演讲.docx
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演讲.docx
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演讲
36.JohnF.Kennedy-CivilRightsAddress
Goodevening,myfellowcitizens:
Thisafternoon,followingaseriesofthreatsand
defiantstatements,thepresenceofAlabamaNationalGuardsmenwasrequiredontheUniversityofAlabama
tocarryoutthefinalandunequivocalorderoftheUnitedStatesDistrictCourtoftheNorthernDistrictofAlabama.
ThatordercalledfortheadmissionoftwoclearlyqualifiedyoungAlabamaresidentswhohappened
tohavebeenbornNegro.Thattheywereadmittedpeacefullyonthecampusisdueingoodmeasureto
theconductofthestudentsoftheUniversityofAlabama,whomettheirresponsibilitiesinaconstructiveway.
IhopethateveryAmerican,regardlessofwherehelives,willstopandexaminehis
conscienceaboutthisandotherrelatedincidents.ThisNationwasfoundedbymenofmany
nationsandbackgrounds.Itwasfoundedontheprinciplethatallmenarecreatedequal,and
thattherightsofeverymanarediminishedwhentherightsofonemanarethreatened.
Today,wearecommittedtoaworldwidestruggletopromoteandprotecttherightsofallwho
wishtobefree.AndwhenAmericansaresenttoVietnamorWestBerlin,wedo
notaskforwhitesonly.Itoughtabepossible,therefore,forAmericanstudentsofanycolortoattendany
publicinstitutiontheyselectwithouthavingtobebackedupbytroops.Itoughtatobe
possibleforAmericanconsumersofanycolortoreceiveequalserviceinplacesofpublic
accommodation,suchashotelsandrestaurantsandtheatersandretailstores,withoutbeing
forcedtoresorttodemonstrationsinthestreet,anditoughtabepossibleforAmerican
citizensofanycolortoregisterandtovoteinafreeelectionwithout
interferenceorfearofreprisal.Itoughtatobepossible,inshort,forevery
AmericantoenjoytheprivilegesofbeingAmericanwithoutregardtohisraceorhiscolor.
Inshort,everyAmericanoughttohavetherighttobetreatedashewouldwish
tobetreated,asonewouldwishhischildrentobetreated.Butthisisnotthecase.
TheNegrobabyborninAmericatoday,regardlessofthesectionoftheStateinwhich
heisborn,hasaboutonehalfasmuchchanceofcompletingahighschoolasawhitebabybornin
thesameplaceonthesameday,onethirdasmuchchanceofcompletingcollege,onethird
asmuchchanceofbecomingaprofessionalman,twiceasmuchchanceofbecoming
unemployed,aboutoneseventhasmuchchanceofearning$10,000ayear,alifeexpectancy
whichis7yearsshorter,andtheprospectsofearningonlyhalfasmuch.
Thisisnotasectionalissue.Difficultiesoversegregationanddiscriminationexist
ineverycity,ineveryStateoftheUnion,producinginmanycitiesarisingtideofdiscontentthatthreatens
thepublicsafety.Noristhisapartisanissue.
Inatimeofdomesticcrisismenofgoodwillandgenerosityshouldbeabletouniteregardlessof
partyorpolitics.Thisisnotevenalegalor
legislativeissuealone.Itisbettertosettlethesemattersinthecourtsthanonthestreets,
andnewlawsareneededateverylevel,butlawalonecannotmakemenseeright.Weare
confrontedprimarilywithamoralissue.ItisasoldastheScripturesandisasclearasthe
AmericanConstitution.
TheheartofthequestioniswhetherallAmericansaretobeaffordedequalrightsandequal
opportunities,whetherwearegoingtotreatourfellowAmericansaswewanttobetreated.
IfanAmerican,becausehisskinisdark,cannoteatlunchinarestaurantopento
thepublic,ifhecannotsendhischildrentothebestpublicschoolavailable,
ifhecannotvoteforthepublicofficialswhowillrepresenthim,if,inshort,hecannotenjoythefullandfreelifewhichallofuswant,thenwhoamonguswouldbecontenttohavethecolorofhisskinchangedand
standinhisplace?
Whoamonguswouldthenbecontentwiththecounselsofpatienceanddelay?
OnehundredyearsofdelayhavepassedsincePresidentLincolnfreedtheslaves,yettheir
heirs,theirgrandsons,arenotfullyfree.Theyarenotyetfreedfromthebondsofinjustice.
Theyarenotyetfreedfromsocialandeconomicoppression.AndthisNation,forallitshopes
andallitsboasts,willnotbefullyfreeuntilallitscitizensarefree.
Wepreachfreedomaroundtheworld,andwemeanit,andwecherishourfreedomhereat
home,butarewetosaytotheworld,andmuchmoreimportantly,toeachotherthat
thisisthelandofthefreeexceptfortheNegroes.thatwehavenosecondclasscitizensexcept
Negroes.thatwehavenoclassorcastesystem,noghettoes,nomasterraceexceptwith
respecttoNegroes?
