WHAT BINDS US TOGETHER

President Barack Obama delivers his second inaugural address, January 21, 2013

"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’ve never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth….

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…"

-- President Barack Obama, January 21, 2013

At Democrats 101, we swear our allegiance to this idea: that all people are created equal; that we are governed by each other in a democracy, by and for the people; and that freedom, justice, and opportunity are every person's right.

That idea binds us together. It is our Democratic Creed.