Kennedy believed in religious liberty and the separation of church and state. He did not believe in the right of elected officials to impose their religious views on others. He was the first Catholic ever elected president, and he spent much of the 1960 campaign defending his religion and assuring voters he would not take orders from the Vatican.Collection: Religion
I love America for the freedom and equality it promises all of its citizens, the battles it has fought and won in defense of those values, and the peace and prosperity we enjoy.Collection: Equality
Obama set a record number of deportations of illegal immigrants in 2011, but that fact alone is misleading. Obama has spoken in favor of and has urged Congress to pass the DREAM Act, a bill that would allow young undocumented immigrants to stay in America, their home, and achieve citizenship by going to college or serving in the military.Collection: Alone
Throughout his presidency, my grandfather made it clear that he alone could fix nothing; that he alone had no answers. He had the courage to plainly admit America's shortcomings, to then lay out bold plans to address those problems and to ask his fellow Americans for help in solving them.
Our democracy works because the parties air and debate their differences in public.
The Confederacy was formed for the purpose of seceding from the Union because those states could not part with their rights to own slaves.
We must not become perpetually distracted from the great challenges facing our country and the world.
President Kennedy's life and death represent both what is possible in America, and all of the work left undone.
The more government transparency, the better.
Climate change threatens the future of life on this planet.
I love that America represents a beacon of hope and opportunity in a world of uncertainty.
I love protein powder.
I love making jokes on the Internet.
Voters in 1960 elected the first Catholic president. In 2012, I voted to reelect the first African American president. Each was a vote for a man of principle and character, for a man who had proved himself capable and courageous and who would lead our country with a combination of dignity, compassion and toughness along a path of progress.
It's true what they say: Nothing tastes quite like the East River.
Electing the first Catholic president, my grandfather, in 1960, did not mean that religious intolerance disappeared from our land.
Obama has acted aggressively on the issue most important to my generation: climate change.
Part of growing up is realizing the frustrating, heartbreaking truth that intense and sustained long-term effort is needed to effect change.
Electing the first African-American president was a tremendous accomplishment, but it hasn't erased racism.
Voting is great, but it's not an accomplishment. It's a responsibility.
On healthcare, climate change, nuclear disarmament, gun control and countless other issues, President Obama consistently made difficult choices and put the national interest over his own political interest to do what was right. All the while, he resisted the politics of cynicism in a system that too often encourages it.
Every year, at every level of government and in every corner of our nation, elected officials are confronted with difficult decisions. The right answers aren't always obvious, and the effects aren't always clear.
All too often our leaders shrink from their responsibilities and choose to do what is politically expedient.
Studying my grandfather's life and legacy has shown me what it takes to be a good public servant. Curiosity. Compassion for others. Humility. Determination to stand tall for your beliefs in the face of opposition. No one believed these things more than my grandfather.
The Profile in Courage Award recognizes elected officials who choose to do what is right, not what is easy, so that we might learn from their example. Each time we give the award, we bear witness to the past for the sake of the future.
The civil rights movement didn't end on August 6, 1965. It continued because the work of creating a truly equal country never ends.
Racism plagued America throughout the '60s, into the '70s, through the '80s; it continued in the '90s and in the first decade of the new millennium; and it persists today.
Politics definitely interests me.
I'm most interested in public service. I think that's something that I got from being part of my family, which is such an honor.
I'm inspired by my family's legacy of public service. It's something that I'm very proud of.
I am the Rock's greatest fan.
Harvard Law School is great. I'm lucky to be here. It's a really difficult, intense experience.
I do love a good salad, so Sweetgreen has been great. But my favorite Cambridge restaurant overall is Darwin's - that's the greatest restaurant of all time.
I'm not sure what I want to do - business, law, something else.
I don't know what I'm going to do with my law degree. Hopefully I'll get the law degree - that's the first step.
I always wanted a brother.
Democrats should never publicly criticize Obama.
In 2008, I was inspired by President Obama's vision for America and all the promises that he laid out for our country.
I will support my mother in anything she does, I love her so much.
Most of the Republican Party denies climate change and has fought all efforts to address it.
In 'Profiles in Courage,' my grandfather, John F. Kennedy, praised leadership that put country above party, elevated principles over petty politics and promoted progress before personal interests.
If the Kennedys had been barred from entering America after fleeing Ireland during the famine, my grandfather never would have been president.
Throughout history, groups of Americans have attacked immigrants who fled danger and destruction at home and arrived in America hoping for the opportunities those of us born here are lucky enough to enjoy.
At Yale, you can find someone passionate and enthusiastic and involved in just about any issue. For many of us, though, our school's prevailing progressive political atmosphere can make us complacent.
No matter what political cause compels us, we should always feel as though it's being threatened. We should use these causes, whatever they are, to bring people together and get each other excited about our role, so we feel like we can't stop and won't stop.
I've always been in an environment saturated with Democrats, and because we aren't constantly challenged, we feel little urgency, we struggle to be enthusiastic and we can get lazy.
We, as Yale students, pride ourselves on being bright, curious and engaged citizens. We are part of an institution that aims to educate its students to better the world. We tend to think that we do not fit the stereotype of ignorance and apathy that is all too often associated with America.
Joe Lieberman is my least favorite politician of all time, excluding President Franklin Pierce (he just annoys me - not sure why).
While Democrats may never adopt the policies of Ronald Reagan, they should follow his golden rule of politics closely. Reagan adamantly instructed his party members to never publicly criticize another Republican.
Democrats, more often than not, do not play the game of politics correctly.