NowthetimehascomeforthisNationtofulfillitspromise.TheeventsinBirminghamand
elsewherehavesoincreasedthecriesforequalitythatnocityorStateorlegislativebodycan
prudentlychooseto
ignorethem.Thefiresoffrustrationanddiscordareburningineverycity,
NorthandSouth,wherelegalremediesarenotathand.Redressissoughtinthestreets,in
demonstrations,parades,andprotestswhichcreatetensionsandthreatenviolenceand
threatenlives.
Weface,therefore,amoralcrisisasacountryandapeople.Itcannotbemetbyrepressive
policeaction.Itcannotbelefttoincreaseddemonstrationsinthestreets.Itcannotbequieted
bytokenmovesortalk.ItisatimetoactintheCongress,inyourStateandlocal
legislativebodyand,aboveall,inallofourdailylives.Itisnotenoughtopin
theblameonothers,tosaythisaproblemofonesectionofthecountryoranother,ordeplorethefactsthatweface.
Agreatchangeisathand,andourtask,ourobligation,istomakethatrevolution,that
change,peacefulandconstructiveforall.Thosewhodonothingareinvitingshame,aswellas
violence.Thosewhoactboldlyarerecognizingright,aswellasreality.
NextweekIshallasktheCongressoftheUnitedStatestoact,tomakeacommitmentithas
notfullymadeinthiscenturytothepropositionthatracehasnoplaceinAmerican
lifeorlaw.TheFederaljudiciaryhasupheldthatpropositioninaseriesofforthright
cases.TheExecutiveBranchhasadoptedthatpropositionin
theconductofitsaffairs,includingtheemploymentof
Federalpersonnel,theuseofFederalfacilities,andthesaleoffederallyfinancedhousing.
ButthereareothernecessarymeasureswhichonlytheCongresscanprovide,andtheymust
beprovidedatthissession.Theoldcodeofequitylawunderwhichwelivecommandsforevery
wrongaremedy,butintoomanycommunities,intoomanypartsofthecountry,wrongsare
inflictedonNegrocitizensandtherearenoremediesatlaw.UnlesstheCongressacts,their
onlyremedyisthestreet.
Iam,therefore,askingtheCongresstoenactlegislationgivingallAmericanstheright
tobeservedinfacilitieswhichareopentothepublichotels,
restaurants,theaters,retailstores,andsimilarestablishments.Thisseemsto
metobeanelementaryright.Itsdenialisanarbitraryindignitythat
noAmericanin1963shouldhavetoendure,butmanydo.
Ihaverecentlymetwithscoresofbusinessleadersurgingthemtotakevoluntaryaction
toendthisdiscrimination,andIhavebeenencouragedbytheirresponse,andinthelasttwo
weeksover75citieshaveseenprogressmadeindesegregatingthesekindsoffacilities.But
manyareunwillingtoactalone,andforthisreason,nationwidelegislation
isneededifwearetomovethisproblemfromthestreetstothecourts.
I'malsoaskingtheCongresstoauthorizetheFederalGovernmenttoparticipatemorefullyin
lawsuitsdesignedtoendsegregationinpubliceducation.Wehavesucceededinpersuading
manydistrictstodesegregatevoluntarily.DozenshaveadmittedNegroeswithoutviolence.
Today,aNegroisattendingaStatesupportedinstitutionineveryoneofour50States,but
thepaceisveryslow.
ToomanyNegrochildrenenteringsegregatedgradeschoolsatthetimeoftheSupreme
Court'sdecisionnineyearsagowillentersegregatedhighschoolsthisfall,havingsuffereda
losswhichcanneverberestored.ThelackofanadequateeducationdeniestheNegroa
chancetogetadecentjob.
TheorderlyimplementationoftheSupremeCourtdecision,therefore,cannotbeleftsolelyto
thosewhomaynothavetheeconomicresourcestocarrythelegalactionorwhomaybe
subjecttoharassment.
Otherfeatureswillbealsorequested,includinggreaterprotectionfortherighttovote.
Butlegislation,Irepeat,cannotsolvethisproblemalone.Itmustbesolvedinthehomesofevery
Americanineverycommunityacrossourcountry.InthisrespectIwannapaytributeto
thosecitizensNorthandSouthwho'vebeenworkingintheircommunitiestomakelifebetterforall.
Theyareactingnotoutofsenseoflegaldutybutoutofasenseofhumandecency.Likeour
soldiersandsailorsinallpartsoftheworldtheyaremeetingfreedom'schallengeon
thefiringline,andIsalutethemfortheirhonorandtheircourage.
MyfellowAmericans,thisisaproblemwhichfacesusallineverycityoftheNorthaswell
astheSouth.Today,thereareNegroesunemployed,twoorthreetimesasmanycomparedto
whites,inadequateeducation,movingintothelargecities,unabletofindwork,youngpeople
particularlyoutofworkwithouthope,deniedequalrights,deniedtheopportunitytoeatata
restaurantoralunchcounterorgotoamovietheater,deniedtheright
toadecenteducation,deniedalmosttodaytherighttoattendaStateuniversityeventhoughqualified.
Itseemstomethatthesearematterswhichconcernusall,notmerelyPresidentsorCongressmenor
Governors,buteverycitizenoftheUnitedStates.
Thisisonecount
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