« Trivia Tidbit Of The Day: Part 143 -- Air Travel. | WILLisms.com | The Gaza Pullout and Sharon's Pending Nobel Prize. »

Quotational Therapy: Part 37 -- Kennedy On Liberty.

JFK's Inaugural Address-

We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom--symbolizing an end as well as a beginning--signifying renewal as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forbears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.

The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.

We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

This much we pledge--and more.

....

In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility--I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it--and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.

-President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, January 20, 1961.

Read the entire Inaugural Address here.

For all of John Forbes Kerry's efforts in drawing parallels between Jack Kennedy and himself during the 2004 presidential campaign, it is exceedingly difficult to imagine Senator Kerry even conceiving of giving a speech like this.

For that matter, can you imagine Hillary Clinton-- or Joe Biden--- or Howard Dean-- or any other prominent Democrat today inspiring people the way Kennedy did?

Can you imagine how Democrats would respond if President Bush gave a nearly identical speech? And can you imagine a Democrat today taking office and lowering taxes--- for "the rich"?

Previous Quotational Therapy Session:

Federalist Papers.

The right quote can be therapeutic, so tune in to WILLisms.com for quotational therapy every Monday and Friday.

Posted by Will Franklin · 19 August 2005 11:31 AM

Comments

Posted by: Zsa Zsa at August 20, 2005 08:37 PM

Posted by: RPalmer at September 16, 2005 02:20 PM