Profiles In Courage, John F. Kennedy Summary The Pulitzer Prize-winning
account of men of principle, integrity and bravery in American politics was here
available in President John F. Kennedy’s Profiles In Courage. Eight men who
served the United States Government were selected by John F. Kennedy as models
of virtue and courage under pressure. These eight men persevered in their
pursuit of justice and the right path, in spite of the coercion and vilification
of the majority. These heroes include Mississippi's Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus
Lamar who stood up to unbounded calumny when he moved to reconcile Northern and
Southern differences during the years after the Civil War, and George Norris,
who, in 1910, crusaded against the strong and often dictatorial leadership of
his own party. Others profiled by Kennedy included John Quincy Adams, Daniel
Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, Sam Houston, Edmund G. Ross, and Robert A. Taft.
John Kennedy's spirited words and devotion to courage lived on in this novel. A
thoughtful and persuasive book about political integrity. (The New York Times)
Nominated for a Grammy Award in 1991, a recording of Profiles In Courage
featured John F. Kennedy, Jr., reading his father's portrait of courageous
Americans. John F. Kennedy inspired one generation, and now others, to believe
that politics can be a noble profession. For President Kennedy, history was not
a dull, dry subject, but came alive in the stories of people who risked their
careers to stand up for what was right for our country, even when it was not the
easy thing to do. This distinguished belief is played out in his novel in
several ways. For example, President John Quincy Adams faced political aversion
from his own Federalist Party which was turning to desert him. Also, Henry Clay
showed courage when he dragged himself into Senate meetings through excruciating
pain and anguish due to his failing health. John F. Kennedy stated, One man can
make a difference, and every man should try. (Preface p.10) Of course, this
applies to everyone, including women. Many people first learned how this was
true when the read this book. The leaders of the past, like Daniel Webster,
Henry Clay and Edmund G. Ross, set a shining example for Americans today to live
up to. Later, the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award was created by his
son, John F. Kennedy Jr.. to be awarded to elected officials who exemplified the
kind of courage he wrote about. Interestingly, many of the stories in this book
told of courage in standing up against slavery around the time of the Civil War.
More than one hundred years later, the struggle for civil rights goes on. The
first two Profiles in Courage Award winners, and many other courageous
Americans, prove that people must never stop fighting for what they believe is
right. The first recipient, Alabama Congressman Carl Elliott, fought for equal
opportunity in education and was redistricted of his congressional seat in
retaliation for his courageous and principled stand. The second winner, Georgia
Democratic Congressman Charles Weltner, took an oath to support his party's
ticket in the upcoming fall election. When segregationist Lester Maddox won the
preliminary and became the Democratic nominee for Governor of Georgia, Weltner
followed his conscious and resigned from politics, rather than violate his oath,
or belief that segregation was wrong. Each of these men mentioned in Profiles In
Courage risked their careers to do what they believed was right, and often they
risked their lives. John F. Kennedy hoped that each person who read this book
and learned about courageous people in public life would realize that when a
person faces a difficult decision which is bound to be unpopular, they are not
alone.
