'I want to take one more look... I'm not going to see this again': Beaming Obama savors his second inauguration as he takes Michelle on walkabout among hundreds of thousands in D.C.

President Barack Obama today savored the hundreds of thousands of supporters gathered to witness his second inauguration in Washington D.C., grinning as he waved enthusiastically to the crowds lining Pennsylvania Avenue.
And in a moving display of his appreciation as he left his public swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol building early this afternoon, he was seen pausing a moment to look back towards the crowds and reflect on the vast sea of people before him.
'I want to look out one more time because I'm not going to see this again,' he said quietly to someone next to him as he took in the spectacular view.
The president appeared just as grateful for the support as he walked hand-in-hand with his wife as part of the Inauguration Parade, which featured floats from 60 organizations, as it snaked through the city's streets.
The parade came after Obama was sworn into office by Chief Justice John G. Roberts as the president's proud wife Michelle and two daughters, 11-year-old Sasha and 14-year-old Malia, looked on.
Scroll down to watch videos and to read the President's full transcript

Proud: President Obama and his wife Michelle wave to the thousands of supporters along the inauguration parade route after he was sworn into office on Monday

 

Joyous: The Obamas wave after emerging from the presidential limousine during the inaugural parade from the Capitol to the White House

 

Thankful: Joe Biden and his wife Dr Jill Biden wave as they walk down Pennsylvania Avenue during the Inaugural parade
After he took the oath with two bibles - one belonging to Abraham Lincoln, the other to Martin Luther King Jr. - Obama addressed the crowd of supporters in an impassioned speech and urged the country to work together.
'Our individual freedoms requires collective action,' he said. 'We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few... We must act together, as one nation and one people.'

 

More...

• Where did the crowds go? A few as 500,000 people expected at today's inauguration - compared to 1.8 million in 2009
• 'I'm proud to be president of the United States': Joe Biden's latest gaffe at inauguration ball...but is it a sign of things to come?
• Guns, taxes and immigration: Obama's inauguration speech to lay out his second term vision (but the details will have to wait for another day)
• 'The president's a sore winner': Rick Santorum lashes out at Obama for his lack of bi-partisanship and says GOP should 'stick to their guns' on weapon laws
• Dress rehearsal for 2016? Bill and Hillary are all smiles at Inauguration as Democrats hope for another Clinton presidency

'We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity... Let each of us now embrace, with solemn duty and awesome joy, what is our lasting birthright. With common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history, and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom.'
He also announced his aims for his coming term, vowing to lead the fight against climate change and maintaining the country's strong alliances across the globe. And in a particularly progressive move, he became the first president to address gay rights in his inauguration speech.

 

 

Our President: A relaxed President Barack Obama is sworn into his second term in office at his inauguration, as his wife Michelle looks on

 

Swearing in: Obama's wife and daughters, Sasha and Malia, look on as he is sworn into office by Chief Justice John G. Roberts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ceremony: Obama and Vice President Biden listen to an invocation by Myrlie Evers-Williams during the 57th Presidential Inauguration ceremonial swearing-in

 

 

Grinning: Sasha and Malia Obama look delighted to be at their father's second inauguration as they joked around in front of the cameras

 

Keeping the faith: Barack Obama is sworn in as President on two Bibles - one belonging to Abraham Lincoln and the 'traveling Bible' of Martin Luther King

'Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law,' he said. 'For if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.'
And perhaps in a jab at his critics in the recent gun debate and wrangling over fiscal cliff bill, he added that 'name-calling is not reasoned debate' and lawmakers 'cannot substitute spectacle for politics'.
Under the Constitution the president officially begins his new term on January 20, but because the date fell on a Sunday this year, Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were sworn in at a mostly private ceremony yesterday and the nation will celebrate with the president today.
As many as 700,000 people gathered to watch the day's celebrations, brandishing flags and wearing patriotic hats and pins. Despite the enormous outpouring of support on display in the capital, there were one million fewer people in the crowds than at Obama's first inauguration in 2009.

