hi my name is Steve Rothstein I’m the executive director of the John F Kennedy
executive director of the John F Kennedy
executive director of the John F Kennedy Library Foundation I’m thrilled to be
Library Foundation I’m thrilled to be
Library Foundation I’m thrilled to be with all of you I remember when I was
with all of you I remember when I was
with all of you I remember when I was seven years old I was playing on a porch
seven years old I was playing on a porch
seven years old I was playing on a porch in Brookline the town we’re in making
in Brookline the town we’re in making
in Brookline the town we’re in making flags with a friend and I heard on the
flags with a friend and I heard on the
flags with a friend and I heard on the radio that John Kennedy had been
radio that John Kennedy had been
radio that John Kennedy had been assassinated his life his legacy and his
assassinated his life his legacy and his
assassinated his life his legacy and his death has affected my thinking since
death has affected my thinking since
death has affected my thinking since then all of you know of John Kennedy but
then all of you know of John Kennedy but
then all of you know of John Kennedy but I wonder if you know that as was just
I wonder if you know that as was just
I wonder if you know that as was just said that he went to another Brookline
said that he went to another Brookline
said that he went to another Brookline school about a mile down the road or if
school about a mile down the road or if
school about a mile down the road or if you know that his family is a gold star
you know that his family is a gold star
you know that his family is a gold star family it’s older brother being killed
family it’s older brother being killed
family it’s older brother being killed in the Second World War or if you’ve
in the Second World War or if you’ve
in the Second World War or if you’ve enjoyed the National Seashore and Cape
enjoyed the National Seashore and Cape
enjoyed the National Seashore and Cape Cod did you know that that he was the
Cod did you know that that he was the
Cod did you know that that he was the one who generated the interest for the
one who generated the interest for the
one who generated the interest for the National Seashore or if you’ve seen
National Seashore or if you’ve seen
National Seashore or if you’ve seen important decisions being made in the
important decisions being made in the
important decisions being made in the Situation Room or the leadership from
Situation Room or the leadership from
Situation Room or the leadership from the met Navy SEALs that both of those
the met Navy SEALs that both of those
the met Navy SEALs that both of those were created by John Fitzgerald Kennedy
were created by John Fitzgerald Kennedy
were created by John Fitzgerald Kennedy our 35th president it’s important to
our 35th president it’s important to
our 35th president it’s important to know what he did but it’s really let’s
know what he did but it’s really let’s
know what he did but it’s really let’s look at what’s happened since then when
look at what’s happened since then when
look at what’s happened since then when he was in office 75% of the people
he was in office 75% of the people
he was in office 75% of the people trusted government 75% last year before
trusted government 75% last year before
trusted government 75% last year before the recent campaign it was 19% I I
the recent campaign it was 19% I I
the recent campaign it was 19% I I wonder what the number would be now
wonder what the number would be now
wonder what the number would be now after the campaign we’ve all just been
after the campaign we’ve all just been
after the campaign we’ve all just been gone through I think this is
gone through I think this is
gone through I think this is heartbreaking because doesn’t say you
heartbreaking because doesn’t say you
heartbreaking because doesn’t say you believe in everything they’re doing but
believe in everything they’re doing but
believe in everything they’re doing but you trust government some people believe
you trust government some people believe
you trust government some people believe government should have a bigger role
government should have a bigger role
government should have a bigger role some people smaller role some people
some people smaller role some people
some people smaller role some people feel it should solve this problem or
feel it should solve this problem or
feel it should solve this problem or that but if you don’t trust government
that but if you don’t trust government
that but if you don’t trust government it leads to everything else so what I am
it leads to everything else so what I am
it leads to everything else so what I am so excited about is finding ways with
so excited about is finding ways with
so excited about is finding ways with all of you
all of you
all of you to turn this chart around and to
to turn this chart around and to
to turn this chart around and to summarize President Kennedy’s work in
summarize President Kennedy’s work in
summarize President Kennedy’s work in the TEDx would be presumptuous to do it
the TEDx would be presumptuous to do it
the TEDx would be presumptuous to do it in a paragraph would be more so in a
in a paragraph would be more so in a
in a paragraph would be more so in a sentence even more so so I’m gonna try
sentence even more so so I’m gonna try
sentence even more so so I’m gonna try to do it in an acronym
to do it in an acronym
to do it in an acronym si si squared courage service innovation
si si squared courage service innovation
si si squared courage service innovation and inclusion courage during the Second
and inclusion courage during the Second
and inclusion courage during the Second World War while he was on PT 109 his
