My conviction is that those fights need to be fought right now and can be won. And if in fact we have finite political capital, energy, resources, we need to win those fights. Barack Obama More Quotes by Barack Obama More Quotes From Barack Obama The belief that peace is desirable is rarely enough to achieve it. Peace requires responsibility. Peace entails sacrifice. Barack Obama sacrifice responsibility belief We can't afford to stand pat while the world races by. The United States of America did not become the most prosperous nation on Earth by sheer luck or happenstance. We got here because each time a generation of Americans has faced a changing world, we have changed with it. We have not feared our future; we have shaped it. Barack Obama luck race america And yes, my plan will continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet - because climate change is not a hoax. More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a joke. They're a threat to our children's future. And in this election, you can do something about it. Barack Obama hoaxes climate children Climate change constitutes a serious threat to global security, an immediate risk to our national security, and, make no mistake, it will impact how our military defends our country. Barack Obama military mistake country I would not be running for President if I didn't believe with all my heart that this is what the vast majority of Americans want for this country. This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation - the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election. Barack Obama running attitude country And I want to work with this Congress, to make sure Americans already burdened with student loans can reduce their monthly payments, so that student debt doesn't derail anyone's dreams. Barack Obama debt dream want We believed we could prepare our kids for a more competitive world. And today, our younger students have earned the highest math and reading scores on record. Our high school graduation rate has hit an all-time high. And more Americans finish college than ever before. Barack Obama reading kids school My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too. Barack Obama undocumented-workers amnesty stranger What I believe unites the people of this nation, regardless of race or region or party, young or old, rich or poor, is the simple, profound belief in opportunity for all - the notion that if you work hard and take responsibility, you can get ahead. Barack Obama party responsibility believe A mother deserves a day off to care for a sick child or sick parent without running into hardship - and you know what, a father does, too. It's time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a 'Mad Men' episode. Barack Obama mother running children No other country in the world does what we do. On every issue, the world turns to us, not simply because of the size of our economy or our military might - but because of the ideals we stand for, and the burdens we bear to advance them. Barack Obama issues military country America isn't Congress. America isn't Washington. America is the striving immigrant who starts a business, or the mom who works two low-wage jobs to give her kid a better life. America is the union leader and the CEO who put aside their differences to make the economy stronger. Barack Obama mom jobs kids The terrorists do not speak for over a billion Muslims who reject their hateful ideology. Barack Obama terrorist hateful speak Nations are more successful when their women are successful. Barack Obama nations successful The nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. Barack Obama economy politics energy Climate change poses a direct threat to the infrastructure of America that we need to stay competitive in this 21st-century economy. Barack Obama climate politics america The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition, we must lead it. Barack Obama politics long america In sectors like energy, I haven't been arguing for more spending per se; I've been arguing that it doesn't make sense for us to spend $4 billion subsidizing an oil industry that's mature and very profitable. We should be using that money to finance clean energy of the future. Barack Obama oil politics energy We want our children to live in an America that isn't burdened by debt, that isn't weakened by inequality, that isn't threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet. Barack Obama debt children america As long as countries like China keep going all in on clean energy, so must we. Barack Obama politics long country