Response for H.W due 4/23

First examine our attitude towards peace itself. Too many of us think it is impossible. Too many think it is unreal. But that is a dangerous, defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is inevitable, that mankind is doomed, that we are gripped by forces we cannot control. We need not accept that view. Our problems are manmade; therefore, they can be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. Man's reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable, and we believe they can do it again. I am not referring to the absolute, infinite concept of universal peace and good will of which some fantasies and fanatics dream. I do not deny the value of hopes and dreams but we merely invite discouragement and incredulity by making that our only and immediate goal.

Let us focus instead on a more practical, more attainable peace, based not on a sudden revolution in human nature but on a gradual evolution in human institutions -- on a series of concrete actions and effective agreements which are in the interest of all concerned. There is no single, simple key to this peace; no grand or magic formula to be adopted by one or two powers. Genuine peace must be the product of many nations, the sum of many acts. It must be dynamic, not static, changing to meet the challenge of each new generation. For peace is a process -- a way of solving problems.

With such a peace, there will still be quarrels and conflicting interests, as there are within families and nations. World peace, like community peace, does not require that each man love his neighbor, it requires only that they live together in mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement. And history teaches us that enmities between nations, as between individuals, do not last forever. However fixed our likes and dislikes may seem, the tide of time and events will often bring surprising changes in the relations between nations and neighbors. So let us persevere. Peace need not be impracticable, and war need not be inevitable. By defining our goal more clearly, by making it seem more manageable and less remote, we can help all people to see it, to draw hope from it, and to move irresistibly towards it. 

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkamericanuniversityaddress.html 

This passage is from John F. Kennedy's speech at the American University in 1963. This passage is about Kennedy's beliefs and his urgency towards attaining peace. Kennedy expresses that he does not expect or ask for universal peace in which the world is completely at peace, but instead that people just live neutrally and in a harmonious way. He is telling us that there is no simple, sole solution for peace but if we all try, we can attain it. Kennedy states that "our problems are manmade, therefore they can be solved by man." He is trying to tell us that people cause and are the reasons for their own problems so we can solve these problems ourselves. Problems that arise are always our fault some way, some how so for that reason, we should be the pioneers for solving these problems. 

Peace is something that people have made it seem to be unattainable. The way that John F. Kennedy breaks down the key to universal peace makes perfect sense. Peace will not be attained if we do not work together to do so. There cannot be only 10% of the nation or the world who want to make a change while the other 90% do not care to make a difference. It is not something that can be done overnight and it's not going to be perfect. He believes nations can join together and work on creating peace but it is only going to be achieved if we all put in the effort.