 

Clowning around: The Obama girls dance while Michelle and Barack stay serious as they watch the parade from the presidential box

 

Aloha! Barack and Michelle greet the Hawaii home state float on Monday with the shaka sign meaning 'hang ten'

 

Captivating: Beyonce sings the U.S. National Anthem as President Obama and Senator Charles Schumer listen during swearing-in ceremonies

 

 

Thankful: Singer and Obama supporter Beyonce is greeted by the president after her performance

 

Fans: The Obamas cheer and laugh with Beyonce after she finishes her spectacular performance at the inauguration ceremony

 

Friends: First lady Michelle Obama greets singer Beyonce after she performs the National Anthem on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol

WHAT'S ON THE MENU? THE 3,000 CALORIE INAUGURAL LUNCH

Obama, Biden, their families and the Senate will gorge on a 3,000 calorie feast.
First Course Steamed Lobster with New England Clam Chowder Sauce

Second Course Hickory Grilled Bison with Red Potato Horseradish Cake and Wild Huckleberry Reduction

Third Course Hudson Valley Apple Pie with Sour Cream Ice Cream, Aged Cheese and Honey

Wines Tierce Finger Lakes Dry Riesling (2010); Korbel Natural, Special Inaugural Cuvée California Champagne; Bedell Cellars Merlot (2009)

NBC reported each meal is worth a staggering 3,027 calories - minus the alcohol.

The crowd erupted into cheers as the grinning president took to the stage on Monday morning, following his wife Michelle, former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Senators and other officials.
President Obama embraced members of the crowd and greeted his wife and daughters, Sasha and Malia, who were dressed smartly in brightly-coloured winter coats, before the ceremony got underway at 11.30 a.m.
Myrlie Evers-Williams, the widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, delivered the invocation at the opening of the ceremony, delivering a message of hope and unity for the country as Obama bowed his head in prayer.
'May all your people, especially the least of these, flourish in our blessed nation,' she said before the crowd.
'We celebrate the spirit of our ancestors, that has allowed us to move from a nation of unborn hopes and disenfranchised hopes to today's expression of a more perfect union.
'We are strong, fierce in our strength, and ever vigilante in our pursuit of freedom.'
Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic woman to sit on the Supreme Court, then swore in Joe Biden as Vice President, using the Biden family bible.
After performances by musical stars Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor, the ceremony concluded and the Obamas, Biden and his wife Jill, left for a congressional luncheon.
Former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter were both at the Capitol, yet the Bushes were not in attendance.
VIDEO Beyonce sings the national anthem at Obama's second inauguration

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VIDEO Kelly Clarkson performs 'My Country, 'Tis of Thee' at the inauguration

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Passionate: Kelly Clarkson sings My Country 'Tis of Thee during swearing-in ceremonies on Monday morning in the nation's capital

 

Starstruck: Kelly Clarkson is greeted by President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden following her performance

 

Photobomb! Bill Clinton is caught making a goofy face at Kelly Clarkson as she sings at the swearing-in ceremony in front of the U.S. Capitol today

This afternoon, an inaugural parade featuring floats by 60 organisations took off at 2.30 p.m. to pass the Washington Memorial and the White House, before it concludes at 5.30 p.m. in time for the inaugural ball at 6 p.m.
Barack and Michelle Obama stepped from their motorcade as it drove along a jam-packed Pennsylvania Avenue and walked hand-in-hand as they waved to cheering supporters.
The trappings for today's ceremony were in place early this morning. The flag-draped stands were ready outside the Capitol, while tables have been set inside for the traditional lunch with lawmakers.
Across town, a specially made reviewing stand rested outside the White House gates for the president and guests to watch the traditional inauguration parade march down Pennsylvania Avenue.

