Kennedy’s inaugural address – 50 years ago today

I am blogging this to amplify on what may strike readers, lacking context, as an odd comment to a Globe and Mail reporter.  In today’s Globe there is a feature on the impact of JFK’s inaugural speech and his words: “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”  I am quoted saying “There’s no parallel in Canada, and I think that’s a good thing.” 

My conversation with the Globe covered many aspects of his speech:  the inspirational outreach, the call to service, the globally inclusive tone, lack of rancour. These were all things I said I wished we could see in politics today. I also, when asked why there were no such great speeches in our history, suggested that speeches of Lester Pearson and Louis  St. Laurent contained many inspirational passages in calling us to work in the effort to serve the common good.

I went on to say that there would be no exact parallel moment for Canadians.  We do not elect Presidents.  We don’t even elect Prime Ministers. We elect 308 Members of Parliament of whom one will be Prime Minister. We are trending toward the sort of “super-leader” model.  We are putting too much influence on party leaders and not enough on the House of Commons as a whole.  So my comment “there’s no parallel in Canada, and I think that’s a good thing,” was related to the fact that we do not have any event similar to the Inaugural Address itself.

No doubt the way I was quoted was some accident of editing, but it would make no sense to me, and I doubt it will be understandable to others.