Janice Mei
Post #8 (3 President Note)
John F. Kennedy

“Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your
country” (Kennedy). This quote means that if you are part of this nation, you
shouldn’t keep asking what benefit you could get from the country, and to expect
the country does everything for you. Since you are part of this nation, you
should’ve asked yourself what you do for our nation.

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any
price…the success of liberty” (Kennedy). The meaning of this quote is to let
every other country to understand what our country having been looking for. It is
not important if other countries want us to be health or sick, we would still send
troops to other countries. We would put as much as efforts to face all the
difficulties, and overcome those. If you are friend of our country, then we would
continue to support you as always. Otherwise, we would against you—our
enemies. Our country would make sure we could continue to keep our freedom
and to achievement of freedom.

Kennedy’s strong position to the American people is he wanted all Americans to
be active citizens, and united all the powders to face all the hardship.

My thought of this inauguration: we shouldn’t always expect what government
could do for us, or expect to take advantage from it without paying for it. No
matter you are black or white, republic or democrat, rich or poor, we are still part
of our nation. It is our obligation to do something for our nation, to help our
nation become more powerful and comprehensive. The nation and the citizens of
this nation should stand on one side; unite all powers to against our enemies, in
order to see for the best for our nation and ourselves.
Richard M. Nixon

The three problems are war, promise didn’t achieve, and people were
suffering

Advise: “full employment, better housing, excellence in education, in
rebuilding our cities and improving our rural areas; in protecting our
environment and enhancing the quality of life – in all these and more, we will
and must press urgently forward.” (Nixon) This means that we were looking
for better life, and better environment for living, and we must do this as soon
as possible.
We need to create peace for the world. “Those who would be our adversaries,
we invite…but in enriching the life of man.” (Nixon)

The nation responsibility is the government need to work together with the
people of this country.

American value (science) “Apollo astronauts flew over the moon’s gray
surface on Christmas Eve” (Nixon) this was great invention, brand new thing
to the world at that time.

“Black and white together, as on nation, not two.”(Nixon) we suppose to do is
not separating blacks and whites, they only could be considering as one part,
one nation.
“We cannot expect to make everyone our friend, but we can try to make no
one our enemy.” (Nixon) It means that we were looking for more friends
instead of enemies. We can’t make everyone to be our friend, but we could
attempt to make fewer enemies.
Lyndon B. Johnson (In-class activity)

“You do not take a person who for years has been hobble… ‘you are free to
compete with all the others.”(Johnson, 340). This means as a result of blacks and
whites had different backgrounds, different starting point and whites had many
abilities and those blacks faced obstacles for long time. Therefore, blacks and
whites couldn’t contest with each other. The quote that support this is “they lack
of training and skills…their capacities” (Johnson, 341).

Evils: “gateless poverty; lacking training and skills; in slums without medical care;
the devastating heritage of long years of slavery; a century of oppression; hatred
and injustice.” (Johnson, 341)

Causes and effects : blacks didn’t have heritage from last generation, “ blacks are
a constant reminder of oppression” and “Nergo poverty is not white
poverty”.(Johnson, 341)

Solution: get education, medical care, health program, poverty program, great
society program. Family, community, jobs.

If I was one of the student at that time. I would consider to be part of this program,
to give a hand for those African American. Try to help them to overcome as much
difficulties as I could.