‘We choose to go to the moon’
May 14th, 2008 at 06:12pm Lil Swanson
Thirteen members of the Register Star’s Voters’ Panel convened at the paper on Tuesday night. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed hearing what readers have to say about this never-ending election cycle and the problems facing the nation. Their voices and ideas stick in my mind.
For me, one of the main takeaways from Tuesday night was how much the members of our voters’ panel care about our country. I was getting goose bumps as I listened to them explain their frustration with the lack of a national purpose, and the need for sacrifice. We are just itching to be the next Greatest Generation.
One person reminded the group of President Kennedy’s famous call to action: “We choose to go to the moon, not because it is easy, but because it is hard.” In my mind I could hear that famous Boston accent saying those words. Haaaahrd. That has long been one of my favorite quotes, and propels a lot of my own decision-making. Who wants to do anything that’s easy?
In the office today, my colleague Chuck Sweeny did a pretty good imitation of Kennedy saying those words. I’m wondering if it resonates with lots of readers. Let me know what you think.
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2 Comments Add your own
1. ROTStar | May 14th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
While I admire your thoughts I really admired Kennedy and you missed a few words in your Kennedy quote (not to be too pedantic) — if you meant it as a paraphrase that’s fine but the actual quote from his speech at Rice University is, “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”
http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/jfk-space.htm
David
2. Chuck Sweeny | May 15th, 2008 at 1:09 am
JFK chose to go to “Cuber,” too, but he didn’t send reinforcements. Drat!
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