 

Mass celebration: The Mall continues to fill with supporters to watch President Barack Obama be sworn in as the 45th U.S. President at the U.S. Capitol

 

Message of hope: Obama speaks after he was ceremonially sworn in for a second term as the 44th President of the United States

 

Determined: Obama's speech called for the American people to work together to secure a future of equality for the entire country

 

Second term: Vice President Joe Biden takes his oath using the family bible as his wife Dr. Jill Biden and his son Beau Biden look on

 

The weather forecast was encouraging. High temperatures are predicted for the lower 40s during the day, with scattered snow showers during the evening, when two inaugural balls will conclude the official proceedings.
More than 2,000 police officers were drafted from across the country to patrol alongside the D.C. police, Secret Service, FBI and other agencies.
As the day dawned, Washington was in security lockdown, with thousands of police and National Guard troops across the city and Humvee military vehicles blocking major intersections.
Even though the atmosphere lacked the buzz of Obama's first inauguration in 2009, many of his supporters celebrated through the night.
'Yes, I can sense the inauguration is not as big as last time, but there is nonetheless excitement,' Carrie Solages told the Chicago Tribune as she attended a pre-inaugural ball on Sunday. 'We are still here to be a part of history.'
Before heading to the festivities, President Obama attended a church service at St. John's Episcopal Church with wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia for a moment of reflection.
VIDEO: President Obama: 'I want to look out one more time'

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VIDEO Obama's inauguration speech at the Capitol in Washington D.C.

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Celebrated: Former President Jimmy Carter arrives at the ceremony with his wife Rosalynn to massive cheers from the crowds

 

Arrival: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is joined by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, as she arrives at the inauguration

 

 

First family: Malia and Sasha Obama arrive at the Capitol building followed closely by their maternal grandmother

 

Proud: The girls burst into giggles as the crowd cheered when their names were announced. They joined their mother Michelle on stage
While attending the service, Obama apparently took a moment to send a message to his supporters, tweeting: 'I'm honored and grateful that we have a chance to finish what we started. Our work begins today. Let's go. -bo.'
Vice President Joe Biden, sporting a pair of suave aviator sunglasses, also attended the service with his wife Jill.
On Sunday night, the Obamas attended a glitzy reception in Washington D.C. with Biden and wife Jill. The event at the National Building Museum to celebrate those who supported the campaign and benefactors of the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
Michelle looked glamorous in a sequined, black cocktail dress and statement earrings while Dr Biden wore a navy blue dress with a bold necklace.
Obama thanked his many donors for their support at the event and said his second inauguration is a celebration of the country and its citizens, not the election results.

 

 

Famous fans: High-profile Obama supporters actress Eva Longoria, left, and Jay-Z and Beyonce, right, arrive at the swearing in ceremony

 

All smiles: President Barack Obama grins as he arrives to cheers during the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC

 

Welcome: President Barack Obama arrives during the presidential inauguration and embraces supporters as Bill Clinton looks on

 

Offering support: Former Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and his wife Callista arrive for the 57th Presidential Inauguration

 

Happy to be there: Chicago Mayor and Obama's former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and his wife Amy Rule arrive at the event

 

He reminded the crowd that 'what we're doing is celebrating each other and celebrating this incredible nation that we call home'.
He encouraged the crowd to enjoy the inauguration and said he needs them to work as hard as they can on issues important to them.
Obama said the inauguration is a reminder that 'there is something bigger than ourselves'.
He kept his comments brief and quipped that he has to save some of his lines for his speech on Monday. He also gave his opinion on a much-debated matter his week - his wife's new haircut.
He said: 'I love her bangs. She looks good. She always looks good.'
First lady Michelle Obama unveiled her new haircut in a White House photo released last Thursday for her 49th birthday.

 

Signature: President Obama signs a proclamation to commemorate the inauguration, entitled a 'National Day of Hope and Resolve', flanked by Biden and House Speaker John Boehner

 

Watching over: From left, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Sen. Lamar Alexander, Sen. Charles Schumer, Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker John Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi

Extravagant: The President and guests gather for the Inaugural Luncheon in Statuary Hall following the swearing-in ceremony

 

 

Paying their respects: First Lady Michelle Obama, President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden pause to pay their respects at the Martin Luther King, Jr. statue in the Capitol rotunda as they leave the Inaugural Luncheon

Together: President Obama and Michelle sit beside Speaker of the House John Boehner and his wife Deborah Gunlack at the luncheon

 

 

Good humoured: Vice President Biden shares a joke with Senator Lamar Alexander as his wife Dr. Jill Biden stands to his left

 

Friendly: Bill Clinton greets singer John Legend and his fiance Christine Teigen at the Inaugural Luncheon in Statuary Hall

