Recommended Reading: Profiles in Courage

 

A Few Words on Courage

By a show of hands, how many of you have read Profiles in Courage by John Fitzgerald Kennedy? Don’t worry, I’ll wait…

For those who haven’t, give it a shot. I find this book especially relevant in today’s climate of social change as a reminder of what it takes to be courageous in the face of adversity, regardless of the issue at hand. Be it an issue of politics, morality, or inequality, this book serves as a go-to reference for those who have gone before and illustrates how a few men faced down adversity or come face to face with their own personal failings.

I do question why Kennedy didn’t highlight the courage of African-American senators, such as Hiram Rhodes Revels (1870 - 1871) and Blanche K. Bruce (1875 – 1881), both Republican senators from Mississippi during the Reconstruction era. This criticism is a fair point, however, the senator speaks of extraordinary courage on a broader scale of which we can all emulate.

Written in 1955, Senator Kennedy, at the time, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for this work. Although the prize given is surrounded by some controversy (see Wikipedia for more information), I obtained a copy of the fiftieth-anniversary (50^th) edition at a garage sale. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to sell it, but there it was begging, it seemed, to go home with me, and I obliged without regret. I find the writings in the “Preface” and the chapter “The Meaning of Courage,” to be particularly prescient for Senator Kennedy to espouse.

Many say that today’s Democratic Party is not the same as it was when Kennedy was President. While that might be true about the ‘party,’ our democratic process is what governs our republic, and it’s served us well for a time. To quote Winston Churchill, ‘Democracy is the worst form of government, except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.’ In other words, it’s the worst form of government, but the best we have so far.

In today’s climate of social unrest, we could use a shot-in-the-arm, so to speak, of what democracy means and what it means to courageously stand up for your beliefs, despite the cost of what might be lost in the end. The right to vote is the most important right we have, and not one to be taken lightly. Thoughtful consideration is paramount when we cast our ballots in the quest for the pursuit of happiness. As Senator Kennedy states it:

“For, in a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, “holds office”; every one of us is in a position of responsibility; and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities. We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.”

Heady words and I concur, but the idea of courage is not merely relegated to politics, this he says is simply one arena which imposes a special interest in courage. He goes on to state:

“To be courageous requires no exceptional qualifications, no magic formula or special combination of time, place and circumstance. It is an opportunity that sooner or later is presented to us all…In whatever arena of life one may meet the challenge of courage, whatever may be the sacrifices he faces if he follows his conscience-the loss of friends, his fortune, his contentment, even the esteem of his fellow men-each man must decide for himself the course he will follow…For this each man must look into his own soul.”

So, having said all that, I highly recommend reading this excellent and insightful book by a young senator who became our 35^th President. To remind us of who we are as a people and a nation. The world is watching.

For me, rereading it again has been so very inspiring. Enjoy!