It was around 1 AM on January 21,1961, Korea. Dark winter night, bitter cold.
I was listening to the AFKN broadcast of John F. Kennedy’s inauguration
through my tiny "Sanyo" transistor radio. That night, I was one of those who were
huddled around radios in the forgotten corner of the world(per Obama),
listening to the American stories of the young ,new leadership.
I had read the translated version of ”Profiles in Courage" by JFK
and was waiting for the inauguration. I promised to listen to the broadcast
for one of my high school classmates, a close friend and competetitor.
We were in the middle of the long winter break after finishing our freshman
year of high school at the lovely age of 16.
We were very close buddies, spending many after-school hours together,
but in unspoken competition, seeing who could memorize more lines from
Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, or the romantic poems of William Butler
Yeats or John Keats. Maybe, it was more to impress girls(?).
In spite of the static noise, like lapping sounds of the Pacific waves
through the radio, I was able to listen to Marian Anderson's “Star
Spangled Banner”, followed by Robert Frost reading "The Gift Outright"
and the memorable JFK address, coproduced by him and Ted Sorensen.
To be honest, some parts I could not understand, especially the poetry of
Robert Frost (I was not quite familiar with until Professor Pi Chun Deuk
introduced me to the poetry works of Frost later, who was a close
personal friend of him), but I managed to obtain the manuscript of the JFK
speech from USIS couple of weeks later.
For Korean youngsters, getting out of the shock of the 4-19 revolution,
the election of young JFK as the president of the United States, then full of
optimism, freedom, and prosperity was an event good enough for most of us,
hungry for democracy, to fall in love, "Americophilia”, if I may call it.
I still remember my grandfather, a Confucian scholar, mentioning
"That is democracy !" after seeing the newspaper photograph of
Eisenhower shaking hands with JFK, all in smiles with his top hat.
For the following several weeks, I practiced the JFK speech, just for the fun
and reliving the beauty of the words, starting with "We observe today
not a victory of a party but a celebration of freedom,
symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning."
1963 was a memorable year for me.
After the grueling and anxiety-filled senior year of College Preparation, I
learned that I had passed the entrance examination to the Premed,
and I was able to enjoy the long vacation before the start of College.
Sometime during the winter, I learned of the passing of Robert Frost, and
of course later that year the tragic death of JFK that followed.
In spite of the sadness of the two losses, I came to learn two of the
best American Speeches that were made that year. One was made by JFK
at Amherst College (recently reminisced by Prof.Min Gong-gi 민공기) as
the eulogy at the dedication of the Robert Frost Library, in which JFK
defined the spirit of that civilized country, the culture,art, and the truth
one should strive for. I personally think this was a better speech than
his famous inauguration speech.
JFK said at the dedication of the Robert Frost Library,
"A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces
but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers”, and the
eulogy contained many memorable lines such as "Art is not a form of
propaganda: it is form of truth."
A couple of days after the Kennedy assassination in November that year,
the new president Lyndon B. Johnson delivered the famous speech "Let us
Continue" at the joint session of the US Congress and Senate. For those of us
who remembered that the original Kennedy inauguration speech contained
little repetition of “let us begin", "Let us begin anew," that was a fantastic
oration, eliminating the anxiety of the worried Americans at that moment in history,
confirming the legitimacy of Johnson presidency.
In recent years, it appears the tradition of American political rhetoric was
further upgraded by President Obama's series of excellent speeches.
"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place
where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our
founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our
democracy, tonight is your answer.(in 2008, Grant Park, Chicago)
Fifty some years later,as I watch the Korean politics and TV debates
recently for the selection process of both the "새누리당" and "더민주당"
chairmen of the two parties, I must confess " Baby! It's a long way to go."
Wait a minute! There is Donald T. in USA....ㅎㅎㅎ
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Doc, I agree with you.
JFK would never have expected the likes of Donald Trump would be the presidential candidate
of the Republican party in the 21st century.
I think it may mean the gradual and eventual demise of the GOP. They are crumbling.
Their goal of "Rich for rich" is grossly flawed and can not be sustained in this new world.
America is a nation of immigrants just like it's root started as the same.
Any red necks who denies such historical background will perish.