What's the use of being Irish if the world doesn't break your heart?

The function and responsibility of the President is to set before the American people the unfinished business, the things we must do if we are going to succeed as a nation.

We don't want to be like the leader in the French Revolution who said There go my people, I must find out where they are going so I can lead them.

Events of October 1962 indicated, as they had all through history, that control of the sea means security. Control of the seas can mean peace. Control of the seas can mean victory. The United States must control the seas if it is to protect your security.

Nearly forty years ago, a distinguished Prime Minister of this country ... said, 'They may not be angels but they are at least our friends.'* I must say that I do not think that we probably demonstrated in that forty years that we are angels yet, but I hope we have demonstrated that we are at least friends.

I do not belive that Washington should do for the people wha they can do for themselves through local and private effort.

I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end... where every man has the same right to attend or not attend the church of his choice.