 

 

High spirits: Bill Clinton puts his fists up as he jokes around at the inaugural lunch inside the Capitol building on Monday afternoon

 

Got your back: Obama and Clinton, who was key to his re-election campaign, hug during the inaugural lunch

Route: A map shows the route of the inauguration parade taking place on Monday afternoon following Obama's swearing in

Obama was sworn in for four more years earlier on Sunday in a simple ceremony at the White House, embarking on a second-term quest to restore a still-shaky economy and combat terrorists overseas while swearing an age-old oath to 'preserve, protect and defend' the Constitution.
'I did it,' a smiling president said to his daughter Sasha seconds after following Chief Justice John Roberts in reciting the oath of office. First Lady Michelle and the couple's other daughter, Malia, were among relatives who bore witness.
The quiet moments were prelude to today's public inaugural events when Obama and Biden will be sworn in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol before a television audience counted in the millions.
The 44th chief executive is only the 17th to win re-election, and his second-term goals are ambitious for a country where sharp political differences have produced gridlocked government in recent years.

 

 

 

Celebratory: Kennedi Franklin, 8, cheers as she sits on the shoulders of her father Edward Franklin, of Mobile, Alabama, as they wait on National Mall

 

Fans: Rickita Glass (left) and Kelly Grimes and others gather near the U.S. Capitol building on the National Mall for the Inauguration ceremony

 

 

Celebration: People cheer as they enter the National Mall before the ceremonial swearing-in ceremonies

 

Patriotic: Obama supporters wait on the National Mall for the start of the ceremonial swearing in on Monday morning

 

 

Cheers: People wave at President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden as their limousine passes on the way to the Capitol building on Monday

 

Restoration of the economy to full strength and pressing the worldwide campaign against terrorists sit atop the agenda. He also wants to reduce federal deficits and win immigration and gun control legislation from Congress, where Republicans control the House.
If he needed a reminder of the challenges he faces, he got one from half-way around the globe. An Algerian security official disclosed the discovery of 25 additional bodies at a gas plant where radical Islamists last week took dozens of foreign workers hostage.
In Washington on Sunday, tourists strolled leisurely on an unseasonably warm day.
'I'm very proud of him and what he's trying to do for immigration, women's rights, what they call Obamacare and concerns for the middle class,' said Patricia Merritt, a retired educator from San Antonio, in town with her daughter and granddaughter to see the inauguration and parade. 'I think he's more disrespected than any other president,' she added, referring to his critics.
Sean Payton, an operations analyst from Highland Ranch, Colorado, said he hoped to hear 'a nice eloquent speech that makes people feel good about being an American'.

 

 

First family: President Obama, his wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia were smartly dressed as they arrived at the church ahead of the inauguration

 

How do I look? Mrs Obama gives her youngest daughter Sasha some tips ahead of the church service in Washington D.C. on Monday

 

 

Welcome: The Obama family was greeted by Rev. Luis Leon as they arrived at St. John's Church on Monday for a service

 

Suave: Vice President Joe Biden arrived at St. John's Church - sporting a pair of aviators - shortly after the Obama family

 

Heading to church: Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, follow Reverand Luis Leon into St. John's Church

 

Looking for something to do? As he attended the church service, Obama apparently tweeted this message to his Twitter followers
Republicans lent a touch of bipartisanship to the weekend.
'We always want any president to succeed, to do well, that means America does well and Americans do well,' Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming said on CNN's State of the Union.
Obama took the oath in the White House Blue Room where portraits of Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and John Tyler grace the walls. He placed a hand on a Bible held by his wife. His daughters stood nearby.
The nation's political divisions seemed scarcely to intrude as Obama, a Democrat, shook hands with Roberts, a Republican appointee, in a rite that renews American democracy every four years. Unlike four years ago, when Roberts stumbled verbally, the chief justice recited the oath without error.

