“Every time that we try to lift a problem from our own shoulders, and shift that problem to the hands of the government, to the same extent we are sacrificing the liberties of our people.”

We hold this truth to be self evident.

Like yeah we should have fought WWII on our own individually and we should each put a solar windmill in our backyards etcetera. Here Kennedy expresses a nice poetic or spiritual sentiment but he ignores pragmatic reality. I give it a star for poetry and deduct 4 stars for the other reason.

If only the Dems had kept his type of vision. They worship him while they desecrate everything he believed and stood for.

9 stars, my 5 and the 4 that Waffler left out. Compared to that bunch of Marxists running the House and Senate now, JFK was a far right winger.

Exactly. When Tesla and Edison were inventing their forms of power generation, the intent had always been that each home could generate their own energy. Why shouldn't each house have solar/wind generators? And defending freedom in America has ALWAYS been the responsibility of the people, not the government. If the government stops defending the rights of the people, then they have breached the contract with the People and are thus 'ruling' without lawful authority. This quote is something the Obama supporters should seek to understand.

Waffler, you should try and do some brain exercises, because you really need them.

I repeat Tony it is cute poetry signifying very little. Who does not like Kennedy but this is just a platitude. If he would define what problems and what liberties a decent discussion could be had. I can fully understand how the dogmatists among us can latch on to it, get fired up. and go berserk over it, since sloganeering without thinking is the extent of their exercise.

Waffler, I think we're rating the quote or the idea, not whether the person saying it did what he preached. Personally I don't like Kennedy, but some of his ideas were great, even though there was a lot of other stuff that I'm completely opposed to.Ideas are there so that one day, maybe you and I can put them into action. They survive time and people. I am not for mindless action, and the very word "idea" requires a thinking process.

Thanks Tony I appreciate your comments. The quotes are just talking points. We are free or at liberty to say anything we want to about them. Remember Kennedy proposed Medicare, so what does that say about what he meant about the quote.

This is a great one for shutting down liberals who are arguing for more government intervention.

I'm learning how opposed Kennedy was to communism, he really hated it. He's got to be spinning in his grave to see what the Progressives have done to the Democratic party now! History has been distorted for so many years, it is frightening how affective progressives have been while we were asleep at the wheel. Time to wake up and boot them out of both parties!

Was this quote in a prepared speech? If so, it would be great to read the whole thing to fully understand what Kennedy was saying with this quote.