January 18, 2005: Ask Not

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Special Reports: January 18, 2005: Ask Not
Ask Not Date: January 18 2005 No: 388 Ask Not
As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."


By Anonymous (cpe-75-85-30-223.socal.res.rr.com - 75.85.30.223) on Thursday, January 18, 2007 - 6:53 pm: Edit Post

Ever notice how Kennedy lifted this quotation from President Harding?
"Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."
Kennedy, Inauguration 1961
"In the great fulfillment we must have a citizenship less concerned about what the government can do for it and more anxious about what it can do for the nation"
--Warren G. Harding
Address at the Republican Convention, June 7, 1916 Chicago

By Daniel (34.gardena-05rh15-16rt.ca.dial-access.att.net - 12.72.74.34) on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - 2:04 pm: Edit Post

Well, do note that there is a different idea here:

Harding said that people should want the government to work for the good of the nation as a whole, rather than that it should focus on their interests. Kennedy said that individuals should work for the collective good, rather than wanting the collective to work for them.

But, yes, Kennedy does see to have adapted Harding without giving credit and without reasonable expectation that the audience would recognize the words as allusion.


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