Barack Obama Calls for Unity in Soaring D.N.C. Speech

We live in a time of such confusion and rancor, with a culture that puts a premium on things that don’t last: money, fame, status, likes. We chase the approval of strangers on our phones. We build all manner of walls and fences around ourselves, and then we wonder why we feel so alone. We don’t trust each other as much because we don’t take the time to know each other. And in that space between us, politicians and algorithms teach us to caricature each other. Control each other and fear each other. But here’s the good news, Chicago. All across America, in big cities and small towns away from all the noise, the ties that bind us together are still there. We still coach Little League and look out for our elderly neighbors. We still feed the hungry in churches and mosques and synagogues and temples. We share the same pride when our Olympic athletes compete for the gold because — because the vast majority of us do not want to live in a country that’s bitter and divided. We want something better. We want to be better. And the joy, and the excitement that we’re seeing around this campaign tells us we’re not alone.