Joe Kennedy shares one of his favorite JFK quotes
A descendant of celebrated orators, Rep. Joe Kennedy III has gained national attention in recent months for his own impassioned speeches on Capitol Hill.
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The words of the Massachusetts Democrat — grandson of late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and great-nephew of President John F. Kennedy and late Sen. Ted Kennedy, have caught the eye of former President Barack Obama and captured the attention of millions on Facebook.
Ahead of the centennial of the birth of President John F. Kennedy, the 36-year-old congressman shared which one of his great-uncle’s quotes remains among his favorite.
The quote comes from then-senator Kennedy’s speech on September 14, 1960, accepting the Liberal Party’s nomination for president, in which he declared his “political credo:”
“I believe in human dignity as the source of national purpose, in human liberty as the source of national action, in the human heart as the source of national compassion, and in the human mind as the source of our invention and our ideas.”
The September address followed the delivery of Kennedy’s famous “New Frontiers” speech to the Democratic National Convention in July 1960, accepting the party’s presidential nomination.“This quote would be poignant at any moment in time — but particularly this moment in time,” Rep. Kennedy said of why the line from his great-uncle sticks with him. “It’s a reminder of a common humanity that is bigger than any political, geographic, or cultural division. It’s a call to action that is deeply unifying. And it is recognition that American strength isn’t built on toughness alone — but on justice and decency.”Read the full John F. Kennedy speech here.
