I have said that control of arms is a mission that we undertake particularly for our children and our grandchildren and that they have no lobby in Washington.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of arms control for the safety of future generations who lack a voice in political decisions.
John F. Kennedy highlights that the responsibility of controlling weaponry lies with the current generation to ensure a safer world for children and grandchildren. He points out that this future generation does not have a powerful influence or lobby to advocate for their safety and interests in political arenas, making it imperative for adults to act on their behalf.
In practice
In a speech advocating for gun reform, this quote can illustrate the need for policies that prioritize childrenβs safety.
The great battleground for the defense and expansion of freedom today is the whole southern half of the globe... the lands of the rising peoples. Their revolution is the greatest in human history. They seek an end to injustice, tyranny and exploitation. More than an end, they seek a beginning.
I had always enjoyed the title of Commander-in-Chief until I was informed ... that the only forces that cannot be transferred from Washington without my express permission are the members of the Marine Corps Band. Those are the only forces I have. I want it announced that we propose to hold the White House against all odds at least for some time to come.
I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children - not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women - not merely peace in our time but peace for all time.
I just received the following wire from my generous Daddy; Dear Jack, Don't buy a single vote more than is necessary. I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for a landslide.
Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.
Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.
We have the ability to achieve, if we master the necessary goodwill, a common global society blessed with a shared culture of peace that is nourished by the ethnic, national and local diversities that enrich our lives.
Peace with the Palestinians will open ports of peace all around the Mediterranean. The duty of leaders is to pursue freedom ceaselessly, even in the face of hostility, in the face of doubt and disappointment. Just imagine what could be.
The powerful have invoked God at their side in this war, so that we will accept their power and our weakness as something that has been established by divine plan. But there is no god behind this war other than the god of money, nor any right other than the desire for death and destruction... Today there is a βNOβ which shall weaken the powerful and strengthen the weak: the βNOβ to war.
I truly believe there is a field of peace within and that it can be enlivened and brought to the surface to be enjoyed by all.
Perhaps if all the peoples of the world understand what war really means, we would eliminate it.
The challenge of preventing any further proliferation of nuclear weapons is just such a trial in the quest for world peace, one that cannot be achieved if we are defeated by a sense of helplessness. The crucial element is to ensure that any struggle against evil is rooted firmly in a consciousness of the unity of the human family, something only gained through the mastery of our own inner contradictions.
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