--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are confronted primarily with a moral…" description: "\"We are confronted primarily with a moral issuewhether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities, whether we are going to tr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a6/john-fitzgerald-kennedy-19684_character_we-are-confronted-primarily-with-a-moral_1739847.jpg" --- # We are confronted primarily with a moral issuewhether all… ![“We are confronted primarily with a moral issuewhether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities, whether we are going to treat our fellow Americans as we want to be treated.” quote by John Fitzgerald Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a6/john-fitzgerald-kennedy-19684_character_we-are-confronted-primarily-with-a-moral_1739847.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a6/john-fitzgerald-kennedy-19684_character_we-are-confronted-primarily-with-a-moral_1739847.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a6/john-fitzgerald-kennedy-19684_character_we-are-confronted-primarily-with-a-moral_1739847.jpg) > “We are confronted primarily with a moral issuewhether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities, whether we are going to treat our fellow Americans as we want to be treated.” [John Fitzgerald Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/) This quote is also attributed to [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) in other sources. Attributions for famous quotes are often disputed. ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He frames equal rights and opportunities as a moral imperative for all Americans. **In simple terms:** Equality is a moral issue for the nation. Key Takeaway Champion fairness for all citizens. Themes politics ethics civil rights Mood hopeful determined Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy making - public discourse - education reform Key Concepts justice equal opportunity social contract Questions to Reflect On - What does equal opportunity truly require? - How can moral arguments drive policy? A Different Perspective Moral framing may overlook practical implementation challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Equal rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equal-rights/) ## Related quotes > [We are confronted primarily with a moral issue... whether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities, whether we are going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-are-confronted-primarily-with-a-moral-issue-whether-all-americans/) [John F. 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In fact, I will be right there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-chaffetz/my-fellow-americans-it-has-been-the-honor-of-my-life-to-serve-you-i/) [Jason Chaffetz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-chaffetz/) > [My fellow Americans: Last night when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that the troops of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/my-fellow-americans-last-night-when-i-spoke-with-you-about-the-fall/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [I believe that this Republic will endure for many centuries. If so there will doubtless be among its Presidents Protestants and Catholics, and very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/i-believe-that-this-republic-will-endure-for-many-centuries-if-so/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [I hope America does not accept the kind of language that Donald Trump is using to describe our fellow Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-hope-america-does-not-accept-the-kind-of-language-that-donald-trump/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Tonight - to you, the great silent majority of my fellow Americans - I ask for your support.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/tonight-to-you-the-great-silent-majority-of-my-fellow-americans-i-ask/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [“No matter their age or station in life, Billy can't help but regard his fellow Americans as children. 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You're really concerned and you've thought a lot about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-carlson/i-m-not-trying-to-be-mean-you-nicholas-kristof-have-written-about/) [Tucker Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-carlson/) > [“hello my fellow americans”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bush/hello-my-fellow-americans/) Bush > [“Too many saw the world in zero-sum terms, believing that gains made by fellow Americans they viewed as “other”—people of color, immigrants, women, LGBT…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/too-many-saw-the-world-in-zero-sum-terms-believing-that-gains-made-by/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-r-ford/my-fellow-americans-our-long-national-nightmare-is-over-our/) [Gerald R. Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-r-ford/) > [“Using a wide variety of media, we could demonstrate for our fellow Americans their anxieties, desires, insufficiencies, and frustrations--and how to assuage them all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-ferris/using-a-wide-variety-of-media-we-could-demonstrate-for-our-fellow/) [Joshua Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-ferris/) ## More by John Fitzgerald Kennedy > [The basis of effective government if public confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/the-basis-of-effective-government-if-public-confidence/) [John Fitzgerald Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/) > [An economy hampered by restrictive tax rates will never produce enough revenue to balance our budget, just as it will never produce enough jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/an-economy-hampered-by-restrictive-tax-rates-will-never-produce/) [John Fitzgerald Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/) > [“So much depends on my actions, so I am seeing fewer people, simplifying my life, organizing it so that I am not always on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/so-much-depends-on-my-actions-so-i-am-seeing-fewer-people-simplifying/) [John Fitzgerald Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/) > [A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/a-young-man-who-does-not-have-what-it-takes-to-perform-military/) [John Fitzgerald Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/) > [“Jangan tanyakan apa yang negara ini berikan kepadamu tapi tanyakan apa yang telah kamu berikan kepada negaramu.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/jangan-tanyakan-apa-yang-negara-ini-berikan-kepadamu-tapi-tanyakan/) [John Fitzgerald Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/) > [In the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding on the back of the tiger ended up inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/in-the-past-those-who-foolishly-sought-power-by-riding-on-the-back-of/) [John Fitzgerald Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/) > [“Only three things are real: God, human folly, and laughter. 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But let us never fear to negotiate. \[Inaugural Address, January 20 1961\] ” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/let-us-never-negotiate-out-of-fear-but-let-us-never-fear-to-negotiate-2/) [John Fitzgerald Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/) > [All of us do not have equal talents, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/all-of-us-do-not-have-equal-talents-but-all-of-us-should-have-an/) [John Fitzgerald Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/) > [ We choose to go...not because \[it is\] easy, but because \[it is\] hard, because that goal will serve to measure and organize the best… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/we-choose-to-go-not-because-it-is-easy-but-because-it-is-hard-because/) [John Fitzgerald Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/) [Explore all 31 John Fitzgerald Kennedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fitzgerald-kennedy/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. 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