【文章內(nèi)容簡介】 tion ofthe 1960s. and of all the women at the seneca falls womenamp。39。s suffrage convention in 1848,just one lived to see women cast their votes. just one.
　　but these folks didnamp。39。t let the ugliness and the obstacles deter them. they didnamp。39。t just give upand retreat to the fortable pany of likeminded folks, because they understood that thisis how democracy operates. it is loud and messy, and itamp。39。s not particularly warm and fuzzy. andbelieve me, i know this from personal experience. (laughter.) over the years, iamp。39。ve occasionallyrun into the noise myself. but iamp。39。ve e to realize that most of that clamor is really ingfrom just a handful of very loud folks out on the fringes.
　　see, the truth is that the overwhelming majority of people in this country are openmindedand bighearted. they are smart enough to see through that noise, and they are so hungry forvoices that rise above it amp。ndash。 smart, passionate, thoughtful voices like yours.
　　now, the process of democracy might not always be as fast or as smooth as weamp。39。d like. but thefact is, it works. generation after generation, this country has bee more equal, moreinclusive, more fair, more free. my life and so many of your lives are a testament of that that has only happened because folks like all of you left their fort zones and madetheir voices heard.
　　just look at the story of oberlin college. the founders of this school didnamp。39。t just decide to admitwomen and african american students and then pat themselves on the back and say “。job welldone.”。 no, even in those early days, folks here at oberlin were attending antislavery meetings,shivering on rough wooden benches in unheated, unfinished buildings. they were joining theequal suffrage league and speaking out for womenamp。39。s right to vote.
　　they were leading civil rights marches and sitins, organizing exchange programs withhistorically black colleges and universities, and so much more. because they knew it wasnamp。39。tenough to wele women and african american students to oberlin if they would onlygraduate in four years to be secondclass citizens in their own country. they knew that ourpolicies matter. they knew that our laws matter. and i know, as president krislov understands,that electing the right folks matters amp。ndash。 it matters a lot.
　　now, i donamp。39。t know whether your president knows what i was going to say today, but i know thathe had some kind words for you all about this issue. but itamp。39。s no coincidence that weamp。39。re bothurging you to get involved in civic life. because we both know that you cannot fully achieveyour goals of service and social justice if you turn away from politics and public policy.
　　you see, itamp。39。s wonderful to volunteer at your local homeless shelter amp。ndash。 please do that amp。ndash。 but youalso need to attend the city council meetings and make sure the zoning laws donamp。39。t shut thatshelter down. (applause.) are you thinking of teaching in an underserved school? if so, iamp。39。mglad to hear that. so many kids need you. but youamp。39。ve also got to elect good people to yourschool board and state legislature, because they decide whether you have the resources youneed to inspire and empower your students. (applause.)
　　are you planning to rally for marriage equality on the steps of the supreme court? i certainlyhope so. (applause.) but i also hope you will knock on doors and make some calls to elect apresident who shares your values. because that president will ultimately choose the justiceswho decide those cases in the first place. (applause.)
　　and finally, while p