Barack Obama: “The United States and Afghan government remain steadfast in our determination to build security, stability, and…”

They're meant to remind us of who we can be, to remind us of what's possible, so we can forge ahead.

Listen, hypocrisy is progress.

We’ve now fought a war, spent billions and billions of dollars, you know, put enormous strain on our military. A lot of people have died. And it feels like we’re back where we were before we started the war, except maybe a little bit worse…

In forming our union, the founders fell terribly short of the Declaration's promise, leaving slavery intact, allowing states to restrict the franchise to white men who owned property.