World War while he was on PT 109 his
World War while he was on PT 109 his boat was rammed by the Japanese despite
boat was rammed by the Japanese despite
boat was rammed by the Japanese despite having a broken back he saved two of his
having a broken back he saved two of his
having a broken back he saved two of his colleagues swam three miles to an island
colleagues swam three miles to an island
colleagues swam three miles to an island kept them alive until help could come
kept them alive until help could come
kept them alive until help could come later when he was president a young boy
later when he was president a young boy
later when he was president a young boy asked him President Kennedy how’d you
asked him President Kennedy how’d you
asked him President Kennedy how’d you become a hero and he said it was quite
become a hero and he said it was quite
become a hero and he said it was quite involuntary they ran my boat later in
involuntary they ran my boat later in
involuntary they ran my boat later in life when he was a senator he literally
life when he was a senator he literally
life when he was a senator he literally wrote the book on courage profiling
wrote the book on courage profiling
wrote the book on courage profiling courage and he identified eight senators
courage and he identified eight senators
courage and he identified eight senators from different parties that took
from different parties that took
from different parties that took courageous positions at the time often
courageous positions at the time often
courageous positions at the time often having a big impact on their career how
having a big impact on their career how
having a big impact on their career how many of you think that if we had more
many of you think that if we had more
many of you think that if we had more courage and more bipartisanship our
courage and more bipartisanship our
courage and more bipartisanship our world would be better off today
service in his iconic inaugural address
service in his iconic inaugural address President Kennedy talked about asked not
President Kennedy talked about asked not
President Kennedy talked about asked not what your country can do for you within
what your country can do for you within
what your country can do for you within 45 days later the Peace Corps was
45 days later the Peace Corps was
45 days later the Peace Corps was started this is a picture of President
started this is a picture of President
started this is a picture of President Kennedy welcoming the first class of
Kennedy welcoming the first class of
Kennedy welcoming the first class of Peace Corps volunteers in 1961 750 of
Peace Corps volunteers in 1961 750 of
Peace Corps volunteers in 1961 750 of them as they went off to 13 countries
them as they went off to 13 countries
them as they went off to 13 countries countries some of them that we knew very
countries some of them that we knew very
countries some of them that we knew very little about who had recently broken the
little about who had recently broken the
little about who had recently broken the yoke of colonial control that was quite
yoke of colonial control that was quite
yoke of colonial control that was quite impressive
impressive
impressive for the volunteers and the president
for the volunteers and the president
for the volunteers and the president since that time though there have been
since that time though there have been
since that time though there have been over 220,000 people who have served in a
over 220,000 people who have served in a
over 220,000 people who have served in a hundred and forty countries they’ve
hundred and forty countries they’ve
hundred and forty countries they’ve impacted not just those countries but
impacted not just those countries but
impacted not just those countries but they’ve impacted their entire lives for
they’ve impacted their entire lives for
they’ve impacted their entire lives for service many countries have started
service many countries have started
service many countries have started their own version of Peace Corps our
their own version of Peace Corps our
their own version of Peace Corps our country later established AmeriCorps
country later established AmeriCorps
country later established AmeriCorps great nonprofits like City Year have
great nonprofits like City Year have
great nonprofits like City Year have been started how many of you think that
been started how many of you think that
been started how many of you think that if we focus more on service our society
if we focus more on service our society
if we focus more on service our society to be better how many of you
innovation this is a picture of
innovation this is a picture of President Kennedy looking at the freedom
President Kennedy looking at the freedom
President Kennedy looking at the freedom 7 capsule with astronaut and later
7 capsule with astronaut and later
7 capsule with astronaut and later Senator John Glenn and President Kennedy
Senator John Glenn and President Kennedy
Senator John Glenn and President Kennedy say you want to go to the moon he wanted
say you want to go to the moon he wanted
say you want to go to the moon he wanted to beat the Russians but he also wanted
to beat the Russians but he also wanted
to beat the Russians but he also wanted to harness the energy the technological
to harness the energy the technological
to harness the energy the technological expertise and he set that bold goal of
expertise and he set that bold goal of
expertise and he set that bold goal of we’re gonna get to the moon by the end
we’re gonna get to the moon by the end
we’re gonna get to the moon by the end of the decade without knowing if he
of the decade without knowing if he
of the decade without knowing if he could reach it in fact in the freedom 7
