Today is former US President John F. Kennedy’s birthday. He was born on May 29, 1917. On November 22, 1963, he was assassinated, and who was truly responsible for that terrible deed still remains as a mystery.
Below are some of his quotes, and I think many of them apply to our present world and the situation many of us are in, in this almost world-wide fight for freedom and liberty.
“If not us, who? If not now, when?”
“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.”
“Life is never easy. There is work to be done and obligations to be met—obligations to truth, to justice, and to liberty.”
“There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction.”
“Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.”
“Ask not that the journey be easy; ask instead that it be worth it.”
“Truth is a tyrant – the only tyrant to whom we can give our allegiance. The service of truth is a matter of heroism.”
“A man does what he must – in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality.”
“We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us thru that darkness to a safe and sane future.”
“The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.”
“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.”
“Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one’s own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.”
“This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor.”
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”
“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”
“Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom.”
“No responsibility of government is more fundamental than the responsibility of maintaining the highest standard of ethical behavior for those who conduct the public business.”
“If this nation is to be wise as well as strong, if we are to achieve our destiny, then we need more new ideas for more wise men reading more good books in more public libraries. These libraries should be open to all—except the censor. We must know all the facts and hear all the alternatives and listen to all the criticisms. Let us welcome controversial books and controversial authors. For the Bill of Rights is the guardian of our security as well as our liberty.”
“For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”