Inaugural_Address
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,
John.F..Kennedy:.Inaugural.Address
deliveredJanuary20,1961
AUTHENTICITY.CERTIFIED:Textversion.belowtranscribeddirectlyfromaudio.
Vice.President.Johnson,.Mr..Speaker,.Mr..Chief.Justice,.President.Eisenhower,.Vice.President
Nixon,.President
Truman,.Reverend.Clergy,.fellow.citizens:.
We.observe.today.not.a.victory.of.party,.but.a.celebration.of.freedom.symbolizing.an.end,
as.well.as.a.beginning.signifying.renewal,
.as.well.as.change..For.I
have.sworn.before.you
and.Almighty.God.the.same.solemn.oath.our.forebears.prescribed.nearly.a.century.and.threequarters.ago.
.
The.world.is.very.different
now..For.man.holds.in
his.mortal.hands.the.power.to.abolish.all
forms.of.human.poverty.and.all.forms.of.human.life..And.yet
the.same.revolutionary.beliefs.for.which.our.forebears.fought.are.still.at
issue
around.the.globe.the.belief.that
the.rights.of.man
come.not.from.the.generosity.of.the.state,
but.from.the.hand.of.God.
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
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,mitted,.and.to.which
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,mitted.today.at
home.and.around.the.world.
Let.every.nation.know,https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,.well.or.ill,.that.we.shall.pay.any.price,.bear.any.burden,.meet.any.hardship,.support.any.friend,
oppose.any.foe,
to.assure.the.survival.and.the.success.of.liberty.
Transcription.by
Michael
E..Eidenmuller..Property
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,....Copyright.2006..All.rights.reserved.
Page1
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This.much.we.pledge.and.more.
To.those.old.allies.whose.cultural.and.spiritual.origins.we.share,.we.pledge.the.loyalty.of.faithful.friends..United.there.is.little.we.cannot.do.in.a.host.of.cooperative.ventures..Divided
there.is.little.we.can.do
for.we.dare.not
meet
a.powerful
challenge.at.odds.and.split
asunder.
To.those.new
states.whom.we.welcome.to
the.ranks.of.the.free,.we.pledge.our.word.that.one.form.of.colonial.control.shall
not.have.passed.away.merely.to.be.replaced.by.a.far.more.iron
tyranny..We.shall.not.always.expect
to.find.them.supporting.our.view..But.we.shall.always.hope.to.find.them.strongly.supporting.their.own
freedom.and.to.remember.that,
.in.the.past,.those.who.foolishly.sought.power.by.riding.the.back.of.the.tiger.ended.up.inside.
To.those.people.in.the.huts.and.villages.of.half.the.globe.struggling.to.break.the.bonds.of.mass.misery,.we.pledge.our.best.efforts.to.help.them.help.themselves,https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,munists.may.be.doing.it,
.not.because.we.seek.their.votes,
.but.because.i
t.is.right..If.a.free.society.cannot
help.the.many.who.are.poor,.it
cannot.save.the.few.who.are.rich..
To.our.sister.republics.south.of.our.border,.we.offer.a.special.pledge:.to
convert.our.good.words.into.good.deeds,
in.a.new.alliance.for.progress,.to.assist
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,ernments.in.casting.off.the.chains.of.poverty..But
this.peaceful.revolution
of.hope.cannot
become.the.prey.of.hostile.powers..Let.all.our.neighbors.know
that.we.shall.join.with
them.to
oppose.aggression.or.subversion.anywhere.in.the.Americas..And.let.every.other.power.know
that
this.hemisphere.intends.to
remain.the.master.of.its.own.house..
To.that.world.assembly.of.sovereign.states,.the
United.Nations,https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,st.best.hope.in.an.age.where.the.instruments.of.war.have.far.outpaced.the.instruments.of.peace,.we.renew.our.pledge.of.support
to.prevent
it.from.becoming.merely.a.forum.for.invective,.to.strengthen
its.shield.of.the.new.and.the.weak,.and.to.enlarge.the.area.in.which
its.writ
may.run..
Finally,.to.those.nations.who.would.make.themselves.our.adversary,.we.offer.not.a.pledge.but
a.request:.that.both
sides.begin.anew
the.quest
for.peace,.before.the.dark.powers.of.destruction
unleashed.by.science.engulf.all
humanity.in.planned.or.accidental
selfdestruction.
.
