We Choose to Go to The Moon, The President Kennedy Speech. Watch it.

With the final Shuttle launch today, I believe that Americans have lost their role as leaders and ending the shuttle without a clear direction for our space program is an example. Watch the Kennedy speech and listen to our President, as he defines the leadership role of the United States. He could have been talking about health care, manufacturing, new technology or new, efficient energy programs. The core point of John Kennedy's speech was the United States should be the leader in all areas, and the challenge in his time was space exploration. We should continue an energetic space program, not because it is easy, but because it is hard. He challenged his generation to grab the mantle of leadership, and I challenge my generation and future generations to move us forward in the same manner. Today we shy away from the most daunting obstacles, because they are difficult. We use the excuse that there is not enough money. There is not enough time. We don't have the expertise to overcome the problems. We have an excuse for everything. The truth is we lack the drive and commitment to tackle these challenges head on. We lack the political leadership from both parties. We lack the corporate community backing the drive forward. Mr. Kennedy inspired people around this country and around the world with his words at Rice University. Today I want to use those words to inspire a new group of Americans to lead America forward. To move us to the next difficult task to solve. Not because it is easy, but because it is hard.