Kennedy and the Protestant ministers

After the Mitt Romney speech last night, C-SPAN showed the entire John F. Kennedy presentation to the Houston Protestant ministers in September 1960. Kennedy’s speech was very impressive; the extended question period even more so: the seriousness with which Kennedy and his questioners approached the issue, the way these dry, restrained Protestant ministers challenged Kennedy on the Catholic question strongly and persistently—they wanted answers and were not easily placated—yet respectfully and with dignity, Kennedy’s extraordinary poise and self-possession, the attention he showed each questioner, and his straightforward lucid replies. There was no “stroking,” no sentimentality, no emotional manipulation, no narcissism. It was all business, the business of free men discussing together something that really mattered. And, yes, the people in that room were all men. If you want a glimpse of what America once was, of what freedom really is,—restrained individualism within a shared social and moral order—see this program, which I’m sure will be made available in C-SPAN’s archives.

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Hannon writes:

Thanks for the tip on this speech. I would like to think that that kind of exemplary dignity and decorum, by all the participants, is only dormant today, awaiting civilizational prompts to return. But as there are so few signs I am not at all certain of this.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at December 07, 2007 08:45 PM | Send