We.dare.not
tempt.them.with.weakness..For.only.when.our.arms.are.sufficient.beyond.doubt
can.we.be.certain.beyond.doubt.that
they.will
never.be.employed.
But
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,fort.from.our.present
course.both.sides.overburdened.by.the.cost.of.modern.weapons,
.both.rightly.alarmed.by.the.steady.spread.of.the.deadly.atom,.yet.both
racing.to.alter.that.uncertain.balance.of.terror.that.stays.the.hand.of.mankind's.final.war..
So.let
us.begin.anew
remembering.on.both.sides.that.civility.is.not.a.sign.of.weakness,
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,.never.negotiate.out.of.fear,.but
let
us.never.fear.to
negotiate.
Transcription.by
Michael
E..Eidenmuller..Property
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,....Copyright.2006..All.rights.reserved.
Page2
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Let.both
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,.instead.of.belaboring.those.problems.which
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,..
Let.both
sides,.for.the.first.time,.formulate.serious.and.precise.proposals.for.the.inspection
and.control.of.arms,.and.bring.the.absolute.power.to.destroy.other.nations.under.the.absolute.control.of.all
nations..
Let.both
sides.seek.to
invoke.the.wonders.of.science.instead.of.its.terrors..Together.let
us.explore.the.stars,.conquer.the.deserts,.eradicate.disease,
tap
the.ocean.depths,https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,merce..
Let.both
sides.unite.to.heed,.in.all.corners.of.the.earth,https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,mand.of.Isaiah.to."
undo
the.heavy.burdens,.and.[to].let.the.oppressed.go.free."1.
And,
if.a.beachhead.of.cooperation.may.push.back.the.jungle.of.suspicion,.let.both.sides.joi
n
in.creating.a.new.endeavor.not.a.new.balance.of.power,
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,w.where.the.strong.are.just,
.and.the.weak.secure,.and.the.peace.preserved.
All.this.will
not.be.finished.in
the.first.one.hundred.days..Nor.will.it.be.finished.in.the.first.one.thousand.days..nor.in.the.life.of.this.Administration..nor.even.perhaps.in.our.lifetie.on.this.planet..But
let
us.begin..
In
your.hands,.my.fellow
citizens,.more.than.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..The.graves.of.young.Americans.who.answered.the.call
to.service.surround.the.globe.
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,.again.not.as.a.call.to.bear.arms,
.though.arms.we.need.not
as.a.call.to.battle,.though.embattled.we.are.but.a.call.to.bear.the.burden.of.a.long.twilight
struggle,.year.in.and.year.out,."rejoicing.in.hope..patient.in.tribulation,"2.a.struggle.against
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,mon
enemies.of.man:.tyranny,.poverty,.disease,.and.war.itself..
Can.we.forge.against.these.enemies.a.grand.and.global.alliance,.North.and.South,.East.and.West,.that
can.assure.a.more.fruitful
life.for.all
mankind?.Will
you.join
in.that
historic.effort?.
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..I.do
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,.would.exchange.places.with.any.other.people.or.any.other.generation..The.energy,.the.faith,.the.devotion.which.we.bring.to.this.endeavor.will
light.our.country.and.all.who.serve.it..And.the.glow.from.that
fire.can
truly.light.the.world.
And.so,.my.fellow.Americans,.ask.not.what.your.country.can.do.for.you..ask.what.you.can.do
for.your.country..
My.fellow
citizens.of.the.world,.ask.not.what
America.will.do.for.you,.but.what
together.we.can.do
for.the.freedom.of.man.
Transcription.by
Michael
E..Eidenmuller..Property
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,....Copyright.2006..All.rights.reserved.
Page3
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Finally,.whether.you.are.citizens.of.America.or.citizens.of.the.world,https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,.here.the.same.high
standards.of.strength.and.sacrifice.which.we.ask.of.you..With.a.good.conscience.our.only.sure.reward,.with
history.the.final.judge.of.our
deeds,https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,nd.we.love,
.asking.His.blessing.and.His.help,.but
knowing.that.here.on.earth
God's.work.must
truly.be.our.own.
1.Isaiah
58:6.(King
James
Version.of
the
Holy
Bible)
2.Romans
12:12.(King.James
Version
of
the
Holy
Bible)
Transcription.by
Michael
E..Eidenmuller..Property
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7018913364.html,....Copyright.2006..All.rights.reserved.
Page4