One of those moments took place on September 11，2001. Whether you lived in Manhattan or here in Mount Vernon，you felt the pain and loss of that day not just as an individual，but as an American. That’s why we lined up to give blood. That’s why we held vigils and flew flags. That’s why we rallied behind our President. We had a chance to step into the currents of history. We were ready to answer a new call for our country. But the call never came. Instead，we were asked to go shopping，and to prove our patriotism by supporting a war in Iraq that should never have been authorized，and never been waged.
We have lost precious time. Our nation is less secure and less respected in the world. Our energy dependence has risen，and so has the specter of climate change. More of our children have been left behind. Instead of a call to unity，we got a political strategy of division. The burden of service has fallen，more and more，on the brave men and women of our military who heroically serve tour after tour of duty in a war without end.
When I was thinking about whether or not to seek the presidency，there were some voices who counseled me to wait. You seem like a gifted young man，they said - why not wait around Washington a few more years? Or when I started talking about a politics of hope，some just rolled their eyes and echoed the words of that man from my younger days: you can’t change the world，and people won’t appreciate you trying.
Well I am running for President - right now - because I refuse to let this moment pass. The decisions we make today will shape the century that my daughters - and your children - grow up in. I have not served the cause of America for over two decades to stay on the sidelines at a time when that cause is being challenged at home and abroad. If we don’t rise up to seize this moment，then we may not get another.
I have no doubt that in the face of impossible odds people who love their country can change it. But I hold no illusions that one man or woman can do this alone. That’s why my campaign has called nearly 400，000 Americans to a common purpose. That’s why I’m reaching out to Democrats，and also to Independents and Republicans. And that is why I won’t just ask for your vote as a candidate；I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am President of the United States. This will not be a call issued in one speech or program；this will be a cause of my presidency.
First，we will create new opportunities for all Americans to serve，and to direct that service to our most pressing national challenges.
Americans have shown they want to step up. I see it everywhere I go: the brave young men and women who have signed up to defend our country；the volunteers fighting poverty in rural America and to rebuild New Orleans；students getting their colleges to divest to stop the genocide in Darfur；the thousands of young Americans who have flooded the applicant pool for Teach for America；retirees who are devoting their time to serve.
But we’re not keeping pace with the demand of those who want to serve，and we’re not leveraging that commitment to meet national challenges. FDR not only enlisted Americans to create employment，he targeted that service to build our infrastructure and conserve our environment. JFK not only called on a new generation，he made their service a bridge to the developing world，and a bright light of American values in the darkest days of the Cold War.
Today，AmeriCorps - our nation’s network of local，state and national service programs - has 75，000 slots. As President，I will increase that to 250，000，and make that increased service a vehicle to meet national goals like providing health care and education，saving our planet and restoring our standing in the world，so that citizens see their efforts connected to a common purpose. People of all ages，stations，and skills will be asked to serve. Because when it comes to the challenges we face，the American people are not the problem - they are the answer.
To help every American receive a world-class education，we will create a new Classroom Corps. We’ll have college students，recent graduates and retirees mentor young people；engineers and scientists will help make sure the next generation of innovators is educated here in America；civic，business and faith leaders will develop new after school programs for our kids.
To free ourselves from energy dependence and to confront climate change，we will create a new Energy Corps. We’ll ask you to work on renewable energy projects，to teach folks about conservation，and to help clean up polluted areas. And we’ll send talented American engineers and scientists abroad to help developing countries promote low-carbon energy development.
