Quotes By John F. Kennedy

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.

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.

The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.

I hope that no American will waste his franchise and throw away his vote by voting either for me or against me solely on account of my religious affiliation. It is not relevant.

The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.

I am the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris, and I have enjoyed it.

No one has been barred on account of his race from fighting or dying for America, there are no white or colored signs on the foxholes or graveyards of battle.

If anyone is crazy enough to want to kill a president of the United States, he can do it. All he must be prepared to do is give his life for the president's.

The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.

In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

We have the power to make this the best generation of mankind in the history of the world or to make it the last.

The pay is good and I can walk to work.

The tax on capital gains directly affects investment decisions, the mobility and flow of risk capital... the ease or difficulty experienced by new ventures in obtaining capital, and thereby the strength and potential for growth in the economy.

Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.

I think 'Hail to the Chief' has a nice ring to it.

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.

Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don't want them to become politicians in the process.

Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.

Unconditional war can no longer lead to unconditional victory. It can no longer serve to settle disputes... can no longer be of concern to great powers alone.

Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.

History is a relentless master. It has no present, only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside.

Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm.

Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.

The very word 'secrecy' is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths, and to secret proceedings.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

My brother Bob doesn't want to be in government - he promised Dad he'd go straight.

When written in Chinese, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.

Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.