Fifty years ago today, Governor George Wallace of Alabama attempted to stop the registration of two black students at the University of Alabama, and only stepped aside, after making an appeal for states rights, when the Deputy Attorney General informed him that he was about to be arrested for defying a federal court order!
And that evening, President John F. Kennedy gave what might have been his most historic speech in office, calling for a civil rights bill, despite the fact that odds of passing into law were nil, and only accelerated by his death in November, and the amazing ability of Lyndon B. Johnson to accomplish passage in 1964.
John F. Kennedy demonstrated great courage, conviction, principle, and morals in that speech, and as a college student, I recall how it impacted myself and my generation with the idealism that all Americans should be treated equally under the law.
Kennedy demonstrated what has occurred not many times, true leadership and commitment to a great cause, no matter how much it might harm him politically. This is worthy of special praise and attention!
“The very word “secrecy” is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. “Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment. That I do not intend to permit to the extent that it is in my control. And no official of my Administration, whether his rank is high or low, civilian or military, should interpret my words here tonight as an excuse to censor the news, to stifle dissent, to cover up our mistakes or to withhold from the press and the public the facts they deserve to know.” JFK April 27, 1961 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel-“The President and the Press” Speech
Yes, Juan, as we reach the 50th anniversary of JFK’s death this November 22, he looks better all of the time in many ways, while at the same time still having major faults and failings, which were glossed over for too long!
In light of the current revelations concerning PRISM, I find it hard to understand the logic of the Obama administration suing the state of Arizona for passing a law that allowed police to ASK persons in the state what their citizenship status was. In other words, while the President used his Justice Department to attack Arizona for ASKING for information, at the same time he uses the NSA to search and seize information on American citizens and that is perfectly acceptable.The administration, if I am not mistaken, seems to respect the rights of illegal immigrants more than those of American citizens.
I find it ironic that while the administration is seizing as much information as it can from phone records and emails, it rejects the idea of verifying the status of voters with a simple voter I.D., (I.D. that one would need to tour the White House) or even to begin to identify all of the illegal immigrants in the country.
Regarding JFK faults and failings, I sometimes yearn the days when the private lives of public figures and celebrities were private. Private affairs between consenting adults ought to stay private. That’s why I reject those that want private activities to be public. I am against the willingness to make private matters public.
Juan, I tend to agree with your last statement, except that when a President is engaged in sexual affairs, it COULD affect national security and public safety, as with JFK and his connection with the Mafia girlfriend, Judith Campbell Exner, so for the President, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, National Security Adviser, and the top military, there has to be an understood ban on what they can engage in sexually, as it affects all of us, in theory, and could undermine our nation. That is why I felt Bill Clinton should resign, upon news of the affair with Monica Lewinsky, although she was no threat to national security or public safety!
Yes, I agree . Those top officials have serious responsibilities and should be held to a higher level of scrutiny. I guess I am fed up with all the public exposure of celebrities and public figures private lives all over the place. I mean I really don’t care if so and so sleeps with so and so or about their private sexual practices and preferences. Even the young kids have a maniacal need to expose themselves on the internet. They have no sense of what is private. It’s like they need to become a celebrity or well known for something frivolous. I remember people used to have diaries or private journals, now they use Facebook for that! LOL!
My God, Juan! We actually are agreeing more often! Something is VERY WRONG here! LOL hahaha! 🙂
And the need of young people to be so open about their love lives is not a good thing, and I am not thrilled at the “morning after” pill being available to any female of any age over the counter without a prescription, or the knowledge of her parents. Sexual promiscuity is something I do not approve of for kids who are not yet mature enough to handle it, and I guess I am glad that I only had sons, not daughters! 🙁
Ron: Have you ever been called a bigoted anti-women, “fascist” for your opinion on the “morning after” pill? Because I have the same opinion and I’ve been accused of being a bigoted, anti-woman , fascist not once but a few times. Just curious.
No, Juan, I have never been called such names, so maybe I will be starting to experience that.
However, I want to make it clear that I am NOT against the “morning after” pill for adults by prescription, but do not think it is appropriate for girls under 18 without parent knowledge and without a prescription, and being purchased over the counter by a teenager.
So I imagine we diverge in that regard, as I am not anti abortion, just want abortion to be what Bill Clinton called it, safe procedure and rarely used. Outlawing abortion, as the GOP in the House wants to do, will not prevent abortion, but criminalize it, which I am vehemently opposed to!
