Members of the Congress: The United States did not rise to greatness by waiting for others to lead.
John F. Kennedy: “Members of the Congress: The United States did not rise to greatness by waiting for others to lead.”
Editor's note · Context
Kennedy emphasizes the importance of American leadership and initiative in achieving greatness.
Share
More from John F. Kennedy
While we shall never weary in the defense of freedom, neither shall we ever abandon the pursuit of peace.
Through hot wars and cold, through recession and prosperity, through the ages of the atom and outer space, the American people have never faltered and their faith has never flagged.
If at times our actions seem to make life difficult for others, it is only because history has made life difficult for us all.
Tomorrow it can form the framework for a world of law--a world in which no nation dictates the destiny of another, and in which the vast resources now devoted to destructive means will serve constructive ends.