John F. Kennedy's Speech Regarding History: How Well does American Live Up - Book Report/Review Example

John F. Kennedy's Speech Regarding History: How Well does American Live Up? John F. Kennedy's speech was about the importance of history. He essentially says that we have to know where we have been in order to know where we are going. History also provides a way for the national identity to assert itself – we have to know the traditions that were formed during the early days, because this is what our nation now relies upon for its current traditions- “Our past judges our present” (Kennedy). Of note, Kennedy stated that there are traditions that are currently frowned upon because our nation forgets that these certain traditions are the ones upon which our early nation was formed. For instance, he states that when the nation was young, it depended upon foreign aid, which was investment from abroad, and also relied upon public investment from the state, local and national government - “we may forget that, in the first years of our economic development, our national growth was stimulated to a considerable degree by foreign aid” (Kennedy). At the same time, Kennedy stated that the nation has often faced problems, such as “wildcat paper money, by the repudiation of bonds, by disorder, fraud, and violence” (Kennedy). What he was stating was that, essentially, we need to understand that our nation was once in the same position that new nations are – the countries which are developing. Those countries have the same kinds of problems that our nation did, and those countries are reliant upon foreign investment, as our nation once was. At the same time, history provides us with examples of courage from men past that would inform us in our present, and give us examples on how to fight for certain rights. Such as fighting for social justice, in which we can look to FDR and Andrew Jackson for examples, and fighting for individual liberty, using Thomas Jefferson and James Madison as role models. History provides continuity to our struggles, essentially. The American tradition exemplifies the words of John F. Kennedy, in that there are always individuals who fight for rights, using the examples of great men of the past, and America also believes in helping our neighbors. An aspect of the American historical tradition that Kennedy referenced is the need to take care of other nations who might be struggling. Just like America was once a young country that needed foreign aid, so do other countries that either are developing or war-torn - “American leaders favored the quick reconstruction of nations, including Germany and Japan, within a world economy based on free trade.” (p. 737). The textbook makes an example of this when the Truman Doctrine is referenced (p. 737). This doctrine referred to the United States giving foreign aid to Germany and Japan after the Second World War. The reason for this is because these nations were decimated by war and weakened, and the fear was that they would, in their weakened state, be vulnerable to the influence of the Soviet Union. Truman also wanted to strengthen these nations, so that they could become good trade partners. Another reason for giving these nations aid was that these nations provided places to build military bases, so that future aggressor could be contained. The Truman Doctrine expanded into helping other countries who might be weak, because, essentially, Truman wanted to ensure that the countries who were surrounding the Soviet State would be strong enough to fight to Soviet influence. This included foreign aid to Greece and Turkey. Truman's Fourth Point (p. 742) was another example of helping others through foreign aid – the Fourth Point essentially was that our country would help developing countries with scientific aid and industrial help. Therefore, the Truman Doctrine and the Fourth Point were perfect exemplifications of Kennedy's admonition that nations sometimes need foreign aid to be strong - like Kennedy stated, people might forget that countries might be weak, and would need help, but Truman knew these words to be true, and this was the basis for the Truman Doctrine and the Fourth Point. These principles were, of course, was in the United State's interest, not just in the interest of the countries that were helped by the doctrine, but, nonetheless, this doctrine made good on Kennedy's words. In the era of 1965-1985, Shirley Chisholm shows the power of the individual who is fighting for social justice and individual liberties, just like FDR and Thomas Jefferson before her (p. 822).Chisholm was a woman who recognized that the country was being run by white men, and, as such, the country would work for the benefit of the leaders, and not for people like her. She successfully ran for Congress in 1968, then ran for President in 1972, declaring that “other kinds of people can steer the ship of state besides white men.” (p. 822). She cobbled together a coalition of women, the young, and people of color, as these are the groups who are not represented accurately by the current leaders who were older white men. When she ran for President, she was defeated, yet still brought the struggles of these under-represented groups to the fore. Yet, according to the textbook, Chisholm underscored that there was a need that was not being addressed - that there were coalitions that were demanding more rights and resources, yet resources are finite, and cannot be expanded without everybody having to do with a little less. It was also a time when the United States weakened somewhat, as far as influence and power around the globe. So, Chisholm underscored a couple of different points that were made by Kennedy – that our nation stands on the shoulders of leaders who have fought for rights, and Chisholm also illustrated that, sometimes, the nation has to deal with problems. Whether the problems are because of limited resources, or something else, like chaos and fraud, there will always be problems. History can instruct us on how to deal with these problems. Chisholm was not alone, of course – she was but one voice in the 1960s that was speaking for the oppressed. She was joined by, among others, students around the nation who rose up in protest for their rights and freedoms, rebelling against the hierarchy of the white men who ran the universities (p. 816). Chisholm may have been one of the early pioneers as far as people who fight for social justice and equality, and Barack Obama has also carried on this tradition (p. 911). Obama is a “new democrat,” which means that he is “moderate on fiscal issues, more liberal on social issues” (lecture).His election in 2008 was a milestone, not just because he was elected, the first black President of the United States, but also because his opponent was a woman. Therefore, the Democratic ticket was sure to contain either a black man or a woman that year. Obama got elected because the economy went into the tank, which hurt Obama's opponent, John McCain, considerably – this was because McCain “seemed more of a candidate for the status quo” (p. 911). Obama's success has been mixed, however, as he “was not able to overcome the polarization” (Lecture). Yet, just the fact that he was elected at all showed that the words of John F. Kennedy was finally true at last – that our nation needs to have a way that all people can be treated equally. This is the principle of social justice which Kennedy stated was the ideals perpetuated by FDR and Andrew Jackson. Shirley Chisholm recognized that, during the 1960s, there needed to be some kind of revolution, where women, minorities and the young could gain power. She was fighting for the equality of everybody, and Barack Obama became the personification of this. Thus, Obama's historical election is proof that Kennedy was correct – that our history rewards those who fight for equality. And, Obama has had some successes – such as the health care reform, and the killing of Osama Bin Laden (Lecture). Conclusion John F. Kennedy's speech is always relevant, and our nation has shown how it has lived up to the traditions of this speech. Truman's emphasis upon helping other countries may be shown by the American tradition of intervention in other countries, and in making investments in these countries. Other ideals, such as the ideals regarding fighting for social justice and individual liberties, may be shown by the individuals who fight for these rights, such as Shirley Chisholm. Barack Obama shows what may happen when there are pioneers who lead the way. While Shirley Chisholm may have been one of the first black Americans to gain power, and she recognized that there must be a coalition of people who are not white males, Obama was able to finally realize the dream that Chisholm put forward. Truman's Doctrine shows that we must make investments in other countries. Chisholm and Obama show what can happen when people are willing to fight for equality and justice in the world. These are all excellent examples of what can happen when American traditions are not just words, and not just historical, but living and breathing. Bibliography Read More