THIRTEEN QUOTES FROM JOHN F. KENNEDY
This week marks the 95th anniversary of his birth. Since so much has been written about him,* I thought it would be refreshing to let him speak for himself.
1. When power leads man
toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the
area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of
existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.
2. We want to build a
world of peace where the weak are secure and the strong are just.
3. Let
us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate.
4. The
time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.
5. There are risks to any program of
action. But they are far less than the long-range costs of inaction.
6. If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.
7. I look forward to a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose.
8. Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
9. Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.
10. Domestic policy can only defeat us; foreign policy can kill us.
11. The basic problems facing the world today are not susceptible to a military solution.
6. If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.
7. I look forward to a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose.
8. Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
9. Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.
10. Domestic policy can only defeat us; foreign policy can kill us.
11. The basic problems facing the world today are not susceptible to a military solution.
12.
Change is the law of life. And those who look only at the past or present are
certain to miss the future.
13.
Democracy and defense are not substitutes for one another. Either alone with
fail.
*Amazon lists more than 400 titles devoted solely to him. That doesn't count books written about his widow, his children, his brothers, or the Presidency.
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He was so eloquent. Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteSome excellent quotes. I especially like the first one, and number eight is a truth we've seen playing out all over the place during the last year and a half, from Egypt and Tunisia to Syria, etc.
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ReplyDeleteWhat a smart man. I like these quotes very much. The one about the roof is spot on!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great tribute to a great man.
ReplyDeleteThat ties in beautifully with my post this week, and is some comfort that such thoughts could lead.
ReplyDeleteCertain people need to say those like ten times each....per day...
ReplyDeleteI can't believe he'd be 95. I often wonder what Marilyn would look like today.
Enjoy your day!
A fine tribute to a good man.
ReplyDeleteAnna :o]