thank you __PUNCT__
forti __PUNCT__ three year ago __PUNCT__ an armi of more than five hundr march across the edmund pettu bridg __PUNCT__ an armi that brought with them no weapon __PUNCT__ which intend no destruct __PUNCT__ that sought to conquer no peopl or land __PUNCT__
at the head of the column __PUNCT__ dress in a dark suit __PUNCT__ white shirt __PUNCT__ tie and tan raincoat __PUNCT__ march a twenti __PUNCT__ five year old son of alabama sharecropp __PUNCT__ john lewi __PUNCT__
thei had plan to march from selma to montgomeri __PUNCT__ but thei knew thei would never reach there __PUNCT__
thei had been warn thei would be met with forc __PUNCT__ and at the crest of the bridg __PUNCT__ thei were __PUNCT__
until then __PUNCT__ thei had march in silenc __PUNCT__ with digniti and resolv __PUNCT__ men __PUNCT__ women __PUNCT__ children and old peopl __PUNCT__
all wa quiet __PUNCT__ even the angri crowd that watch the marcher __PUNCT__
but everyth wa aliv with apprehens __PUNCT__ with the expect that someth moment and terribl wa immin __PUNCT__
on the other side of the bridg __PUNCT__ row upon row of state trooper in blue uniform and white helmet __PUNCT__ mani on horseback __PUNCT__ prepar to charg and stop with violenc the peac armi __PUNCT__ intent onli on conquer injustic __PUNCT__
john lewi took the first blow __PUNCT__ a baton thrust to the stomach that shove him back on the marcher behind him __PUNCT__
he took the second blow __PUNCT__ too __PUNCT__ a hard swung club to hi head __PUNCT__ leav a perman scar where it struck __PUNCT__
blood pour from the wound __PUNCT__ darken hi raincoat __PUNCT__
he tri to struggl to hi feet __PUNCT__ and then collaps unconsci __PUNCT__ hi skull fractur __PUNCT__
that even __PUNCT__ million of american watch in stun silenc as abc new broadcast the clash of might against right __PUNCT__
thei watch brave john lewi fall __PUNCT__
thei watch the marcher __PUNCT__ peac __PUNCT__ purpos __PUNCT__ love __PUNCT__ kneel in humbl resist __PUNCT__ scatter and overrun by the trooper __PUNCT__ who struck them with club and whip __PUNCT__ chase them as thei fled __PUNCT__ trampl them beneath their hors __PUNCT__ hoov __PUNCT__
thei watch old men and women fall __PUNCT__
thei saw dignifi peopl claim onli their constitut right __PUNCT__ affirm the promis of the declar of independ without anger __PUNCT__ malic or the least threat of violenc __PUNCT__ whip and club for their patriot __PUNCT__
thei watch __PUNCT__ and were asham of their countri __PUNCT__
and thei knew that the peopl who had tri to cross the edmund pettu bridg weren't a mob __PUNCT__ thei weren't a threat __PUNCT__ thei weren't revolutionari __PUNCT__
thei were peopl who believ in america __PUNCT__ in the promis of america __PUNCT__
and thei believ in a better america __PUNCT__
thei were patriot __PUNCT__ the best kind of patriot __PUNCT__
the beaten and dispers armi on edmund pettu bridg had conquer someth after all __PUNCT__ the indiffer of too mani american to their courag struggl for the basic right of american citizenship __PUNCT__
__PUNCT__ when i care about someth __PUNCT__ john lewi wrote __PUNCT__ i prepar to take the long __PUNCT__ hard road __PUNCT__
i seen courag in action on mani occas in my life __PUNCT__ but none ani greater or us for ani better purpos than the courag shown by john lewi and the good peopl who march for justic with him __PUNCT__
all hi life __PUNCT__ john lewi ha believ in dr __PUNCT__ king concept of the __PUNCT__ belov commun __PUNCT__ a countri __PUNCT__ not hate __PUNCT__ not violent __PUNCT__ not uncar __PUNCT__
not separ __PUNCT__ not polar __PUNCT__ not adversari __PUNCT__
in america all thing ar possibl __PUNCT__ even a civil as great as the on envis by dr __PUNCT__ king and john lewi __PUNCT__
but we ar practic peopl __PUNCT__ and most of us ar honest __PUNCT__ and we know we have a wai to go __PUNCT__
thi week __PUNCT__ i will be travel to place in america that aren't enjoi the prosper mani other part of america enjoi __PUNCT__ but where peopl ar walk a long __PUNCT__ hard road to make sure that their children will know the opportun that other american children possess __PUNCT__
thei ar place that for too long suffer too mani disadvantag __PUNCT__ but where peopl of good charact and stout heart believ in the possibl of make the futur better than the past __PUNCT__ the essenc of the american dream __PUNCT__
i want to discuss with them how thei ar work hard to make a better futur for their commun and their countri __PUNCT__
i am go to listen to and learn from them about what govern is do to help their effort and what it doe to hinder them __PUNCT__
i not go to tell anybodi about how govern can make their choic for them __PUNCT__ but how we can help grow our economi so that peopl have better choic to make for themselv __PUNCT__
i go to share some of my idea for make our school better __PUNCT__ and how to help all part of america have access to the astonish improv in educ made possibl by the inform revolut __PUNCT__ and the econom opportun thei bring __PUNCT__
i go to talk about the great potenti of america commun colleg to help peopl learn new skill that will help them find secur job in the global economi __PUNCT__
i want them to know __PUNCT__ that as we begin to address the secur and environment threat caus by our depend on f oreign oil __PUNCT__ i dedic to make sure our effort to start a green technolog revolut __PUNCT__ which could be as transform as the inform revolut __PUNCT__ produc prosper throughout thi countri __PUNCT__
there must be no forgotten place in america __PUNCT__ whether thei have been ignor for long year by the sin of indiffer and injustic __PUNCT__ or have been left behind as the world grew smaller and more econom interdepend __PUNCT__
in america __PUNCT__ we have alwai believ that if the dai wa a disappoint __PUNCT__ we would win tomorrow __PUNCT__
that what john lewi believ when he march across thi bridg __PUNCT__
that what he still believ __PUNCT__ what he still fight to achiev __PUNCT__ a better countri than the on he inherit __PUNCT__
my friend __PUNCT__ american chang thing __PUNCT__
we alwai have __PUNCT__
we don't hide from problem or mistak or histori __PUNCT__
we chang thing and we make histori __PUNCT__
hope in america is not base in delus __PUNCT__ but in the faith that everyth is possibl in america __PUNCT__
the time for pander and fals promis is over __PUNCT__
it is time for action __PUNCT__
it is time for chang __PUNCT__ the right kind of chang __PUNCT__ chang that trust in the strength of free peopl and free market __PUNCT__ chang that doesn't return to polici that empow govern to make our choic for us __PUNCT__ but that work to ensur we have choic to make for ourselv __PUNCT__
for we have alwai trust american to build from the choic thei make for themselv __PUNCT__ a safer __PUNCT__ stronger and more prosper countri than the on thei inherit __PUNCT__
i have alwai believ in thi countri __PUNCT__ in a good america __PUNCT__ a great america __PUNCT__
but i have alwai believ we can build a better america __PUNCT__
i am here becaus it is a place where great american onc fought to do just that __PUNCT__ and i go to place where thei ar still fight for chang __PUNCT__ to make us a better countri __PUNCT__
i am go to meet and learn from patriot __PUNCT__
thank you __PUNCT__
