"ASK NOT": A decades-old statement worth flooding inboxes of GOP leaders', et al., with:

[sohndrsmith]

"And so, my fellow Americans:

Ask not what your country can do for you...
Ask what you can do for your country."

... The quote may be as old as I am, but the GOP and their self-serving cohorts should really be reminded that this VERY famous quote *used* to stir feelings of pride, patriotism and love for this nation in her citizens.

There's a reason why most adults not only recognize but can recite these very words without hesitation.

It should STILL mean something...

[Ruby the Liberal]

1. Quoting a liberal commie pinko (and Catholic to boot!) President

will mean nothing to these greedy pigs.

[sohndrsmith]

2. ...what really ticks me off is that you're right. Still, the thought of

this message flooding their offices, email, voicemail and websites makes me ashamedly satisfied.

But you're right... it would not compute. Ugh.

[sad sally]

3. are you kidding? they would probably claim that Kennedy was one of them.

[sohndrsmith]

4. As in wealthy? Yup. But that's where the similarities end, I'd think.

When I think of the Kennedy legacy, I think: Special Olympics, the Peace Corps, the fight for health care...
"Greed" doesn't really come to mind and certainly isn't interchangeable with "wealth"... : )

...except for the GOP, apparently.

[happyslug]

6. I didn't know Cicero was Catholic? Cicero died in 43 BC, so that was a feat

http://www.famousquotes.com/show/1018927/

More on Cicero:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicero

Other have also stolen Cicero's quote. Oliver Wendall Holmes did so in 1884 (Slightly different translation):
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Derivation+of+Ask+not+what+your+country.htm

[sohndrsmith]

7. okay pard'ner... ya done out-nerded me... dead to rights. : )

... how many Americans (or humans, for that matter) would cite OWH, much less Cicero in regards to this quote?
Maybe many. Color me daft, then...


My message was about the statement - and its historic value to this country, and in that context - Kennedy is the sole appropriate messenger.

I don't claim to correlate context with the original author because that isn't relevant (though very cool trivia which I will now go look up - thanks for the links!).

You know what I meant, c'mon...

: )

[Ruby the Liberal]

8. Holy moly

Ya never know what ya just don't know.

Thanks!!

[madinmaryland]

5. K&R

[donco6]

9. Republicans couldn't give a fig about that.

Nothing about them is genuine or sincere. It's all play-acting. Patriotism, flags, God . . . all just props for them to advance their own agenda, which is all about ME ME ME. Knock yourself out, though. Who knows? Even Paul was blinded on the Damascus road. I suppose Orange Boy Boner could leave his eyes open in the tanning bed . . .

[TreasonousBastard]

10. Kennedy gave us hope, pride, and a mission as a nation. He said...

we could go to the moon.

Now, the Governor of New Jersey says we're too broke and weak to build a lousy tunnel.

When Kennedy used those words, he inspired us to look within ourselves. Our strength as a nation isn't in government programs or political bullshit-- it is within us and our spirit. Government's job is to assist us in unleashing our own creativity, even up to the point of running the program to get us to the moon.

We need a new hero-- not one who campaigns just on "change," and certainly not one who sees no change at all as a good thing, but one who give us a real vision for the future. A future we can look forward to and believe in and work for.

[reformist2]

11. As a percentage of their wealth, the rich pay very little in taxes.

The current tax code is actually somewhat regressive. Most middle-class people pay a higher percentage of their wealth to the government than the people on top.