Who Stole JFK’s Party?
On January 20, 1961 then newly elected US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy made his infamous inaugural speech, one of the great speeches of the twentieth century. Despite the previous evening’s heavy snowfall the ceremony went ahead as scheduled with Chief Justice Earl Warren of the United States Supreme Court administering the oath of office and poet Robert Frost reciting one of his poems, “the Gift Outright” (1942). Frost had written another poem for the occasion, “Dedication” but as an 87 year old man he could not read the typed page in the bright post-snow sun, so the great poet recited a wonderful poem that he knew by heart.
Kennedy’s inaugural address is sometimes referred to as the “Ask Not” Speech due to one of its memorable lines, “(a)sk not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.” I grew up in an Irish Catholic household that always contained at least one image of Jack Kennedy in a prominent place so although I didn’t watch the speech live I am very familiar with it; in addition to reading the speech numerous times I own a vinyl record version of it. Now thanks to the miracles of Al Gore’s internet you can watch a 15 minute C-Span video of the event, and I do suggest watching it.
Kennedy’s inaugural speech is a moral tour de force; he expected much from Americans and believed that he would see the best. Kennedy also saw the moral necessity of spreading freedom, he rhetorically threw down a gauntlet when he stated:
He was a man who had experienced war first hand and the speech shows that although he abhorred war he also understood the necessity of war in order spread or insure liberty.
When I turned 18 I registered as a Democrat here in Illinois, not only was that what 18 year-olds do but that was my family affiliation and of course the Kennedy image in the living room. I had some idea that I was registering as a member of a party that understood the practical and moral strengths of freedom. Kennedy wasn’t alone, there was once a group of Democrats sometimes referred to as Scoop Jackson Democrats in honor of the late Washington Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson. Interestingly many of the current conservative boogey men, the dreaded “neo-cons” are sometimes referred to as Scoop Jackson Republicans. Indeed some of the more prominent ones even worked for Jackson, including Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith. The early Reagan years convinced me that Democratic Party was quickly moving past me to the left, they would not bear any burden or pay any price to help anybody. While he was still in Congress Georgia Democrat Zell Miller voiced some of the same concerns. Congressman Miller made himself an apostate in the eyes of many Democrats with this speech at the 2004 Republican Convention. It is sad that some of the most imaginative people in this nation have often chosen to side with the tyrants, actively and otherwise.
Kennedy’s inaugural address is sometimes referred to as the “Ask Not” Speech due to one of its memorable lines, “(a)sk not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.” I grew up in an Irish Catholic household that always contained at least one image of Jack Kennedy in a prominent place so although I didn’t watch the speech live I am very familiar with it; in addition to reading the speech numerous times I own a vinyl record version of it. Now thanks to the miracles of Al Gore’s internet you can watch a 15 minute C-Span video of the event, and I do suggest watching it.
Kennedy’s inaugural speech is a moral tour de force; he expected much from Americans and believed that he would see the best. Kennedy also saw the moral necessity of spreading freedom, he rhetorically threw down a gauntlet when he stated:
“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, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”
He was a man who had experienced war first hand and the speech shows that although he abhorred war he also understood the necessity of war in order spread or insure liberty.
When I turned 18 I registered as a Democrat here in Illinois, not only was that what 18 year-olds do but that was my family affiliation and of course the Kennedy image in the living room. I had some idea that I was registering as a member of a party that understood the practical and moral strengths of freedom. Kennedy wasn’t alone, there was once a group of Democrats sometimes referred to as Scoop Jackson Democrats in honor of the late Washington Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson. Interestingly many of the current conservative boogey men, the dreaded “neo-cons” are sometimes referred to as Scoop Jackson Republicans. Indeed some of the more prominent ones even worked for Jackson, including Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith. The early Reagan years convinced me that Democratic Party was quickly moving past me to the left, they would not bear any burden or pay any price to help anybody. While he was still in Congress Georgia Democrat Zell Miller voiced some of the same concerns. Congressman Miller made himself an apostate in the eyes of many Democrats with this speech at the 2004 Republican Convention. It is sad that some of the most imaginative people in this nation have often chosen to side with the tyrants, actively and otherwise.
posted by El Rider at 9:11 PM
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