We stand today on the edge of a New Frontier

In John F. Kennedy’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in 1960 he said that it was “a time for change.” These words are just as true today as they were forty-eight years ago. Kennedy was well aware of the suffering across the nation: “The old people without medical care, the families without a decent home, the parents of children without a decent school.” And in our time, we are going through an economic crisis that is costing people their homes and their jobs. Meanwhile, exit polls showed that over seventy percent of voters fear a terrorist attack. Kennedy knew of the same threats in 1960 when he said “The world has been close to war before, but now man, who’s survived all previous threats to his existence, has taken into his mortal hands the power to exterminate his species seven times over.” We live in a state of fear and we face the threat of domestic hardships as well as attacks from abroad. That is why Kennedy’s words remain true, that “Today our concern must be with the future.” And that “it is time…for a new generation of leadership.” In the past we have been a nation split by our fears and our prejudices, by our beliefs and our greed. We still see much of that split, but it is waning. Almost half a century ago Kennedy understood that “A peaceful revolution for human rights, demanding an end to racial discrimination … strained at the leashes imposed by timid executive leadership.” But we just elected a man who would not have stood the slightest chance to become President in 1960. That shows hope for this country, but we still have a long way to go. On the same day that Barack Obama was elected President, there were also three states that banned same-sex marriages. We still have many problems facing our nation. Our prejudices may be waning, but they are not gone. And the threats and problems that we face will not go away if we do nothing. Those threats will grow if they are ignored. We cannot be lulled into a belief that there is nothing left to overcome. Kennedy said “the problems are not all solved and the battles are not all won; and we stand today on the edge of a New Frontier…the frontier of unknown opportunities and perils, the frontier of unfilled hopes and unfilled threats.” As January 20, 2009 draws closer, we too stand on the edge of a new frontier. But “the New Frontier…is not a set of promises. It is a set of challenges.” Because “The New Frontier is here whether we seek it or not.” We must stand up and accept these challenges. We can stand up against discrimination based on race, gender, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation. We can stand up against those who threaten our peace and the peace of a free world. We can stand up against those who are overcome with greed and threaten the foundations of our economy. “For courage, not complacency, is our need today; leadership, not salesmanship.” That is why we had the courage to elect a new leader that shows us that there is still hope in a weary nation. And even though it was an historic event because of the color of his skin, the importance of his being elected is beyond color. It is about opportunity; opportunity to move beyond the limitations of the past and look to the possibilities of the future. “That is the question of the New Frontier. That is the choice our nation must make…between national greatness and nation decline, between the fresh air of progress and the stale, dank atmosphere of ‘normalcy’, between dedication or mediocrity.” The fight for freedom is an ongoing battle that we cannot retreat from. And this election showed that even when we are scared and our backs are against the wall, we still believe that this is a battle worth fighting.