 

 

Excitement: One supporter, perhaps from Chicago, stands in the National Mall ahead of the events on Monday

 

 

Supporters: Singers John Mayer and Katy Perry, left, attend the event while Rev. Jesse Jackson, right, waits for the start of the presidential inauguration

 

Family: Michelle Obama's brother Craig Robinson, head coach of Oregon State, left, and their mother Marian Robinson watch the Inaugural Parade

 

Senators: Sen. John McCain, R-Az., and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., arrive for the ceremony on MOnday morning

Gearing up: People begin to gather along Pennsylvania Ave. before the inauguration at the U.S. Capitol

 

 

 

Preparation: US navy sailors stand at the West Front of the US Capitol hours before the ceremony

 

 

Anticipation: People await the start of the inauguration ceremony as the sun begins to rise over D.C.

 

Before the swearing-in, the president listened from a second-row pew at the 175-year-old Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church as the Rev. Jonathan V. Newman asked God's blessing for the him and his family. 'But also prepare him for battle ... because sometimes enemies insist on doing it the hard way,' he said.
Like Obama, Biden began his day early on Sunday. He attended Catholic Mass at his official residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory a few miles from the White House.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic justice and an Obama appointee, administered the oath of office.
Biden joined Obama at the cemetery, where the two men placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns and observed a moment of silence as a bugler sounded Taps.

 

It's official: Obama is sworn in as president on Sunday as his wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia look on at the White House

 

Pride: The First Lady kisses her husband hours after she watched him being sworn in for a second term as President on Sunday

 

 

Glittering event: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle arrive to speak to supporters and donors at a reception for the 57th Presidential Inauguration at The National Building Museum in Washington tonight

 

 

'WE MUST ACT TOGETHER': TRANSCRIPT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S PASSIONATE INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Vice President Biden, Mr. Chief Justice, Members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: 
Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us exceptional – what makes us American – is our allegiance to an idea, articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago:
'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.' 
Today we continue a never-ending journey, to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they have never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth. The patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few or the rule of a mob. They gave to us a Republic, a government of, and by, and for the people, entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed. 
For more than two hundred years, we have. 
Through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, we learned that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half-slave and half-free. We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together. 
Together, we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce; schools and colleges to train our workers.
Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play. 
Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune.
Through it all, we have never relinquished our skepticism of central authority, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that all society’s ills can be cured through government alone.
Our celebration of initiative and enterprise; our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, are constants in our character.
But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action. For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people. 
This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. A decade of war is now ending.  An economic recovery has begun.  America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands:  youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together. 
For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship. We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own. 
We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time.  We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, and reach higher.
But while the means will change, our purpose endures:  a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American. That is what this moment requires. That is what will give real meaning to our creed.  
We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn.  We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other – through Medicare, and Medicaid, and Social Security – these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great. 
We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult.
But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it.  We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries – we must claim its promise. That is how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure – our forests and waterways; our croplands and snowcapped peaks.  That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God. That’s what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared.
We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war. Our brave men and women in uniform, tempered by the flames of battle, are unmatched in skill and courage.  Our citizens, seared by the memory of those we have lost, know too well the price that is paid for liberty.  The knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant against those who would do us harm.  But we are also heirs to those who won the peace and not just the war, who turned sworn enemies into the surest of friends, and we must carry those lessons into this time as well.
We will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law.  We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully – not because we are naïve about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear. America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe; and we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad, for no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation. We will support democracy from Asia to Africa; from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice – not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes:  tolerance and opportunity; human dignity and justice. 
We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth. 
It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity; until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country.  Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm. 
That is our generation’s task – to make these words, these rights, these values – of Life, and Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – real for every American. Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life; it does not mean we will all define liberty in exactly the same way, or follow the same precise path to happiness. Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time – but it does require us to act in our time. 
For now decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay  We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate. We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect. We must act, knowing that today’s victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years, and forty years, and four hundred years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall.
My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction – and we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service. But the words I spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty, or an immigrant realizes her dream. My oath is not so different from the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride. 
They are the words of citizens, and they represent our greatest hope. 
You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country’s course. 
You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time – not only with the votes we cast, but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideals. 
Let each of us now embrace, with solemn duty and awesome joy, what is our lasting birthright. With common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history, and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom. 
Thank you, God Bless you, and may He forever bless these United States of America.