Page 227 - YB1964

MY FELLOW CITIZENS: We observe today not a victory of party but a cel ebration. of freedom-sym- b07izing an end as well as a beginning-signifying renewa7 as well as change. For I have sworn before you and A7mighty God the same sol em n. oath our fore- bears prescribed n earl-u a century and three-quarters ago. The wor7d is very different now. For man h07ds in his morta7 hands the power to ab07ish all form of human poverty and all form of human 7ife. And yet the same rev07utionary be7iefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the g70be-the be7ief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God. We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revol ution, Let the word go forth from this time and p7ace, to friend and foe a7ike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans-born in this cen'tury, tem- pered by war, discip7ined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage -and unwilling to witness or permit the sl ou: undoing of those human rights to which th1's ruition. has a7ways been comrnrtt ed, and to wh1'ch we are com.mrtt ed today-at home and around the wor7d. Let every ruxtion. know ... that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardsh1'p, support fn'end, oppose any foe to assure the suroival and success of 7iberty . • . . Let us beg1'n anew-remembering on both sides that c1'vi71'ty1'S not a sign of weakness, and s1'ncerity is a7ways subject to proof. Let us never negot1'ate out 0/ fear. But tet us never fear to ne qotiat e, Let both s1'des exp70re what prob7ems u.nrt e us instead of be7abor1'ng those prob7ems wh1'ch d1'v1'deus. Let both sides ... [orrnul ate serious and precise proposa7s for the inspec- tion and contro] of arms-and bn'ng the ab solut:« power to destroy other nations under the ab solut:e con tro] of all n ation s, Let both s1'des seek to 1'nvoke the wonders of screnc e [ns tead of 1'ts terrors .•. And 1/ a beachhead of co-operation may push back the jung7es of SUSP1'C1'on, let both s1'des join 1'n the next task: creating, not a new ba7ance of power, but a new wor7d of 7aw, where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved. All th1's will not be fim'shed 1'n the first one hundred days. Nor wm 1't be finished 1'n the first one thousand days, nor in the 7ife of th1's Adm1'nistrat1'on, nor even perhaps in our 71'/et1'me on th1's p7anet. But let us beg1·n. In your hands, my fellow C1't1'zens,more than mine, w177rest the fina7 success or fa1'7ure of our course. Since th1's country was founded, each qen eratron. of Americans has been summoned to g1've testimony to hs ruxtrona] 70 a7ty. The y graves of young Americans who answered the call to service surround the g70be. Now the trumpet summons us aga1'n-not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need-not as a ca77 to batt7e, though embatt7ed we are-but a call to bear the burden of a 70ng tW171'ghtstruggle, year 1'n and year out, "rej01'c1'ng 1'n hope, pat1'ent 1'n tribu7at1'on"-a strugg7e aga1'nst the common enem1'es of man: tyranny, poverty, d1'sease, and war 1·tse7f..•• In the 70ng h1'story of the wor7d, on7y a few generations have been granted the r07e of defend1'ng freedom in 1'tS hour 0/ maximum danger. I do not shn'nk from thi's responsibi71'ty-I we7come it. I do not be7ieve that any of us wou7d exchange p7ace with any other peop7e or any other generat1·on. The energy, the fa1'th, the devot1'on which we bn'ng to th1's endeavor w177 light our country and all who serve 1't-and the g70w from that fire can tru7y 71'ght the wor7d. And so, my fellow Americans: Ask not what your country can do for you- ask what you can do for your country . • . . W1'th a good consc1'ence our on7y sure reward, with h1'story the fina7 judge of our deeds, tet us go forth to 7ead the 7and we 70ve, ask1'ng His b7essing and H1's he7p, but knowing that here on earth God's work must tru7 y be our own. Reprinted with permission of the White Honse Inaugural Address, January 20, 1960