Assignment #12

"The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe—the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.

We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage—and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world." John F. Kennedy    JFK meant that the world has been come a very differnet place than what it once was. In nations hands they held the power of the atom. The atomic bomb which could wipe out all of humanity if not carefully handled.  He also states that Americans must never forget how far they have come. From being a small colony under rule by a tyrant to a super power with an army that helps other nations break free of the chains of tyranny. Since the inception of the United States it has been against tyranny and focused on the rights of all men. So he is using this as a way to say that the threat of communism must be met and stopped in order to preserve the rights not only for Americans but for all of mankind.