What Can the Government Do for You?

Some might call me "old school." Some might just call me old! The fact is I remember where I was when I heard the news that President John Kennedy was assassinated. Granted, I was a young boy, but, nonetheless, I remember that moment as if it were frozen in time.

I also remember when and where I was when I heard that Ronald Reagan had been shot. And, finally, I remember when and where I was when John Lennon was shot down.

So, those events serve as types of markers in the pathway of life. That is not to say that I don’t have significantly vivid memories of other events in my life, but now is really not the time for such. I actually want to concentrate for a moment on John F. Kennedy.

My understanding, and only because I’ve read it and been told that it is so, is that John F. Kennedy was a different type of Democrat from the typical Democrat of today. The same has been said of Scoop Jackson. So, just as you might have heard that the Republican Party of today is not the Republican Party of your grandfather’s day, so it is just as true, if not more so, that the Democratic Party of today is not the Democratic Party of John Kennedy or Scoop Jackson.

What happened?

Admittedly, as of today, I am no fan of John Kennedy’s, but as a young boy whose knowledge and understanding of life came mainly from those who were put in the place of authority to guide me and were the source of the way I saw life and the world we inhabit, my admiration of the president came mostly from the fact that he was president and nothing else. Today I know much better.

That being said, and regardless of the loss of my infatuation over him, there yet are things to admire about President Kennedy. One of the more memorable things that come to mind about President Kennedy is one of his most famous quotes from his inaugural address; “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” Now there was an unashamed red, white and blue display of patriotism for all to see. Does that jive with what you see in America today?

I can’t help thinking of Don McLean’s ode, “American Pie,” about the untimely deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and “The Big Bopper.” McLean told a musical story about the day that came to be known as "the day the music died." Why does that come to mind? Because just as Mr. McLean saw that tragic accident as some kind of marker in the world of music, so I, too, can remember the day I realized JFK’s vision had died.

It was Oct. 15, 1992, and the event was the second presidential debate in Virginia at the University of Richmond between President George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Ross Perot. This debate was actually in a town meeting format and participants from the audience, obviously vetted beforehand, were chosen to ask the candidates questions of their own. As I watched, a young man with a ponytail was called upon to ask his question. He did not ask what he, himself, could do to make America better, as suggested by John F. Kennedy. No, he asked of all three candidates present that if they were elected what would they do for him. Allow me to say that although those were not his actual words, that was the gist I took away of what he asked. Here are his words from the actual transcript…

AUDIENCE QUESTION: And forgive the notes here but I'm shy on camera.

The focus of my work as a domestic mediator is meeting the needs of the children that I work with, by way of their parents, and not the wants of their parents. And I ask the three of you, how can we, as symbolically the children of the future president, expect the two of you, the three of you to meet our needs, the needs in housing and in crime and you name it, as opposed to the wants of your political spin doctors and your political parties?

Some chatter occurred here and the questioner appeared to ask his question again with a few minor changes in wording.

AUDIENCE QUESTION: Could we cross our hearts? It sounds silly here but could we make a commitment? You know, we're not under oath at this point but could you make a commitment to the citizens of the U.S. to meet our needs, and we have many, and not yours again? I repeat that. It's a real need, I think, that we all have.

Why did I think I heard what I related above? Probably because of the double emphasis on “our needs” as expressed in “how can we…expect…you to meet our needs…” and “…could you make a commitment…to meet our needs…”

The transcript of that event can be seen here.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but, as I recalled that question later, in fact, as I mulled it over in my mind numerous times, I realized that something significant had happened. The vision of an America that was a founded on a hope of greatness, a vision of an America that John Kennedy saw as a beacon for the entire world, had died. For me, JFK’s vision was buried that night in that debate hall in Richmond, VA.

In addition, the Democratic Party of John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Scoop Jackson was no more.

So, what is the Democratic Party of today? The Democratic Party of today is the party that thinks a man who borrowed money from a loan shark to build his business did not do that. It’s the party that thinks those who sacrificed by working long hours to succeed and provided employment for others are not paying their fair share while others pay nothing at all. It’s the party that thinks the only thing that Americans have in common is government; bigger and bigger government. It’s the party that forgot that most Americans trust in God and that Israel is our only reliable ally in the Middle East. It’s the party that fights for unfettered access to abortion including what is abhorrent to most Americans, late-term abortion. It’s the party that thinks that four Americans murdered in a pre-planned terrorist attack on our embassy in Libya is a bump in the road. The Democratic Party of today is represented by the likes of Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Sandra Fluke, Barney Frank, Elizabeth Warren and Jennifer Granholm…it’s all of these, radicals one and all, but it’s no longer the party of John F. Kennedy or Scoop Jackson. Is it still your party?

To the Democratic Party of yesteryear…RIP.