FREE ESSAY ON SOCIAL ISSUES OF YESTERDAY AND TODAY

SOCIAL ISSUES OF YESTERDAY AND TODAY

Kevin Sellers
April 8, 1998
Social Issues of Yesterday and Today
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price,
bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend or oppose any foe to assure the
survival and the success of liberty, (John Fitzgerald Kennedy). The problems and social
issues of our nation years ago have become the problems of today. John Fitzgerald Kennedy
became the thirty-fifth president of the United States of America on January 20, 1961.
Over thirty-five years later, the problems addressed in his Inaugural Speech are still
important social issues of this age.
One of the most important social issues expressed in this speech was freedom; the freedom
of people from the oppression of Communism. John F. Kennedy made a promise to support any
friend or oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. He believed
that he had been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. But
he knew that he was just the starting point, and it would take many generations to undo
the oppression of Communism and the damage that it would cause globally. The predictions
that were made in his speech were true; he was the beginning of the ending, and it took
over thirty years of cold war to put an end to the greatest Communist nation in the
world: the USSR.
Although the surmise of the USSR has become history, communism is still alive and well
today. The Peoples Republic of China is probably the largest of the few communist nations
left in the world. Since the times of J.F.K. the United States has developed political
tactics to fight the spread of communism rather that the use of war, such as that of
Vietnam. The most common political tactics used are trade embargoes. A trade Embargo will
not allow a nation or country to sell or trade certain products, or place a high tax on
them so that the general consumer will not want to purchase that particular product.
Because of trade embargo's we are able to force other nations into submission without the
use of force (war).
John F. Kennedy also addressed the problem of poverty, not just with our nation, but as a
global problem. This issue has been addressed in the past it is being addressed now and,
it will be addressed in the future. The problem of poverty is a serious issue in our
present generation. Good jobs are hard to find, which means that most of the jobs
available are low paying, and that put a lot of people below the poverty line. Another
problem associated with poverty is that some people are just lazy. They don't want to
work, and why should they when the government will just pay their way? If a free society
cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich (JFK).
John Fitzgerald Kennedy indicated many social issues and problems, which needed to be
dealt with not only by the government, but by the people as well. He had a vision for
America and the world. John F. Kennedy knew that it would take a nation that was united
for the common cause of world well being, so he made this call to action. Ask not what
your county can do for you--ask what you can do for your country...Ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
Introduction Strategy: Use a quotation
Conclusion Strategy: Make a call to action, Close with a statement or quotation readers
will remember