“Perhaps if the American people more fully comprehended the terrible pressures which discourage acts of political courage, which drive a Senator to abandon or subdue his conscience, then they might be less critical of those who take the easier road—and more appreciative of those still able to follow the path of courage.”
John F. Kennedy
Profiles in Courage (Primary source)
Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy is a Pulitzer Prize-winning volume that examines the political bravery of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers to uphold their principles. Published while Kennedy was a senator, the book reflects his belief in the importance of moral integrity in public service, even in the face of intense opposition or electoral consequences.
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“Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
— John F. Kennedy Primary source“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“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.”
— 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.”
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“Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source“Without imagination not much can be done.”
— Winston Churchill Primary source“In science we must be interested in things, not in persons.”
— Marie Curie Secondary source“Those who will not be counselled, cannot be helped.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source