In a speech given from the Oval Office of the White House today President Obama reached out to mend fences between leftist radicals, and extreme right wing radicals. At the end of a week marked by a string of monumental right wing judicial defeats, President Obama attempted to find common ground between himself and his most ardent supporters and a group seen as his most vicious detractors. He also showed a new commitment to a mostly forgotten campaign promise.
What follows is a transcript of the president's speech in full followed by a link to the video:
Since this nation's founding there have been groups of folks bitterly divided by deeply held beliefs. These groups were divided to the point of hatred, and oftentimes violence between these groups would erupt. From Tories and Patriots, abolitionists and slaveholders, Yankees and Rebels, blacks and whites, and today the extreme left consisting of black nationalists, Marxists, militant homosexuals, and environmentalists, and the extreme right consisting of white supremacists, secessionists, anti-government militias, Fox News and radio talk show hosts. These lists are obviously not all-encompassing, but the point is these folks hate each other.
This hatred that divides our nation is making us as a nation ill. As Abraham Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." He also said, "I do not expect the house to fall, but I do expect it to cease to be divided. It will be all one thing or all the other." President Lincoln was preparing to end slavery at all costs. Inspired by these words from The Great Emancipator I too intend to end the division in this shining house on the hill.
I believe that though there are extreme groups in this country that hate each other, there is common ground on which they can stand. We have seen report after report of unprovoked police violence against young, unarmed, black men. While my brothers on the left of me point out the blatant racism inherent in these incidents, my brothers on the right point to the militarization of the police and government abuse of power. I think on this issue we can be united. Both left and right, black and white, see plainly the failure of our state, county, and local police to discharge their duties fairly, and in line with the Constitution.
When I was on the campaign trail in Colorado Springs on July 2, 2008 I said that we needed a civilian national security force that was just as powerful, just as strong, and just and well-funded as our military. Now is the time to make good on that promise.
I am going to introduce to Congress a plan that will dissolve all state, county, and local law enforcement agencies, and transition their duties of law enforcement and their budgets to branch offices of the National Security Administration.
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I understand that there are good law enforcement officers out there that are well liked by the communities they serve. I plan on absorbing those men and women into the national security force, and keeping them in their communities. I will also absorb all red light and traffic cameras to assist me with enforcing traffic laws. To be responsive to your law enforcement needs I will be developing a website through which you can report any crimes, emergencies, or suspicious activities to your local branch of the NSA.
I believe these measures will be instrumental to healing this country through improved law enforcement services for everyone. I believe this is common ground on which all Americans agree. Through that agreement we will be able to start on the path of reconcilliation where our deeply held beliefs will begin to look more alike. There will more agreement between the people and their government. Not only will our deeply held beliefs become more similar, they will be strengthened as well, Thank you.
[Video of the president's speech]
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