Posted on 01/16/2005 2:06:34 PM PST by Smartaleck
Best speeches Ronald Reagan, 1981
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem. From time to time, we have been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. But if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?"
His speech signaled a moment of change and spelled out a political philosophy.
John F. Kennedy, 1961
"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."
Abraham Lincoln, 1865
"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
His speech is the gold standard; many consider it the best ever given by an American.
Thomas Jefferson, 1801
"Let us, then, fellow-citizens, unite with one heart and one mind. Let us restore to social intercourse that harmony and affection without which liberty and even life itself are but dreary things."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Lincoln's was the greatest, because it was real. JFK's was the second most memorable, but frankly it was bogus. Practically the next day he was deep into the Bay of Pigs. Great words, great image, small achievement. You can like or dislike Abraham Lincoln, but he and George Washington tower over all the rest.
"JFK's was the second most memorable, but frankly it was bogus."
Don't know if I'd say bogus. He was inspiring and it did help create the myth of his greatness and the lingering fascination with Camelot. We did make it to the moon at his urgings.
I'm not a big Kennedy fan but the words as delivered were good.
Although he was never president, Oliver Wendell Holmes', "Three generations of imbeciles is enough." is my favorite.
Yes, a memorable saying, but a pernicious decision.
Oliver Wendell Holmes bent our whole justice system by being among the first to argue that justice is whatever the judge says it is. If you do away with natural law theory and sever the connections among law, morality, and religion, then law becomes purely arbitrary. Holmes did a lot to hurry that process along--partly because he was so very talented. A lesser man could never have done so much damage.
Yes, Americans responded eagerly to the call. That's true. And I agree that the moon landing was a remarkable achievement for which JFK deserves great credit. But the hopes raised on Inauguration Day and fanned by the press were never realized. I suppose it's not JFK's fault that he was followed by LBJ, and the whole country turned toward cynicism and disillusionment. Or maybe it was. The agreement was that with LBJ as VP, the Kennedys would steal Illinois and LBJ would steal Texas. That's what swung the election.
Yeah, I know. You're right about Holmes. My suggestion was, of course, with tongue firmly in cheek.
That's OK. It's a great quote nonetheless.
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