The Wit and Wisdom of Ted Kennedy - Bill Adler [2]
—from Kennedy’s first speech on
the Senate floor, April, 9, 1964
Our progressive vision is not just for Democrats or Republicans, for red states or blue states. It’s a way forward for the nation as a whole—to a new prosperity and greater opportunity for all—a vision not just of the country we can become, but of the country we must become—an America that embraces the values and aspirations of our people now, and for coming generations.
—Address at the National Press Club,
Washington, DC,
January 12, 2005
We must insist that our children and our grandchildren shall inherit a land which they can truly call America the beautiful.
—Democratic National Convention,
August 12, 1980
It is our moral duty … to ensure our security but also to reflect our humanity. That is our calling. We should keep out those who would harm us, but welcome those who will contribute to America. We must protect our communities and our nation with laws that are just and fair. But we must also provide a path for honest, hardworking people to emerge from the shadows and earn the privilege of American citizenship.
—National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast,
June 8, 2006
Since I was a boy, I have known the joy of sailing the waters off Cape Cod. And for all my years in public life, I have believed that America must sail toward the shores of liberty and justice for all. There is no end to that journey, only the next great voyage. We know the future will outlast all of us, but I believe that all of us will live on in the future we make.
—Speech at Harvard, December 2008
A new American majority is ready to respond to our call for a revitalized American dream—grounded firmly in our Constitution and in the endless adventure of lifting this nation to ever new heights of discovery, prosperity, progress, and service to all people and to all humanity.
—Address to the National Press Club,
Washington, DC,
January 12, 2005
Traveling across the length and breadth of America, taking the measure of our people, you cannot help but come away with a sense that we can do the job—that our problems are only human, and the solutions will be human, too; that America is a land whose people have the capacity to solve its problems many times over, if only we let them try.
—Speech to the National Jaycees Convention,
Portland, OR, June 15, 1971
More than four decades ago, near this place [the Lincoln Memorial], Martin Luther King called on the nation to let freedom ring. Freedom did ring—and freedom can ring again. It is time for Americans to lift their voices now—in pride for our immigrant past and in pride for our immigrant future.
—“I Stand With You” Speech
at Immigration Rally,
April 10, 2006
Don’t sacrifice your political convictions for the convenience of the hour.
—As quoted by William Safire in his 1990 book,
Words of Wisdom: More Good Advice
There are some who seek to wreck the peace process. They are blinded by fear of a future they cannot imagine—a future in which respect for differences is a healing and unifying force. They are driven by an anger that holds no respect for life—even for the lives of children. But a new spirit of hope is gaining momentum. It can banish the fear that blinds. It can conquer the anger that fuels the merchants of violence. We are building an irresistible force that can make the immovable object move.
—University of Ulster, Derry, Northern Ireland,
January 9, 1988
I love the flag no less because I believe that America has lost its way in Vietnam. I love the flag no less because I want America to move ahead and right the wrongs