Am I missing something here? If I had a daughter I would not be comfortable with her sharing the same restroom as a boy who happens to identify as a girl. After all, he may dress as a girl, talk like a girl, but still has a male organ and most likely urinates standing up. I mean they invited “him/her” to use the staff bathroom instead of the girls, yet he/she feels offended? There could be as many sexual orientations you wish, but there are only to sexes,male XY and female XX (though I grant there also exist a genetic disorder when females have the XY heterogametic sex chromosome, but again that is a disorder)
http://news.yahoo.com/transgender-student-suit-goes-maine-high-court-153230913.html
Ron; concerning the after morning pill we do not differ.
I am glad to hear we agree, Juan, on the “morning after” pill.
On the transgender issue, wow, this is a tough one. I am in a quandary, as a transgender person is in a difficult situation, but on the other hand, so is a woman or girl who does not want to share a bathroom with a person who was a male before, and may still have those body parts. I am glad I do not have to decide this case as a judge, as I simply cannot decide how to see this, wanting to be fair to everyone, but obviously not able to do that!
Imagine, I am speechless, unable to state a clear cut opinion–something rare for me! 🙂
Talking about civil rights, what about the right to practice your religion, do you think that is included? Last week we remembered D-Day, and recall Eisenhower’s D-Day Speech that ended with this phrase:
“I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!
Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.”
Well, it seems that Eisenhower would be sanctioned in today’s Army for invoking God.
An Air Force officer who was told to remove a Bible from his desk because it might give the impression he was endorsing a religion. And there are other reports of Christian service members and chaplains being punished for their faith.
– The U.S. Air Force directed a military base to remove a video tribute to First Sergeants because it mentioned the word ‘God’ and might be offensive to atheists or Muslims.
– A service member received a “severe and possibly career-ending reprimand†for expressing his faith’s religious position about homosexuality in a personal religious blog.
– A senior military official at Fort Campbell sent out a lengthy email officially instructing officers to recognize “the religious right in America†as a “domestic hate group†akin to the KKK and Neo-Nazis because of its opposition to homosexual behavior.
– The Defense Department classified Catholics, evangelicals as extremists religious groups alongside al Qaeda and the Ku Klux Klan. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/5/dod-presentation-classifies-catholics-evangelicals/?page=all
– A chaplain was relieved of his command over a military chapel because, consistent with DOMA’s definition of marriage, he could not allow same-sex weddings to take place in the chapel.
– The Department of Veterans Affairs forbids references to God and Jesus during burial ceremonies at Houston National Cemetery.
– The Army issues guidelines for Walter Reed Medical Center stipulating that “No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading materials and/or facts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit.â€
– The Air Force removes “God†from the patch of Rapid Capabilities Office (the word on the patch was in Latin: Dei).
– After a federal law was passed to transfer a WWI Memorial in the Mojave Desert to private ownership, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that the cross in the memorial could continue to stand, but the Obama administration refused to allow the land to be transferred as required by law and refused to allow the cross to be re-erected as ordered by the Court.
– The Army censors a letter from the Catholic Archbishop for the military services that was to be read by Catholic chaplains to their Army parishioners. The letter rejected the Obama Administration’s Health and Human Service Contraceptive mandate.
– Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin (USA-ret.), a highly decorated combat veteran and anti-terrorism expert, voluntarily withdrew from speaking at an upcoming prayer breakfast at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point . A phalanx of atheists and Islamists had launched a campaign to bar Gen. Boykin, a conservative Christian speaker and writer, from speaking at the event. In an interview with OneNewsNow, Gen. Boykin stated the pressure on the Academy, which the Obama Administration did not resist, was overpowering.
Last month Coast Guard Rear Admiral William Lee told a National Day of Prayer audience that religious liberty was being threatened by Pentagon lawyers and service members are being told to hide their faith in Christ.
Just to think that over 30 years ago, we defended and supported the Poles along with John Paul II in their fight for liberty and religious freedom against the totalitarian Soviet state that prohibited any expression of religious faith.Who would have thought that 30 yrs later, we in America would slowly be installing the same mindset of intolerance and persecution of those who believe in God.
I believe that everyone is entitled to freedom of religion, but NOT to advocacy of their views in an official capacity–therefore, no anti gay, anti Muslim, anti Semitic utterances should be endorsed in an official capacity or gathering of any kind–and since we are not a Christian nation, but a nation of majority Christians, no mention of Jesus in an official capacity or meeting. Some of the examples you mention above are ridiculous, and I see no reason why the word “God” in a secular way cannot be used, although atheists might disagree on that.