President John F. Kennedy - 50 years since the beginning of Camelot

President John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivers
his inaugural address on January 20, 1961 - 50 years ago today

      50 years ago today, John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th president of the United States. His inaugural address is best remembered for him saying, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Kennedy was the president who inspired youth from America and all over the world to enter public service and do their bit for their country. But apart from that favorite quotation of JFK, there are some other great things he said in that historic speech. Some excerpts:

"We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom—symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning—signifying renewal, as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three quarters ago."

"Man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe—the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God."

"In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility—I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it—and the glow from that fire can truly light the world."

And one of my personal favorites -

“let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”

So it is that 50 years have passed since these immortal words were spoken, but yet they are so relevant in our own times. We are still facing similar threats in the form of terrorism, global challenges in the form of global warming, economy and others. There is a new power structure emerging in the world with the growing significance of Asia. The world has changed a lot from 1961, but the opportunities remain the same.

One of the things that has often struck me about President Kennedy's inaugural address is that while it is amply clear that we have the power to abolish all forms of human life in the shape of nuclear and other bombs, I wonder about the "all forms of human poverty" part. What do we actually know about this. What do we have in our mortal hands to abolish "all forms of human poverty." I think this aspect needs a separate blog post later on.

But for now, we remember you today Mr. President and wish that you lived longer, but thank you for the inspiration that you have sowed in the hearts and minds of millions of people born during the last half of the 20th century, tempered by terrorism and wars, disciplined by a promising yet fragile peace.