John F. Kennedy quotes - page 19

The mission is to create a new social order, rounded on liberty and justice, in which men are the masters of their fate, in which states are the servants of their citizens, and in which all men and women can share a better life for themselves and their children. (John F. Kennedy)
Terror is not a new weapon. Throughout history it has been used by those who could not prevail, either by persuasion or example. But inevitably they fail, either because men are not afraid to die for a life worth living, or because the terrorists themselves came to realize that free men cannot be frightened by threats, and that aggression would meet its own response. View quote
John F. Kennedy
In short, we are neither "warmongers" nor "appeasers," neither "hard" nor "soft." We are Americans, determined to defend the frontiers of freedom, by an honorable peace if peace is possible, but by arms if arms are used against us. View quote
John F. Kennedy
Let us not think of education only in terms of its costs, but rather in terms of the infinite potential of the human mind that can be realized through education. Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our Nation. View quote
John F. Kennedy
We cannot, under the scrutiny of a free press and public, tell different stories to different audiences, foreign and domestic, friendly and hostile. View quote
John F. Kennedy
I have spoken about the New Frontier. View quote
John F. Kennedy
Are we up to the task - are we equal to the challenge? Are we willing to match the Russian sacrifice of the present for the future - or must we sacrifice our future in order to enjoy the present? That is the question of the New Frontier. View quote
John F. Kennedy
So that I would say that the problems are more difficult than I had imagined them to be. The responsibilities placed on the United States are greater than I imagined them to be, and there are greater limitations upon our ability to bring about a favorable result than I had imagined them to be. And I think that is probably true of anyone who becomes President, because there is such a difference between those who advise or speak or legislate, and between the man who must select from the various alternatives proposed and say that this shall be the policy of the United States. It is much easier to make the speeches than it is to finally make the judgments, because unfortunately your advisers are frequently divided. If you take the wrong course. View quote
John F. Kennedy
A war today or tomorrow, if it led to nuclear war, would not be like any war in history. View quote
John F. Kennedy
In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than in mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty. View quote
John F. Kennedy
Only if our citizens are physically fit will they be fully capable of such an effort. (John F. Kennedy)
We sometimes chafe at the burden of our obligations, the complexity of our decisions, the agony of our choices. But there is no comfort or security for us in evasion, no solution in abdication, no relief in irresponsibility. View quote
John F. Kennedy
If the self-discipline of the free cannot match the iron discipline of the mailed fist. View quote
John F. Kennedy
But peace does not rest in charters and covenants alone. It lies in the hearts and minds of all people. And if it is cast out there, then no act, no pact, no treaty, no organization can hope to preserve it without the support and the wholehearted commitment of all people. So let us not rest all our hopes on parchment and on paper; let us strive to build peace, a desire for peace, a willingness to work for peace, in the hearts and minds of all our people. View quote
John F. Kennedy
Today human activity, the labor of the human body, is rapidly being engineered out of working life. View quote
John F. Kennedy
I believe in an America where the rights that I have described. View quote
John F. Kennedy
If you are awaiting a finding of "clear and present danger," then I can only say that the danger has never been more clear and its presence has never been more imminent. View quote
John F. Kennedy
I refer, first, to the need for a far greater public information; and, second, to the need for far greater official secrecy. View quote
John F. Kennedy
It is not enough to pin the blame on others, to say this is a problem of one section of the country or another, or deplore the fact that we face. A great change is at hand, and our task, our obligation, is to make that revolution, that change, peaceful and constructive for all. Those who do nothing are inviting shame as well as violence. Those who act boldly are recognizing right as well as reality. View quote
John F. Kennedy
I am wholly opposed to the state being used by any religious group, Catholic or Protestant, to compel, prohibit, or persecute the free exercise of any other religion. View quote
John F. Kennedy
There are many kinds of strength and no one kind will suffice. Overwhelming nuclear strength cannot stop a guerrilla war. Formal pacts of alliance cannot stop internal subversion. Displays of material wealth cannot stop the disillusionment of diplomats subjected to discrimination. Above all, words alone are not enough. (John F. Kennedy)
Let us examine our attitude toward peace itself. Too many of us think it is impossible. Too many think it unreal. But that is a dangerous, defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is inevitable - that mankind is doomed - that we are gripped by forces we cannot control. View quote
John F. Kennedy
This decision demands a major national commitment of scientific and technical manpower, materiel and facilities. View quote
John F. Kennedy
I ask you to stop and think for a moment what it would mean to have nuclear weapons in so many hands, in the hands of countries large and small, stable and unstable, responsible and irresponsible, scattered throughout the world. There would be no rest for anyone then, no stability, no real security, and no chance of effective disarmament. There would only be the increased chance of accidental war, and an increased necessity for the great powers to involve themselves in what otherwise would be local conflicts. View quote
John F. Kennedy
We are unwilling to impose our system on any unwilling people - but we are willing and able to engage in peaceful competition with any people on earth. View quote
John F. Kennedy