It’s Jan. 5, 1960. Well-known journalist James Cannon and his friend Ben Bradlee are at the home of a man about to take the nation by storm. John F. Kennedy had announced his intention to serve as the next president three days earlier. Cannon took the opportunity to record the conversation they had that night. That talk between friends shines great insight into the decision about running for elected office – a decision that seems to be on few young people’s minds these days. And with the 50th anniversary of the death of JFK coming on Nov. 22, it is important to take the time to remember the man for his ideas and not just his death.
Cannon: “If you were talking to a college student, why would you tell him that he ought to go into politics?”
Kennedy: “Because I think that this opportunity to participate in the solution of the problems which interest him, I would assume he’s interested, I would say the place he could affect some results would be in politics. The second, that your personal sources of satisfactions which come from doing this work is far greater in politics than it will ever be in business. And your financial reward will not be as great, and your insecurity will probably be greater in politics, because you may get defeated in the next election. Those are the disadvantages.”
Obviously Kennedy had some built-in advantages that made his path to political life easier than most. His family’s personal wealth and prestige basically bought him a seat in the House of Representatives – for a district that he had almost no connection to before running. But his message is still a good one to remember and learn from.
Things are not going well in Washington and Montgomery. Our two parties refuse to talk to each other in any meaningful way. The rigid ideologues rule the Republican Party and the Democrats are unable to get out of their own way. The hope of 2008 seems long gone for many a liberal once energized by Barack Obama. And sane conservatives are realizing that the enticing glow of Tea Party dogma was nothing more than hot air.
Only 9 percent of Americans approve of Congress and the rest, by and large, ignore the buzzing sound of politics. But it doesn’t have to be this way. People can take back their government and make it work for something greater than the forces that restrain growth and progress. Government can be used as a power for good again. Our generation has a chance to break the gridlock. We can make the big difference. But in order to do this, we need people to step up and take big risks. We need bold thinkers and people who put their country first.
While running for elected office is not the only way to serve your country, it should not be looked down upon as a selfish endeavor. If you want to change the game, then you need to change the players. If JFK stood for anything, it was bold action in the face of tough odds. He believed in the promise of the future. It’s time we did the same.
Rich Robinson is a junior majoring in telecommunication and film. His column runs weekly on Tuesdays.
