Remarks by Senator Kennedy at the JFK Library Dedication

for all who knew President Kennedy this moment is a culmination a happy rendezvous with history that makes his memory come alive in dedicating this library we honor Jack and in honoring Jack we honor the best in our country and ourselves he loved this city with a Patriots love he loved the sea with a sailors love and so he would have loved this site and the library his family and friends and country have built to celebrate his life I can see him now standing by the shoreline feeling the salt breeze drinking in the beauty of this Harbor recalling its rich history and the great events that took place here when America was born he would look out across the ocean to the horizon and beyond peering through the mists of time he would see his immigrant heritage the green and rocky shores of the land of his ancestors the Ireland whence he came in dedicating this library we also honor those who helped make this dream come true the magnificent buildings and landscape the films and exhibits that you will see inside these and other works reflect years of devotion to the creation of this library that can never be repaid on behalf of our family that loved him so deeply I expressed the gratitude we feel to those who made Jack's journey with us we welcome the wide circle of friends from home and overseas gathered here who found so much inspiration in his life so much warmth in his friendship so much pain in his loss this library will be more than just a collection of photographs and objects under glass it will be a living memorial at many levels here in Boston it will take up the causes of the community helping to revitalize this section of our city across the country it will reach out to visitors and scholars summoning young men and women to careers in public life for those in other lands it will be a beacon signaling the message of this nation a lighthouse bearing witness to Jack's truth that America at its best can truly light the world he and I had a special bond despite the 14 years between us when I was born he asked to be my godfather he was the best man at our wedding he taught me to ride a bicycle throw a forward pass and a sail against the wind as president Jack was a glory on the mountaintop the new frontier of which he dreamed touch deep and responsive chords in the America character he could make lightning strike on the things he cared about he was an irresistible force that made immovable objects move he taught us to redeem the promise of health care for America's senior generation to whom the nation owes so much of its present greatness he taught us to control the atom to end the threat of nuclear annihilation so that we could leave our children a safe a world he taught us to make freedom ring in America freedom for black and brown as well as white freedom to live and work and vote freedom to sit at a public lunch counter to learn in a public classroom to play football on a public field he added a new dimension in foreign policy by tapping the idealism of our youth he led us beyond our planet and launched us toward the moon and in our own hemisphere he summoned us to a new alliance of effort for the benefit of those less fortunate than ourselves that is the way it was with Jack there was a sense of progress in adventure a rejection of complacency and conformity there was a common mission a shared ideal and above all the joy of high purpose and great achievement Jack believed that America is promises that challenges are opportunities in disguise that our spirit can saw again with his gift of history he understood that America is at its best when the nation is on the move when ideas are on the march with his gift of politics he became a resourceful architect of unity amid the rich and sometimes brawling diversity of this land with his gift of statesmanship he made America the apostle of peace and strength in a trouble and divided world and with his gift of compassion he touched the hearts of people everywhere who believed in this nation's destiny of freedom and opportunity and sought it for themselves with his gift of humor and vitality he brought an atmosphere of wit and vigor to everything he did and with his gift of words he found a lever that could move the world his passion for the sea would have made him a great Explorer he might have sailed with Magellan navigating beyond the charts to the new and better world he thought his life was a voyage of discovery a quest for excellence that inspired universal trust and faith in that brief unfinished journey he made us believe once more in the great historic purpose of this land he filled America with pride and made this nation young again it was all so brief the thousand days are like an evening gone but they are not forgotten those whose lives he touched will never be the same they responded to his call devoting their own lives to this country and bringing out the best in others as he brought out the best in them early in January 1961 preparing to come to Washington for inauguration day Jack went before the Massachusetts legislature to bid farewell today he said the eyes of all people are truly upon us and our governments in every branch at every level must be as a city upon a hill these buildings that bear his name will be his City upon his Hill and now in dedicating this library to Jack we recall those years of grace that time of hope the spark still glows the journey never ends the dream shall never die

Channel: JFK Library

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Keywords: Senator, Kennedy, JFK, Library, EMK, Dedication, Ceremony, 1979, Edward, M.

Id: GZVnxoxmTGs

Length: 9min 38sec (578 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 16 2009