We have a long way to go before we achieve a nation free from bigotry,
intolerance and discrimination. But, lest we forget, America is supposed to be a
land that cherishes the rights and dignity of people of all races, religions and
nationalities. We can’t change the past, but if we surrender to the politics of
cynicism and forsake this most precious ideal, the moral leadership of the world
will soon pass to more qualified hands.