech inspired the conservative denizens of Red State to comment positively on the power of Obama's vision and oratory. Even a waiter in Marrakesh was so impressed by this speech that he memorized and recited it to his customers.
...in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.
For when we have faced down impossible odds, when we've been told we're not ready or that we shouldn't try or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation: Yes, we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail towards freedom through the darkest of nights: Yes, we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness: Yes, we can.
It was the call of workers who organized, women who reached for the ballot, a president who chose the moon as our new frontier, and a king who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the promised land: Yes, we can, to justice and equality.
Yes, we can, to opportunity and prosperity. Yes, we can heal this nation. Yes, we can repair this world. Yes, we can.
In this week before President-Elect Obama's inauguration, the phrase "Yes We Can" rings with new resonance and clarity. If his inaugural speech approaches the clarity and inspiration of his New Hampshire speech, Obama will offer hope to millions more.
