John F. Kennedy Quotes About Democracy
-
For in a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, "hold 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.
→ -
Our labor unions are not narrow, self-seeking groups. They have raised wages, shortened hours, and provided supplemental benefits. Through collective bargaining and grievance procedures, they have brought justice and democracy to the shop floor.
→ -
We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values.
→ -
A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.
→ -
In our democracy every young person should have an equal opportunity to obtain a higher education, regardless of his station in life or financial means.
→ -
That is the kind of America in which I believe. And it represents the kind of Presidency in which I believe - a great office that must neither be humbled by making it the instrument of any one religious group nor tarnished by arbitrarily withholding its occupancy from the members of any one religious group. I believe in a President whose religious views are his own private affair, neither imposed by him upon the Nation or imposed by the Nation upon him as a condition to holding that office.
→ -
There is an old saying that the course of civilization is a race between catastrophe and education. In a democracy such as ours, we must make sure that education wins the race.
→ -
The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.
→ -
Israel was not created in order to disappear - Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom.
→ -
Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put up a wall to keep our people in.
→ -
I look forward to an america in which commands respect throughout the world, not only for its strength, but for its civilization as well. And I look forward to a world in which we will be safe not only for democracy and diversity but also for personal distinction.
→ -
Democracy is never a final achievement. It is a call to an untiring effort.
→ -
Collective bargaining has always been the bedrock of the American labor movement. I hope that you will continue to anchor your movement to this foundation. Free collective bargaining is good for the entire Nation. In my view, it is the only alternative to State regulation of wages and prices - a path which leads far down the grim road of totalitarianism. Those who would destroy or further limit the rights of organized labor - those who would cripple collective bargaining or prevent organization of the unorganized - do a disservice to the cause of democracy.
→ -
Democracy may not be perfect, but at least I don't have to build a wall to keep my people in.
→ -
Democracy is the superior form of government, because it is based on a respect for man as a reasonable being.
→ -
Life in freedom is not easy, and democracy is not perfect.
→ -
Finally, I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end; where all men and all churches are treated as equal; where every man has the same right to attend or not attend the church of his choice; where there is no Catholic vote, no anti-Catholic vote, no bloc voting of any kind; and where Catholics, Protestants and Jews, at both the lay and pastoral level, will refrain from those attitudes of disdain and division which have so often marred their works in the past, and promote instead the American ideal of brotherhood.
→ -
Self-government requires qualities of self-denial and restraint.
→ -
Justice delayed is democracy denied.
→ -
The true democracy, living and growing and inspiring, puts its faith in the people - faith that the people will not simply elect men who will represent their views ably and faithfully, but will also elect men who will exercise their conscientious judgment - faith that the people will not condemn those whose devotion to principle leads them to unpopular courses, but will reward courage, respect honor, and ultimately recognize right.
→
John F. Kennedy
- Born: May 29, 1917
- Died: November 22, 1963
- Occupation: 35th U.S. President
Related Authors
-
Barack Obama 44th U.S. President -
Jackie Kennedy Former First Lady of the United States -
Franklin D. Roosevelt 32nd U.S. President -
Dwight D. Eisenhower 34th U.S. President -
Richard M. Nixon 37th U.S. President -
Lyndon B. Johnson 36th U.S. President -
Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil rights activist -
Robert Kennedy Former U.S. Senator -
Ronald Reagan 40th U.S. President -
Marilyn Monroe Actress -
John F. Kennedy Jr. Lawyer -
Lee Harvey Oswald Armed force officer -
Joseph P. Kennedy Former United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom -
George W. Bush 43rd U.S. President -
George Washington 1st U.S. President -
Edward Kennedy Former United States Senator -
William J. Clinton 42nd U.S. President -
Abraham Lincoln 16th U.S. President -
Nikita Khrushchev Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union -
Caroline Kennedy Author