Letters: JFK's words resonate in today's political climate

To the editor:

President John F. Kennedy’s last written words for a speech to be given at Austin, Texas in November 1963 are relevant in today’s political climate. Please read the following excerpt and remember the lies and the violent rhetoric that are a threat to our democracy today.

“Neither fanatics nor the faint-hearted are needed. And our duty as a Party is not to our Party alone, but to the Nation, and, indeed, to all mankind. Our duty is not merely the preservation of political power but the preservation of peace and freedom.

So let us not be petty when our cause is so great. Let us not quarrel amongst ourselves when our Nation’s future is at stake.

Let us stand together with renewed confidence in our cause-united in our heritage of the past and our hopes for the future and determined that this land we love shall lead all mankind into new frontiers of peace and abundance.”

Shirley Mori Sorenson,

West Des Moines