obama's speech

i found the transcript to the speech that obama gave at the airport
when we saw him there, and i wanted to share it here. it explains
some of why his visit to ghana was so significant. and it is
interesting to note, of course, that each time he mentions peace
corps, applause follows. we were an enthusiastic crowd!

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Hello, Ghana. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. I
want to thank the people of Ghana for this extraordinary visit.
Michelle and I have been greatly honored to be joined by President
Mills and his lovely wife. They have been gracious hosts.

You know, your President and I have a lot in common. We're both
lawyers, we're both former law professors, we're both new presidents.
(Applause.) We both like to think of ourselves as athletes. The
difference is President Mills played hockey on the national team of
Ghana, and I played basketball mostly in my backyard. (Applause.)

But we both love sports. We're both proud of serving our country. And
today I want to honor President Mills for his strong and thoughtful
leadership, his devotion to democracy, and his commitment for the
future of his nation. I also want to thank the magnificent welcoming
committee, including the drummers and the dancers. Michelle and I and
our daughters enjoyed it very much.

I want to recognize our Peace Corps volunteers who are here.
(Applause.) You know, Ghana was the very first nation to host young
people from the Peace Corps. And for decades, our two nations have
formed vital partnerships and lasting friendships because of this
program. So all of you in the Peace Corps, you are doing an
outstanding job and we're proud of you. (Applause.)

As somebody whose father comes from Africa, obviously this visit has
been particularly meaningful for me. I've had a chance to discuss the
future of Ghana but also the future of Africa with President Mills.
I've spoken to the parliament here in Ghana about America's commitment
to supporting democracy and development.

Michelle and I visited LA General Hospital, where we met with
beautiful women and their children who are getting the care that they
need for a healthy start.

And finally, we toured Cape Coast Castle -- a place for centuries
where men, women, and children of this nation and surrounding areas
were sold into slavery. I'll never forget the image of my two young
daughters, the descendants of Africans and African Americans, walking
through those doors of no return, but then walking back those doors of
return. It was a remarkable reminder that while the future is
unknowable, the winds always blow in the direction of human progress.

At each point of our visit here, I was reminded of the enduring bond
between our nations. Men and women taken from this nation helped to
build my own. Today, many of our leading citizens trace their roots to
these shores. Your first President attended a university in the United
States, as did your current one. Great civil rights leaders of
America, like Dr. Martin Luther King, looked to the independence
movement here in Ghana and asked themselves, "If Africans can live
freely in Africa, why can't African Americans live freely in America?"

And immigrants from Ghana and from all across Africa have thrived all
across America. Today, both our nations are diverse and vibrant
democracies. Here in Ghana, many different ethnic groups speak many
languages, but have found a way to live and work together in peace.
People here can speak freely and worship freely. You have a robust
civil society, fair elections, and a free press, a growing market
economy and a sense of energy and optimism. And every day with its
success, Ghana sends a simple message to the world that democracy can
thrive in Africa. (Applause.)

So we in America are proud of our partnership with Ghana. Together
we've worked to advance education and fight poverty. We've made real
and measurable strides in fighting diseases from malaria to
tuberculosis to polio and neglected tropical diseases. This is a
partnership we intend to continue. It's a partnership based not just
on shared interests, but on shared ideals -- ideals forged in
struggles for independence that have made our countries who they are.

We believe that democracy is not simply a gift from previous
generations, but a responsibility for each generation to preserve and
to pass on. We believe that no one, whether it's through the influence
of politics, the power of money, or the fear of force is above the
law. And we believe that we're all equal, all endowed with basic human
dignity, all entitled to basic human rights.

It is up to each of us, every one of us, to uphold those ideals. This
is true not just in Ghana but for all of Africa. America wants to
partner with the people and nations of Africa, but we all know that
the future of Africa is in the hands of Africa.

So I especially want to, again, speak to the young people of Africa.
In places like Ghana you make up more than half the population, and
here is what you must know: that the world is what you make of it. You
have the power to hold your leaders accountable and to build
institutions that serve the people. You can serve in communities like
these Peace Corps workers -- (applause) -- and harness your energy and
education to renew and build connections between the world. You can
conquer disease and end conflict and make change from the bottom up.
You can do all that.

And I promise you this: If you seize this opportunity, if you take
responsibility for your future, America will be with you every step of
the way as a partner and as a friend. (Applause.)

Freedom is your inheritance, hard won 52 years ago by men and women
determined to cast off the title of subjects for the title of
citizens, and claim for themselves and their children the liberties
that are all of our birthrights.

Dr. King came here to Ghana to witness the culmination of that
struggle. He watched as the Union Jack was lowered and the Ghanaian
flag was raised at the parliament. He marveled at the site of the
Duchess of Kent dancing with the new Ghanaian President at the state
ball. And in a sermon he gave upon returning home to America, he said
of this new nation, "There is a great day ahead. The future is on its
side." Those words ring just as true today as they did more than half
a century ago.

Great days lie ahead for this nation. The future is on Ghana's side. I
promise that America will be with you. (Applause.) And together we
will create a better world.

Thank you, Ghana. God bless you and God bless the United States of
America. (Applause.)