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Eugene Carson Blake statement on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, November 23, 1963.
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- speakerThe assassination of President Kennedy. A stark tragedy. Those who
- speakerhave been making irresponsible attacks upon him and his policies are
- speakeras much responsible for his death as the one who pulled the trigger.
- speakerAlmost one hundred years ago. A president was killed. At an earlier crisis in the
- speakernation. Not unrelated to the crisis in race relations of.
- speakerNineteen sixty three. It is because the nation did not after the
- speakerCivil War follow the just and generous policies of Lincoln
- speakerthat our nation is still torn in sectional and racial strife.
- speakerI pray God that John Kennedy's death, tragic though it is,
- speakerwill be the turning point for which we have been working and praying
- speakerthat the American people in revulsion against all violence hate and
- speakerbitterness will move forward together into a new era.
- speakerAnd across a new frontier of freedom and justice for all
- speakerAmericans. Let each one of us now examine himself
- speakerand assess his share in the basic cause of the violence that
- speakerseethes under the placid surface of our common life.
- speakerJohn Kennedy will not have died in vain. If his death is the occasion of
- speakera new birth of freedom. And the beginning of a renewed
- speakerloyalty of all our people to the highest traditions of the
- speakerrepublic. There will be a pious bipartisan
- speakermourning. May there be equally pious, bipartisan action.
- speakerTo set the nation forward to justice equality and
- speakerfreedom now.
