While accepting a Profile in Courage award, Barack Obama calls on the American people to "stand up to hate."

Courtesy of NBC News:  

"For many Americans, I know that this feels like an uncertain and perilous time," Obama — accompanied by his wife, Michelle Obama, and former Vice President Joe Biden — said in accepting the annual Profile in Courage award at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.

"Our politics remains filled with division and discord," Obama said just days after House Republicans won passage of a bill that would dismantle much of his signature health care law."At such moments, courage is necessary," he said. 

"At such moments, we need courage to stand up to hate, not just in others, but in ourselves. At such moments, we need courage to stand up to dogma, not just in others, but in ourselves. ... 

"Courage means not doing what is simply politically expedient but doing what [people] believe in their hearts is right," he said. "And this kind of courage is required of all of us."

Here is video of Obama's entire speech.

I would like the last man whom I recognize as my President to know that I try everyday to follow this advice.

I try everyday to not allow my anger to get the better of me.

I try everyday to remain optimistic.

I try everyday to be a good example to others.

But it is harder now than it has ever been before.

Which I guess is why we need to find the courage to keep moving forward, to keep fighting for progress, to keep fighting for equality, and to keep fighting for a peaceful world.

I will just continue to keep in mind that if Barack Obama could remain positive through eight years of the most aggressive disrespect we have ever seen directed at a sitting President, and still keep fighting for all of us without caring that it would only attract even more anger and vitriol, then how could I do any less?

There were a lot of good speeches last night at the DNC convention, but I think Michelle Obama's was the best.

Courtesy of Vanity Fair: 

As perhaps the last Democrat who could do no wrong in the eyes of the American people, Michelle Obama brought a divided audience to their feet in Philadelphia by urging the country to vote for Hillary Clinton, speaking not just as the First Lady, but as a mother of two daughters who could not let a certain “bully” become president. 

“Barack [Obama] and I think about every day as we try to guide and protect our girls through the challenges of this unusual life in the spotlight,” she said. “How we urge them to ignore those who question their father’s citizenship or faith. How we insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country. How we explain that once someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level. No, our motto is, ‘when they go low, we go high.’ With every word we utter, with every action we take, we know our kids are watching us.” 

Obama never mentioned Donald Trump by name. But as she spoke about the need to elect a president with whom they could entrust the future of their children, she heavily hinted that someone “angry or disillusioned,” who liked to swear and degrade people, could not be a role model to young Americans.

She was incredibly inspirational, incredibly poised, and incredibly effective.

And yet as you can hear in the video even she was booed by those who will never be satisfied.

For me I was at times almost overwhelmed with emotion as once again I was reminded of just how perfect our first family is. Especially when compared to those on the other side of the aisle fighting to replace them.

We have been honored to have a magnificent President, a magnificent First Lady, and a magnificent eight years of Democratic leadership.

And that is why we need, and deserve eight more years of it. 

How I start every morning.

Shailey Tripp has published a book.

The book is called Looking for Inspiration, and it is reasonably priced at only $7.00.

It is not the book I have been trying to help Shailey get published, so I cannot really recommend it based on my own personal experience, but if you re interested in supporting Shailey or reading a good short story, this might be the book for you!

Here is how Shailey described the book on her blog:

So many of you have been giving me so much support in your emails and feedback to me. I finally got my short story published professionally. I am so excited to share this news with you. It even has a preview of the next upcoming book!