8 November 2020, New York City, New York, USA
Well, it’s easier to be a parent this morning. It’s easier to be a dad. It’s easier to tell your kids character matters — it matters. Tell them the truth matters. Being a good person matters.
It’s easier to a whole lot of people. If you’re Muslim in this country, you don’t have to worry if the president doesn’t want you here. If you’re an immigrant, you don’t have to worry if the president is going to have your babies snatched away or send dreamers back for no reason.
This is vindication for a lot of people who have really suffered. “I can’t breathe” — that wasn’t just George Floyd. A lot of people felt like they couldn’t breathe. Every day you’re waking up, you’re getting these tweets and you just don’t know. You’re going to the store and people who have been afraid to show their racism are getting nastier and nastier to you. You’re worrying about your kids and you’re worrying about your sister: Can she just go to Walmart and get back into her car without somebody saying something to her? You spent so much of your life energy just trying to hold it together.
This is a big deal for us, just to get some peace and have a chance for a reset. The character of the country matters. Being a good man matters. I just want my sons to look at this, look at this, it’s easy to do it the cheap way and get away with stuff. But it comes back around, it comes back around. It’s a good day for this country. And I’m sorry for the people who lost, for them its not a good day. For a whole lot of people it’s a good day.
All Speeches Great and Small