Key excerpts: Kerry's speech

Kerry: "Reporting for duty"

John Kerry has accepted his party's nomination as candidate for the US presidency.

In a keynote speech to the Democratic convention, he pledged to fight for a stronger America at home and abroad.

Here are key excerpts from the Massachusetts senator's address to an ecstatic crowd in Boston.

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I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty.

My fellow Americans, we are here tonight united in one simple purpose: to make America stronger at home and respected in the world.

We need to be looked up to and not just feared.

In these dangerous days there is a right way and a wrong way to be strong.

I defended this country as a young man and I will defend it as president.

My fellow Americans, this is the most important election of our lifetime John Kerry Full text of speech Watch Kerry's speech

Let there be no mistake - I will never hesitate to use force when it is required. Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response.

I will be a commander-in-chief who will never mislead us into war.

As president, I will ask hard questions and demand hard evidence. I will immediately reform the intelligence system, so policy is guided by facts, and facts are never distorted by politics.

And as president, I will bring back this nation's time-honoured tradition: the United States of America never goes to war because we want to, we only go to war because we have to.

My fellow Americans, this is the most important election of our lifetime. The stakes are high. We are a nation at war - a global war on terror against an enemy unlike any we have ever known before.

We need a strong military and we need to lead strong alliances.

And then, with confidence and determination, we will be able to tell the terrorists: you will lose and we will win.

The future doesn't belong to fear; it belongs to freedom.

It is time to reach for the next dream. It is time to look to the next horizon.

America can do better, help is on the way.