could reach it in fact in the freedom 7
could reach it in fact in the freedom 7 capsule there was less computing
capsule there was less computing
capsule there was less computing technology than my iPhone not all
technology than my iPhone not all
technology than my iPhone not all iPhones this iPhone and he was willing
iPhones this iPhone and he was willing
iPhones this iPhone and he was willing to take a risk
to take a risk
to take a risk in fact by being innovative he was in
in fact by being innovative he was in
in fact by being innovative he was in fact willing to fail but I can’t begin
fact willing to fail but I can’t begin
fact willing to fail but I can’t begin to say it as well as the president did
well serve to organize and measure the
well serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills because
best of our energies and skills because
best of our energies and skills because that challenge is one that we are
that challenge is one that we are
that challenge is one that we are willing to accept he was better
willing to accept he was better
willing to accept he was better technology than I was how many of you
technology than I was how many of you
technology than I was how many of you think our society better if our public
think our society better if our public
think our society better if our public officials are willing to be take
officials are willing to be take
officials are willing to be take innovative stands and even be willing to
innovative stands and even be willing to
innovative stands and even be willing to fail sometimes how many of you
inclusion this is President Kennedy
inclusion this is President Kennedy meeting with civil rights leaders while
meeting with civil rights leaders while
meeting with civil rights leaders while he was in the White House when he
he was in the White House when he
he was in the White House when he started he had a lot of issues on his
started he had a lot of issues on his
started he had a lot of issues on his plate and he didn’t do as much in civil
plate and he didn’t do as much in civil
plate and he didn’t do as much in civil rights as he could have
rights as he could have
rights as he could have but then he embraced it he made it the
but then he embraced it he made it the
but then he embraced it he made it the moral issue of his time not just
moral issue of his time not just
moral issue of his time not just integrating school lunch counters and
integrating school lunch counters and
integrating school lunch counters and schools and buses but so much more and
schools and buses but so much more and
schools and buses but so much more and he not just worked with folks in the
he not just worked with folks in the
he not just worked with folks in the civil rights movement but he established
civil rights movement but he established
civil rights movement but he established the first National Commission on the
the first National Commission on the
the first National Commission on the status of women and worked with people
status of women and worked with people
status of women and worked with people with disabilities including those with
with disabilities including those with
with disabilities including those with intellectual disabilities so how many of
intellectual disabilities so how many of
intellectual disabilities so how many of you feel that if we sought to include
you feel that if we sought to include
you feel that if we sought to include people not to divide them and bring them
people not to divide them and bring them
people not to divide them and bring them together our society to be better I hope
together our society to be better I hope
together our society to be better I hope that every president and prime minister
that every president and prime minister
that every president and prime minister federal office holders state office
federal office holders state office
federal office holders state office holder mayor city councilors thinks
holder mayor city councilors thinks
holder mayor city councilors thinks about courage service innovation and
about courage service innovation and
about courage service innovation and inclusion but that’s not enough it’s
inclusion but that’s not enough it’s
inclusion but that’s not enough it’s really up to all of us I go to bed every
really up to all of us I go to bed every
really up to all of us I go to bed every night thinking about these and honestly
night thinking about these and honestly
night thinking about these and honestly there are many days I fall short I
there are many days I fall short I
there are many days I fall short I haven’t done enough in these areas so
haven’t done enough in these areas so
haven’t done enough in these areas so next year we’ll be celebrating the
next year we’ll be celebrating the
next year we’ll be celebrating the hundredth anniversary of John Kennedy’s
hundredth anniversary of John Kennedy’s
hundredth anniversary of John Kennedy’s birds and that birth happened but a mile
birds and that birth happened but a mile
birds and that birth happened but a mile from where we are now in Brookline
from where we are now in Brookline
from where we are now in Brookline Massachusetts so I hope that you’ll join
Massachusetts so I hope that you’ll join
Massachusetts so I hope that you’ll join with me to think about what each of you
with me to think about what each of you
with me to think about what each of you can do to promote courage to encourage
can do to promote courage to encourage
can do to promote courage to encourage service to be innovative and to include
service to be innovative and to include
service to be innovative and to include folks thank you
folks thank you
folks thank you you
”
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