|
John F. Kennedy on Government Reform
|
Ask not what your country can do for you
Inaugural address, Jan. 20 1961: "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country."Kennedy's relative youth (and inexperience) meant that he was seen as someone who would be optimistic and
able to make changes. When Kennedy spoke of patriotism, freedom and public service, which he frequently did, people listened.
Kennedy begins his inaugural with a dramatic and powerful opening which makes it very clear that he is a progressive: "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."
Source: The 100 Greatest Speeches, by Kourdi & Maier, p.146-147
, Jan 20, 1961
Government programs help people do what they can't do alone
Americans who on an average Social Security check of $78 a month, they're not able to sustain themselves individually, but they can through the social security system. I don't believe in big government, but I believe in effective governmental action.
There is a national responsibility. A cotton farmer in Georgia or a dairy farmer in Wisconsin cannot protect himself against the forces of supply and demand; but working together in effective governmental programs he can. 17 million
Source: The First Kennedy-Nixon Presidential Debate
, Sep 26, 1960
Page last updated: Apr 28, 2013
