We need another leader like John Kennedy. His greatest gift was his ability to inspire. He traveled the country with his message that Americans could do better and that great things were possible. He stated that obstacles were not blockades, but challenges to be overcome with hard work and sacrifice.

He would not recognize the America of today where the ruins of public life are not only uninspiring, but demeaning. Where the word is that we can not afford to rebuild our aging infrastructure or establish a first-class educational system for all children. We are told we can not build new forms of clean energy or put millions of jobless and underemployed to work.

Kennedy declared “we would go to the moon”. Today we have no such national aspirations. We have become accustom to aiming low and mediocrity has stepped in.

In his acceptance speech in Los Angles on July 15, 1960 he said “the old ways will not do.” He talked about slippage of our intellectual and moral strength. He went on to say, “The New Frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises; it is a set of challenges. It sums up not what I intend to offer the American people, but what I intend to ask of them. It appeals to their pride, not their pocketbook. It holds out the promise of more sacrifice instead of more security.”

His hope was that this would inspire a renewed sense of National purpose and shared values. This was the way, as he said, “to get this country moving again.” He was a leader that Americans could look to. He told us we could improve circumstance, right wrongs, and do good. Never before have we needed a leader that “will turn this country around.”

We have fallen into the trap of cynicism running wild; selfishness and greed have virtually replaced our values. The public is fearful and cowed. People unworthy of high office are arrogantly on the march.

We need leadership that will call for the best from each of us. We need to replace most of the leaders we have now. We can not blame them, we must blame ourselves for after all we elected them.

My Prayer is that God will raise up a leader to guide us back to our founding principles. As Kennedy said in his acceptance speech, “ we have a choice between national greatness and national decline.” Maybe we need to listen to a voice from half a century ago.