Mayor Julián Castro of San Antonio
delivered the keynote speech Tuesday night
at the 2012
Democratic National Convention,
the same speech that propelled then-Senator Barack Obama to fame in 2004.
WOW!
…Like so many American families,
our families weren’t asking for much.
They didn’t begrudge anyone else’s success
or care that others had much more than they did…
in fact, they admired it.
They simply believed in that fundamental American promise that,
even if you don’t start out with much,
if you work hard and do what you’re supposed to do,
then you should be able to build a decent life for yourself
and
an even better life for your kids and grandkids.
That’s how they raised us .
that’s what we learned from their example.
We learned about dignity and decency
— that how hard you work matters more
than how much you make .
that helping others means more than just getting ahead yourself.
We learned about honesty and integrity
— that the truth matters .
that you don’t take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules.
and
success doesn’t count
unless you earn it fair and square.
We learned about gratitude and humility —
that so many people had a hand in our success,
from the teachers who inspired us
to the janitors who kept our school clean .
and
we were taught to value everyone’s contribution
and
treat everyone with respect.
Those are the values Barack and I
— and so many of you —
are trying to pass on
to our own children.
That’s who we are…
…I love that for Barack, there is no such thing as ‘‘us’’ and ‘‘them’’
— he doesn’t care whether you’re a Democrat, a Republican,
or none of the above .
he knows that we all love our country.
and he’s always ready to listen to good ideas .
he’s always looking for the very best in everyone he meets.
And I love that even in the toughest moments,
when we’re all sweating it —
when we’re worried that the bill won’t pass,
and
it seems like all is lost —
Barack never lets himself get distracted
by the chatter
and
the noise.
Just like his grandmother,
he just keeps getting up and moving forward .
with
patience
and
wisdom,
and
courage
and
grace.
And he reminds me that we are playing a long game here
.and
that change is hard,
and
change is slow,
and
it never happens all at once…
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