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Sometimes the world seems so incredibly bleak. We have an unjust and bloody war being waged in Iraq, which is threatening to be spread into Iran very soon. We are seeing incredibly frightening reports on global warming which suggest that our planet may be running out of time. We have our voting machines being hacked and an unelected "President" sitting in the White House. We have tens of millions of people unable to afford health insurance. And we are seeing poverty, death, disease, and destruction all around the globe.
Sometimes the future looks so uncertain and frightening that I just want to curl up in a ball and suck my thumb not knowing what to do.
But instead of curling up into my little ball I am going to remind myself of something. I am going to remind myself of all the great things progressives have done in the past to make this world a better place.
I am going to remember that there was a time when no one could have possibly believed that a black minister living in a racially segregated southern state would invigorate a civil rights movement which would eventually bring about the most significant civil rights legislation in US history. Yet Martin Luther King was able to come from a very modest background and overcome incredible obstacles to truly change our society in a powerful way.
I am going to remember that Britain once ruled India with an iron fist, but then a relatively ordinary man named Gandhi stepped forward and started a true peaceful revolution which allowed him to absolutely destroy the British occupiers without even firing a single shot.
I am going to remember the union organizers in the early 1900's who risked their lives to provide us all with better working conditions.
I am going to remember the abolitionists who sacrificed their own reputations to speak out against slavery when it was very unpopular to do so.
I am going to remember the women who took to the streets and marched and got arrested so that they could help secure the right to vote.
I am going to remember the men and women in the 1960's who took to the streets and protested until the Vietnam War finally came to an end years later.
And I am going to remember all the great people who are out there fighting for us today. Whether they are organizing protests to get us out of Iraq, or taking steps to reduce their dependency on energy to help fight global warming, or standing up for equal rights, there are so many people out there doing so many great things.
It is those people who give me hope in these bleak times. Maybe we don't have Martin Luther King or Gandhi with us anymore, but it is important we recognize all the people out there who are trying to follow in their footsteps.
Ordinary people have gotten us through tough times before, and ordinary people can get us through tough times again.
So thank you to everyone who is standing up to make sure we are not just curled up in a ball on the floor feeling helpless. Thank you to everyone who is standing up in their own way to help change this world.
When things are looking really bad I will always know that there are people out there trying to make things better, and I want everyone of you who is working for change to know that we appreciate your efforts. You give us hope when everything seems hopeless.
You all deserve a big round of applause tonight.
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