Political Science 2
What Is An American?
During the Civil Rights era many of our freedoms were protested and fought for by passionate individuals who chose to face ignorance head on. I was not present, but I benefit as a citizen because of the triumphs that were won for all citizens. Many of us as individuals face issues and ignorant people, and we keep moving on with our day, unaware of what all of our civil rights are. Segregation of African Americans and Women’s Rights are usually the two areas that most Americans have some knowledge of progress being made in ensuring equal civil rights. However, the Civil Rights era affected far more than just the two groups mentioned, and it is important that we are reminded of its wide-spread impact for all Americans.
My Political Science 2 course has taught me what Civil Rights are and how they affect individuals. Civil Rights are for groups such as African Americans, Women, and Disabled individuals, who deserve protection from discrimination caused by ignorance. Until assigned to analyze a speech or study this topic in my class, I never knew that even presidents have suffered from discrimination and needed their civil rights protected. John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JKF) was a Senator running for Presidential Office during the Civil Rights era, and he just so happened to be a member of the Roman Catholic Church. All previous Presidents and candidates were Protestant, and the fear was that Kennedy would allow the Pope to make decisions for America. According to the United States Constitution, as an individual of a group, Kennedy was protected like any other person from ignorance.
The Founding Fathers created a country that was not under the Divine Right of the King and Freedom of Religion was important to them. It was so important that the Constitution was created with Amendments that gave protections to individuals as a whole and to individuals who are group members. Specifically, one protection is protection from religious persecution. Senator Kennedy was Catholic and was running for President. The issue for everyone was that they did not want a Catholic president taking orders from the Pope and the Vatican. What they failed to recognize was that he was currently a Senator and had been involved in political policies and decisions for twelve years and had never once taken orders from the Pope. He wanted people to not act on ignorance, and instead face the facts.
According to the Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary” ignorant” can be defined as “lacking knowledge and comprehension.” Often, people are not thoroughly familiar with something, and instead of gaining knowledge and understanding, they allow fear of change to rule their decision making. Senator Kennedy not only faced controversy with ignorant individuals, but he had the ability to confront them and the fact that he was Catholic. Not wanting to lose the election due to ignorant decisions and to speak to his biggest critics helped him win the election.
Since Kennedy was known for being such an eloquent and poised speaker, he decided to address the Houston Ministerial Association about the issues that should be the focus for the upcoming political race. “We have far more critical issues to face in the 1960 election,” such as starving children, too few schools, and war, “and they are not religious issues.” This was a very polite way of stating that he saw the real problem and wanted to resolve current important problems that the people of the United States were facing.
The desire of his heart can be seen in the work that he had done as Senator. Kennedy states, “So it is apparently necessary for me to state once again not what kind of church I believe in—for that should be important only to me—but what kind of America I believe in.” Many people call themselves American, but who defines what is American? That September day he stood up for himself and did not allow anyone to base his ability to be President on his religion, which was his Civil Right.
As the Senator was addressing the Houston Ministerial Association, he continued to say, “I believe in an America where…no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from…the people who might elect him.” Kennedy wanted an America that did not make decisions based on ignorance. Furthermore, he reiterates an America like the Founding Fathers wanted, one free from imposition, “where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace.” He cautioned the audience about “the finger of suspicion,” which can and has been pointed at many different groups. “Today I may be the victim, but tomorrow it may be you.” We have to fight to preserve the liberties and rights and to achieve an America where everyone is treated as equals. JFK reminded the audience that this fight is a continuous one; our forefathers “fought for the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom.” Speaking to an audience in Houston, Kennedy wisely includes a reference to a major battle there for liberty, a pivotal event leading ultimately to the establishment of the Republic of Texas, and that is the battle at the Alamo. JFK was not new to politics and was an effective speaker. He came to deliver a message and prove points on what being an American is. We as a people collectively should answer this question of “What is an American?” It can be defined differently by different people, and Kennedy’s speech that day tries to give his definition, along with his ideal for America.
He continued his speech emphasizing what kind of America he believed in, “where…intolerance will someday end; where all men…are treated as equal; …where [people] will refrain from those attitudes of disdain and division…and promote instead the American ideal of brotherhood. This is the kind of America in which I believe. And it represents the kind of presidency in which I believe.” To JFK, being an American meant service. He wanted to be heard so that he could be elected, so he could make changes to help those in need. An American president has the responsibility of leading the country and being a public servant to the people of the United States of America. He urged the audience to judge him on his record of service in Congress and not on the innuendos in the media or on ignorance. “For contrary to common newspaper usage, I am not the Catholic candidate for president. I am the Democratic Party’s candidate for president, who happens also to be a Catholic.” Kennedy ends his speech by emphasizing that if he wins the election, he would “devote every effort of mind and spirit to fulfilling the oath of the presidency,” an oath that swears to protect the rights and liberties of all, an oath in which he would “solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president…and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, so help me God.” It is a fitting yet ironic close to his speech before the Houston Ministerial Association.
I was brought to tears by these eleven minutes and fourteen seconds of history. On that September day, JFK called the Houston Ministerial Association to band together as citizens and join him as Americans promoting the American ideal of brotherhood. Testimony put forth by this highly intelligent American served more than the people in the room that day. He called on the Nation to stand together and went on to win the election. With his words, Kennedy disarmed separation and ignorance. Today his legacy as a president is discussed in terms of how his actions helped America during the Cuban missile crisis, the race to the moon, or the Civil Rights movement. We have to have political science classes with assignments such as analyzing a famous speech to realize that he “happen[ed] also to be a Catholic.”
Work Cited
Kennedy, John F. “Address of Senator John F. Kennedy to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association.” 12 Sept. 1960. www.jfklibrary.org Accessed 4 Feb. 2014.