July 7, 2003
“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy
When I heard Kennedy speak these words I was a little kid. I thought he was a nice man asking people not to be so selfish. To stop thinking about themselves all the time and start thinking about others. It sounded a whole lot like what I heard at our little church my mom took me to. It sounded like a great leader urging his followers toward a higher ideal, a more noble state of being. My nature is to be a team player with generally good intentions toward my fellow humans. Naturally, I bought into this slogan completely.
What didn’t occur to me at the time, was this nice man was not just asking others to be nice too. He was proposing people look at the proper role of government as something different than before. From the inception of our country to the early nineteen hundreds the majority of people held the belief that the purpose of the federal government was to serve the people. Not the other way around. Kennedy’s most famous quote probably would not have flown in a public setting before the world war one.
In his time Kennedy was appealing to proponents of a growing political mentality. As socialism took root and grew throughout the rest of the world it grew inside America as well. Beginning in the early nineteen hundreds the American people have supported socialism in ever increasing doses. Whether Kennedy catapulted us into the future or was merely a reflection of society’s shift to the left may not be clear. But what is clear is that he was promoting less individualism and more collectivism.
I watched the “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks” show on TV the other night. The fireworks were impressive, in as much as fireworks can be impressive on the small screen. Along with the fireworks a narrator interjected inspiring words from famous people. Then I heard JFK’s most famous quote. At least it started out with what Kennedy said. The last part had changed though. A lot.
I don’t have the exact words (didn’t have the VCR on) but Kennedy’s quote had become something along the lines of “ask not what your country can do for you but ask what we can do together to shape the future of mankind” I was shocked! Why on earth would someone fool around with Kennedy’s quote? Unless, of course, there was an agenda. Words like those don’t get changed for no reason at all.
Now some people might say “Looks innocent to me. The people putting on the show needed some words, they choose some words and words got spoken. Why does Ed think there’s something sinister about a quote being changed?”
Well, for one thing, the easiest thing to do is get the quote right. You don’t have to think. No one laughs at you for incompetence. And no one accuses you of having sinister motives. Changing a quote requires conscious thought. You have to want to do it. Why would someone innocently choose to change one of the most famous quotes in American history? Did they consider the syntax poor? Did they think they could make it a little more catchy? No. There was a different reason.
The left got us from thinking of ourselves as individuals to thinking of ourselves as part of a collective. While it could be argued they haven’t totally succeeded I think it’s safe to say the hard part’s over. We’re simply being urged to take the next step. Since we already practice collectivism at the national level why not the global? See how easy it is?
What sticks with me is that no one in the televised crowd batted an eye. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised given the lack of political education of most Americans. I wouldn’t be surprised if a significant portion of the people in that crowd didn’t know who Kennedy was or what he said. And it’s to some degree not even their fault. How can they be expected to know history when all they’ve been fed is a sugar coated children’s version of it?
We were warned by some very wise men that an educated citizenry is essential to our continued freedom.
As a libertarian I may not be totally on board with what Kennedy said and believed, but I think it’s important to get the unvarnished truth about what he did say and believe.
Anyway, don’t be surprised if the “new” version of Kennedy’s quote becomes accepted as authentic in the future. Lot’s of people throughout history are given credit for things they did not say. And expect that this “ask what you can do for the future of mankind” emotionalism to grow.
Why does the march through history take place one step at a time? Because that’s as far as most people can see.
- Ed Powell