President Barack Obama acknowledged the contribution by generations of Americans who fought to expand rights in his weekly radio address Friday. He also thanked members of the military, saying: “You keep us safe, and you keep the United States of America a shining beacon of hope for the world.” Obama said America's success was due to the fact that Americans had not taken for granted the doctrine “that we are all created equal.”
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“Generations of Americans have marched, organized, petitioned, fought and even died to extend those rights to others; to widen the circle of opportunity for others; and to perfect this union we love so much,” he said. He also paid tribute to the U.S. soccer team “who represented America so well” at the World Cup, “We are so proud of you. You've got a lot of new believers,” Obama said.
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