Profiles In Courage Essays (1665 words) - , Term Papers

Profiles In Courage Profiles In Courage, John F. Kennedy Summary The Pulitzer Prize-winning account of men of principle, integrity and bravery in American politics was here available in President John F. Kennedy's Profiles In Courage. Eight men who served the United States Government were selected by John F. Kennedy as models of virtue and courage under pressure. These eight men persevered in their pursuit of justice and the right path, in spite of the coercion and vilification of the majority. These heroes include Mississippi's Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar who stood up to unbounded calumny when he moved to reconcile Northern and Southern differences during the years after the Civil War, and George Norris, who, in 1910, crusaded against the strong and often dictatorial leadership of his own party. Others profiled by Kennedy included John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, Sam Houston, Edmund G. Ross, and Robert A. Taft. John Kennedy's spirited words and devotion to courage lived on in this novel. A thoughtful and persuasive book about political integrity. (The New York Times) Nominated for a Grammy Award in 1991, a recording of Profiles In Courage featured John F. Kennedy, Jr., reading his father's portrait of courageous Americans. John F. Kennedy inspired one generation, and now others, to believe that politics can be a noble profession. For President Kennedy, history was not a dull, dry subject, but came alive in the stories of people who risked their careers to stand up for what was right for our country, even when it was not the easy thing to do. This distinguished belief is played out in his novel in several ways. For example, President John Quincy Adams faced political aversion from his own Federalist Party which was turning to desert him. Also, Henry Clay showed courage when he dragged himself into Senate meetings through excruciating pain and anguish due to his failing health. John F. Kennedy stated, One man can make a difference, and every man should try. (Preface p.10) Of course, this applies to everyone, including women. Many people first learned how this was true when the read this book. The leaders of the past, like Daniel Webster, Henry Clay and Edmund G. Ross, set a shining example for Americans today to live up to. Later, the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award was created by his son, John F. Kennedy Jr.. to be awarded to elected officials who exemplified the kind of courage he wrote about. Interestingly, many of the stories in this book told of courage in standing up against slavery around the time of the Civil War. More than one hundred years later, the struggle for civil rights goes on. The first two Profiles in Courage Award winners, and many other courageous Americans, prove that people must never stop fighting for what they believe is right. The first recipient, Alabama Congressman Carl Elliott, fought for equal opportunity in education and was redistricted of his congressional seat in retaliation for his courageous and principled stand. The second winner, Georgia Democratic Congressman Charles Weltner, took an oath to support his party's ticket in the upcoming fall election. When segregationist Lester Maddox won the preliminary and became the Democratic nominee for Governor of Georgia, Weltner followed his conscious and resigned from politics, rather than violate his oath, or belief that segregation was wrong. Each of these men mentioned in Profiles In Courage risked their careers to do what they believed was right, and often they risked their lives. John F. Kennedy hoped that each person who read this book and learned about courageous people in public life would realize that when a person faces a difficult decision which is bound to be unpopular, they are not alone. Each person must stand up for what they believe in and be willing to take the consequences, if they wanted to make the country a better place to live. Response In Profiles In Courage, the late President John F. Kennedy, then a Massachusetts Senator, paid tribute to a number of Americans, primarily U.S. Senators, who distinguished themselves through acts of political courage. None of the subjects were portrayed as perfect or beyond reproach. Kennedy showed very strongly, in fact, the ethical ambivalence of some of the classic figures in American history in this work. The point he sought to make is not about how heroes were made of different stuff than others. This book is about how human beings can, in a time of moral crisis, find the courage to follow their own truth