relevant then, relevant now
I read John F. Kennedy’s Profiles in Courage back in high school for a class assignment. At the time, as a freshman way more into hair metal, comic books, and crushing on girls without talking to them, it was not my favorite assignment. I found it pretty dry and dull, though I appreciated what it was trying to say.
As a university student majoring in history and civics, in addition to getting a little better about talking to girls, I gained further insight into the context of the work; that it was largely designed as an effort to rehabilitate the Senator’s public image and lay the groundwork for a presidential campaign, plus it was largely ghostwritten by his longtime speechwriter.
as a career public servant and old man student of politics (and still into metal music and comic books) in today’s world, the idea of “courage” in the face of adversity is something that is, frankly, at the top of mind. I haven’t read the book since that time way back when, but I ran across this passage recently and it resonated.
“For, in a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, ‘holds office’; every one of us is in a position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities. We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.”
Maybe, warts and all, it’s worth revisiting.
