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By Kim Ae-ran
As I stopped by the Sixth Floor Museum in Texas, the inaugural speech of John F. Kennedy seemed to resonate. Let me share with you some parts of his address which are still applicable:
"Let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty…
"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.
"Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here, the same high standards of strength and sacrifice, which we ask of you. With a good conscience, our only sure reward with history, the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking his blessing and his help, but knowing that here on Earth, God's work must truly be our own."
This well-known inaugural address by Kennedy inspires us to think of the importance of civic action and public service for the common good. This invitation challenges everybody in the world to contribute to the public good.
Probably because of his worldwide humanitarian spirit, we still remember the day when President Kennedy was assassinated by a clerk on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository building near Dealey Plaza. He passed away on Nov. 22, 1963, at age 47.
Now, the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in Texas has become a must-see historical site in the history of the United States.
Being the second of nine children, Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts, to Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald Kennedy.
He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in International Relations from Harvard. Then, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1940, but he was released from the Navy due to physical disability in 1945.
He became a special correspondent journalist for Hearst Newspapers including the Chicago Herald-American and the New York Journal-American. In 1946, he was elected as a Democratic U.S. representative and served three terms over six years. In 1952, he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
On Sept. 12, 1953, at age 36, he married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. In 1954, he wrote his biography "Profiles in Courage" while recovering from his back surgery. In 1956, he campaigned for the vice presidency.
When he was elected the 35th president of the U.S. in 1960, he was the first Roman Catholic and the youngest man elected president.
Among his accomplishments, he is well-known for the Peace Corps, space exploration, Vietnam deployment, the civil rights movement, the Cold War, Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and New Frontier Spirit.
Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." (Mark 13:24) The same with the appealing words of Kennedy: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul. When available, please feel free to visit her blog, "A piece of sunshine," at mtorchid88.blogspot.com.
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