"The political disposition of peoples should rest upon their own wishes, freely expressed in plebiscites or free elections. If there are legal problems, they can be solved by legal means. If there is a threat of force, it must be rejected. If there is desire for change, it must be a subject for negotiation, and if there is negotiation, it must be rooted in mutual respect and concern for the rights of others."
React to this quote
More by John F. Kennedy
See allResonant Thoughts
"The wide distribution of the Satem or Iranian group to the south and west of Asia shows that the Nordics in great numbers conquered the aboriginal inhabitants of these countries and imposed on them th…"
Explore Further
Related Quotes
"Dershowitz is not only a remarkable liar and slanderer, but also an extreme opponent of elementary civil ri…"
— Alan Dershowitz"I just like the idea of pills. I like to collect them but not actually take them. When I fell off my horse,…"
— Madonna (entertainer)"Get bigger! Don't just play to the people that get you. Play to the people that don't get you, and you'll g…"
— Jerry Seinfeld"But hereof be assured, that all is not lawful nor just that is statute by civil laws; neither yet is everyt…"
— John Knox"Many desire to kill me, and many wish to spend an hour chatting with me. The law protects me from the former."
— Karl Kraus"First Amendment freedoms are most in danger when the government seeks to control thought or to justify its …"
— Anthony Kennedy