John F. Kennedy Quotes About Democracy

• Israel was not created in order to disappear - Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom.

  John F. Kennedy

  Children, Adversity, Home

• A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.

  John F. Kennedy

  Christian, Peace, War

  Kennedy, John F. (1963). “Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1962”, p.163, Best Books on

• The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.

  John F. Kennedy

  Inspirational, Ignorance, Voting

  Vanderbilt University 90th Anniversary Convocation Address, delivered 18 May 1963, Vanderbilt University Stadium, Nashville Tennessee

• For in a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, "hold 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.

  John F. Kennedy

  Courage, Responsibility, Government

  Selected Quotations from John F. Kennedy's Book "Profiles in Courage", www.jfklibrary.org. 1957.

• Our labor unions are not narrow, self-seeking groups. They have raised wages, shortened hours, and provided supplemental benefits. Through collective bargaining and grievance procedures, they have brought justice and democracy to the shop floor.

  John F. Kennedy

  Self, Justice, Presidential

• Democracy may not be perfect, but at least I don't have to build a wall to keep my people in.

  John F. Kennedy

  Wall, May Not Be Perfect, People

• The true democracy, living and growing and inspiring, puts its faith in the people - faith that the people will not simply elect men who will represent their views ably and faithfully, but will also elect men who will exercise their conscientious judgment - faith that the people will not condemn those whose devotion to principle leads them to unpopular courses, but will reward courage, respect honor, and ultimately recognize right.

  John F. Kennedy

  Inspirational, Courage, Exercise

  Selected Quotations from John F. Kennedy's Book "Profiles in Courage", www.jfklibrary.org. 1957.

• I look forward to an america in which commands respect throughout the world, not only for its strength, but for its civilization as well. And I look forward to a world in which we will be safe not only for democracy and diversity but also for personal distinction.

  John F. Kennedy

  America, Civilization, Diversity

  Kennedy, John F. (1964). “Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1963”, p.817, Best Books on

• Democracy is never a final achievement. It is a call to an untiring effort.

  John F. Kennedy

  Achievement, Effort, Democracy

• Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put up a wall to keep our people in.

  John F. Kennedy

  Wall, People, Perfect

  Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a 'Berliner'), delivered 26 June 1963, West Berlin

• There is an old saying that the course of civilization is a race between catastrophe and education. In a democracy such as ours, we must make sure that education wins the race.

  John F. Kennedy

  Thank You, Teacher, Teaching

• In our democracy every young person should have an equal opportunity to obtain a higher education, regardless of his station in life or financial means.

  John F. Kennedy

  Education, Money, Mean

  Kennedy, John F. (1963). “Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1962”, p.114, Best Books on

• Finally, I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end; where all men and all churches are treated as equal; where every man has the same right to attend or not attend the church of his choice; where there is no Catholic vote, no anti-Catholic vote, no bloc voting of any kind; and where Catholics, Protestants and Jews, at both the lay and pastoral level, will refrain from those attitudes of disdain and division which have so often marred their works in the past, and promote instead the American ideal of brotherhood.

  John F. Kennedy

  Religious, Attitude, Believe

  Address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, delivered 12 September 1960 at the Rice Hotel in Houston, TX

• Justice delayed is democracy denied.

  John F. Kennedy

  Justice, Democracy, Denied

• Life in freedom is not easy, and democracy is not perfect.

  John F. Kennedy

  Freedom, Perfect, Democracy

• We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values.

  John F. Kennedy

  Peace, Truth, Philosophy

  Kennedy, John F. (1963). “Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1962”, p.163, Best Books on

• Collective bargaining has always been the bedrock of the American labor movement. I hope that you will continue to anchor your movement to this foundation. Free collective bargaining is good for the entire Nation. In my view, it is the only alternative to State regulation of wages and prices - a path which leads far down the grim road of totalitarianism. Those who would destroy or further limit the rights of organized labor - those who would cripple collective bargaining or prevent organization of the unorganized - do a disservice to the cause of democracy.

  John F. Kennedy

  Organization, Rights, Views

• That is the kind of America in which I believe. And it represents the kind of Presidency in which I believe - a great office that must neither be humbled by making it the instrument of any one religious group nor tarnished by arbitrarily withholding its occupancy from the members of any one religious group. I believe in a President whose religious views are his own private affair, neither imposed by him upon the Nation or imposed by the Nation upon him as a condition to holding that office.

  John F. Kennedy

  Religious, Believe, Views

  Speech at Greater Houston Ministerial Association, Rice Hotel, Houston, Texas, www.presidency.ucsb.edu. September 12, 1960.

• Democracy is the superior form of government, because it is based on a respect for man as a reasonable being.

  John F. Kennedy

  Men, Democracy, Form

• Self-government requires qualities of self-denial and restraint.

  John F. Kennedy

  Government, Self, Democracy

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