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Let the Word Go Forth: The Speeches, Statements, and Writings of John F. Kennedy 1947 to 1963

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Whether you love John F. Kennedy or hate him, "Let the Word Go Forth" is a rewarding read for anyone interested in the 35th President or the America from which we are not very far removed. This book consists of excerpts from over 100 speeches made by John F. Kennedy during his political life. These is not a collection of quotations but a public career as portrayed in largely and totally complete speeches and statements. In these pages we are reminded of the lofty ideals, the wit and, a bit of the parochial politician which was John F. Kennedy.

For me, much of the value in this book lies not in what it tells us of Kennedy, but what it tells us about the country in which he lived. The things which were said, and which did not need to be said, and the language used tell us of an America different from the one in which we live today. To illustrate this I will discuss four of the speeches.

We begin with the Inaugural Address, probably Kennedy's most famous statement. The speech, which gave us several remembered lines, the most famous of which is "Ask not what your country can do for you,-ask what you can do for your country" is most notable for what it does not say. Read this speech from start to finish and you will find no mention of social security, health care, education, poverty, civil rights, highways or any of the domestic concerns which have held such center stage in recent public debate. It deals exclusively of foreign policy. What President since Kennedy would start his administration which such a challenge?

The second speech to which I would direct the reader's attention is the address to the Houston Ministerial Alliance on September 12, 1960. The purpose of the speech was to refute allegations that a Catholic would have a divided loyalty or would be subject to orders from the church hierarchy. The way in which Kennedy responded to the problem is felt by many to have done a great disservice to Catholic politicians. It is believed that Kennedy established the standard that, in order to be considered for office, Catholic candidates must establish that their religious beliefs will not be a factor in their decision making process. At the end of the speech, Kennedy was specifically confronted with a request that he request approval from the Vatican for his statement supporting the separation of church and state. What politician since then has been confronted with such a question?

The third speech to be considered is entitled "The City Upon a Hill" and was given to the Massachusetts legislature on January 9, 1961. In this speech Kennedy draws on the history of Massachusetts in establishing the code of conduct for those serving the Commonwealth. He lists four questions by which public servants will be judged: "were we men of courage...were we men of judgement...were we truly men of integrity...were we men of dedication." As one reads these stirring question with their elaborations, a realization dawns on the reader: There were no women in the Massachusetts legislature in 1961. I am sure that the wording would be different today.

The last speech which I would suggest for consideration is the acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, entitled "The Opening of the New Frontier." I bring this speech up because of the oft stated lament that the public is losing its sense of history, its ability to relate current conditions to conditions of the past in order to help us separate the principle from the pragmatism and the important from the trivial. In that speech, the nominee tells his listeners: "just as historians tell us that Richard I was not fit to fill the shoes of bold Henry II-and that Richard Cromwell was not fit to wear the mantle of his uncle {sic}-they might add in future years that Richard Nixon did not measure to the footsteps of Dwight D. Eisenhower." Overlooking the fact that Richard Cromwell succeeded his father and not his uncle, what contemporary candidate would trust his listeners to understand the reference to long gone English leaders? Is it the draining of the general fund of knowledge of our citizens which has lowered the level of our public discourse from the deep, rich speech of the Kennedy era to the shallow sound bites of today?

At the conclusion of "Let the Word Go Forth" one has a greater respect for the communication skills of our 35th President and an appreciation for the things which we, as a society have gained, and a longing for the things which we have lost.

Born after his death on the opposite side of Pacific, I cannot clearly imagine what America had been like during administration of JFK.

Soviet Union threatning US with nuclear missiles stationed in Cuba. Black young men actually denied to enter his university. West Berlin in blockade. Ok, it's impossible for us to compare difficulties of those with the threats today's US faces but for sure the one of JFK's can never have been easy.

One of the greatest abilities (personalities) in JFK is to encourage people, in their difficult times, with his absolute power, vitality and sincereity of abundance. As Sorensen pointed out, perhaps sometimes his words conveyed messages of what was beyond or above people, couldn't be achieved as it's simply too difficult.

Nevertheless in my opinion, statesmen have to tell LONG vision, things people don't want to hear but need to while politicians merely telling what people want to hear. He's supposed to have made "a step" in many subjects, which later leads to one "thousand miles" as he always said.

Recently I watched movie "13 days" and, very impressed with his decisiveness, I just happened to want to go through his speeches all over again to have bumped into this book on Amazon.com. With it in mind that the author, Ted Sorensen, was a speech writer of JFK, I believed this was the one. I wasn't wrong.

The book is very organized, subject by subject, which makes it easy to find what you need in this book although I read this from cover to cover. With statements and interviews included, let alone all important speeches, you can have a clear picture for creeds of JFK's.

Far more complicated and different as is the current world, simple and direct application of his wisdom might be not so realistic but, again, his power, vitality, sincerity and whatever are all in this book, which definitely moved world citizens at that time, and for sure could, in our time.

