“If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.”
John F. Kennedy
Commencement address at American University (Primary source)
On June 10, 1963, President John F. Kennedy delivered the commencement address at American University in Washington, D.C., devoting the speech to what he called “the most important topic on earth: world peace.” Often referred to as the “Strategy of Peace” speech, the address marked a significant rhetorical shift in Cold War policy.
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“We choose to go to the Moon. We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“The idea that Britain loses every battle except the last has proved correct so many times in the past that the average Englishman is unwilling to make great personal sacrifices until the danger is overwhelmingly apparent.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“For, in a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, ‘holds office’ every one of us is in a position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities. We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.”
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“What is the hardest task in the world? To think.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Primary source“It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.”
— Leonardo da Vinci Primary source“A bend in the road is not the end of the road… Unless you fail to make the turn.”
— Helen Keller Disputed“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson Disputed