"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you

[ecdab]

- ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

JFK, January 20th, 1961

As I surf through DU reading comment after comment posted by people looking for Obama to give them something, do something for them, make some gesture to them, etc. in order to get them out to help insure that this nation doesn't suffer through at least four more years of GOP policy coming from the white house the words of JFK during his Inaugural Address came to mind.

We are at our best when we are struggling for the greater good, not when we are focusing on ourselves.

[shraby]

1. His work with the poorest in Chicago

tells me a lot about him and what he stands for.

[ecdab]

2. And remember - he choose to do that as opposed to cashing in on

his Harvard law degree that he was up until recently still paying student loans for receiving. Not many would put a greater value on helping the poor than helping themselves. Obama took a noble path.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. Ask not what your country can do for you, rather ask what you can

do for Bechtel, Halliburton, KBR, Brown and Root and perhaps a tad for Blackwater.

[Terri S]

4. What makes my heart proud

is not hearing the applause Obama gets saying he will give $4000 to college students for their education, but the overpowering cheers he gets when he says they'll have to give back, by doing community service, or joining the peace corps, etc. I hear applause when he talks about better schools and better pay for teachers, but the loudest applause comes when he says parents need to do their part by turning off the tv and reading with their kids.

It's one of the things I found most Kennedy-esque about Obama. It was not what I can do for you, but what we can do together.

[ecdab]

5. Exactly - this needs to be about WE not ME.

The door is open for that to happen once again - we only need to wish to go in.