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WILKES-BARRE — The first time I ever listened to an inauguration speech was on Jan. 20, 1961.
It was President John F. Kennedy standing before the world, delivering his address to everyone, even impressionable kids like me.
Not long before this day, JFK rode through downtown Plymouth, smiling, waving, even shaking hands of the good citizens. It was a day I’ll never forget. I even got to touch his hand as he reached out of his limousine on his way to a November victory and a tragic end of his life less than three years later.
These were special times. I guess everybody feels the same way about the time they grew up, but since I can only speak to these times, I have to say it was, truly, when America was great. And JFK epitomized all that was good back then — he made us all proud to be Americans.
“Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country,” JFK said, perhaps the best known quote from that day, or perhaps in the history of inaugural speeches.
But it wasn’t just what Kennedy said that day, it was how he said it. If there ever was a proto-type for looking and acting presidential, JFK was it. When he walked into a room, everyone looked. When he began to speak, everyone listened.
“We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty,” is another quote from JFK’s inauguration speech.
There is another JFK quote, not from his inauguration address, but from his presidency that seems appropriate to be repeated as President Donald Trump begins his term in office and Congress sets out on its agenda: “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.”
There are many more of these quotes from JFK. I urge you to seek them out. Read JFK’s entire inauguration speech and judge for yourself.
As President Trump sets out on his presidency, we must have the patience to allow him to make decisions, propose changes and act in what he feels is the best interests of us all. Trump won the race, and he is our president. It would be grossly unfair, not to mention childish, to pre-judge him on his ability to do the job.
And Congress must keep a watchful eye on the administration. And they should act in the best interests of the country, not just their constituencies, never putting their re-election chances ahead of what is right.
JFK was not of high moral fiber in his personal life, yet he sure possessed the right stuff to be president.
When I was in Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention, I noticed the in-party division on the first day. Thousands of people — supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — were marching down Broad Street. The protests continued all week — at City Hall, at the Wells Fargo Center and seemingly everywhere.
I sat and watched Sanders’ supporters stand and turn their backs when Clinton surrogates spoke on the convention floor. I stood wide-eyed outside the Wells Fargo Center as thousands yelled, screamed, shouted in protest of Hillary Clinton. I read their signs. Party unity was not on their minds.
That sentiment carried over to the campaign. The Democrats were not united. Some 5 million less people voted for Clinton than had voted for Obama in 2012. And Trump was playing before sold-out audiences everywhere he went, including Democratic Luzerne County.
Objective observers could see what was going on — that Trump was leading the race; that he was going to win.
And now that it’s over, we all need to accept reality.
Everyone — from voters, to taxpayers to Democrats to Republicans to all others — be respectful, whether you are for or against.
Make JFK proud.