It might be different from reader to reader or from his social position to position, what impression you'll have from this book. One thing for sure is you'll find SOMETHING impressive, this I guarantee.

I, for one, am proud of this book being in my shelf from now on. Unfortunatelly the book seems to be out of stock for now, so just pick it up in market place, hard-cover version recommended, it endures.

This collection of JFK's speeches is the antidote to the cancer of the right-wing which is now destroying America. First, contrary to right-wing propaganda, JFK was the most brilliant scholar-politician of his day, and one of the great ones in our history. He was well read, absorbed the material deeply, even personally, and was sensitive and Christian enough to care for all Americans (and not just the corporate CEOs, like conservatives do today); indeed, he cared for all people everywhere. He was a leader in the Erasmian mold: he was a Christian who wanted a better world for all people, and tried to make one. No president (Lincoln excepted) had a greater sense of what our nation needed to do both at home and abroad.

His speeches (he had speechwriters, to be sure, but they worked at his bidding, developing his ideas and plans and hopes, not vice versa) are erudite, intelligent (beyond anything seen since Lincoln), sensitive, idealistic, yet also realistic, never bullying or threatening or mocking, and always trying to preserve an adversary's self-respect while letting him know where the boundries are that may not be crossed. (He was president during the Cold War with the Soviet Union.)
His handling of the Cuban Missle Crisis ranks with Lincoln's handling of the Civil War--only the stakes were higher with JFK, and the dangers greater, even apocalyptic. He possessed a sense of humor that only Lincoln bettered; and he always sought out opinions different from his own (like Lincoln), to be sure that he understood the truth of the issue or policy more nearly.
In this, few presidents are his equal. Imagine, if you can, a Nixon, Reagan, or Bush (Sr or Jr) seeking out contrary views in order to understand an issue better...especially if it would mean changing their mind. With the above presidents (and with all so-called conservatives) such a course is ruled out absolutely; for they are ideologues, not searchers after Truth.They already "possess" the truth, which makes them exceedingly dangerous--and we see what they have done to our Republic since Reagan!

JFK was killed by members of his own cabinet, the MI complex, rich people like the Dulles boys, DuPonts, Hunts, Prescott Bush and his son George (who was CIA head in Dallas at the time), the Rockefellers, (inter alia) and by the Mafia, the FBI, the Secret Service, LBJ, Nixon, et al. Why? Unlike Republicans, JFK fought for all Americans and not just the wealthy few. There were other reasons too (going after the Mafia [Republican presidents and J Edgar Hoover rarely did]; an indictment was forthcoming against LBJ's friend and protege, Billie Sol Estes, which trial would have sent LBJ himself to death row over his involvement in the killing of a USDA agent(the Texas Rangers' best man investigated this and found the link to LBJ)). But the chief reasons for JFK's death are the devil's eternal snares: money and power. Quite simply, JFK threatened the 1%'s money and power, not least by opting out of Viet Nam, and so the 1% retaliated without compunction. We see this throughout history (Cf the Gracchi brothers in Rome, or the death of Caesar). And with that death we have buried our democracy. We are now an oligarchy, merely a tawdry banana republic; and the vision that JFK held of who we were and what we could do at home and abroad, so eloquently portrayed in his speeches, now lies forever shattered and trampled upon by the ruling 1%.

JFK was killed because of his faith--a faith that sought to aid everyone. In this he was a faithful Christian (unlike the anti-Christian, imperialist Republican presidents since Nixon). But JFK's legacy--and his speeches--will never be diminished with time. He will come to be seen as a truly great president--and the greatest, next to FDR, of the 20th century. The 1%, which control all the media, have led an unceasing campaign to discredit JFK (and RFK)--exactly as they did with FDR when he was in office! But it will all prove to be in vain. History, God's own space, judges a life by how one helps others, not by how one helps oneself or one's rich friends. JFK was able to rise above his class (and who thus vehemently cursed him for this "class betrayal") and, like Lincoln, was truly a president of all the people. His tragic death is America's greatest modern tragedy--all the more grievous when one reads his peerless speeches, that speak of hope, of helping others, of serving one's country, of striving and sacrificing for the highest ideals. These Christian exhortations--indeed, this Christian vision of who we are and of who we have yet to become--with his death we have lost: and only the cynical "everything for me and nothing for my brother" of the 1% now rules the land. Our chance to be a great nation in history died on November 22nd, 1963. It is our national epitaph--as well as our national shame. And so, the patriotic and poetic soul, grieving, says, "Farewell, Jack, thou best and noble prince of Camelot."

JFK is always impressive, he is hard not to like. JFK is gone and Mr. Sorenson, speech writer for JFK, could have taken all the credit. Instead, Mr. Sorenson gave all the credit to JFK, refreshing honest. In Mr. Sorensons book, he included many speeches of JFK. I have no idea what he did not include.I leave that to experts on JFK, which I am not. What I can say is this is a great book, full of JFK words. Great book!