The Mark Kennedy Frontiers of Freedom Lecture Series
"My generation's journey of carrying the torch is closer to its end than to its beginning. The day when we pass the torch to your generation is dawning. You will be called upon to confront challenges that are, at the same time, new and unique, but also rooted in the age old struggle between freedom and tyranny.
To meet these challenges you must understand them and the fundamental disagreements you will face. As you're well aware, there remain very different points of view about America's role in the world. Some question our values, some question the means we use to promote them, some question both.
In many ways, it's the basic disagreement between two Johnnies, Eugene McCarthy and Mark Kennedy. We are both perhaps best known for bold stands on foreign policy that, though absolutely the opposite of each other, represent sincerely held beliefs. McCarthy captured the imagination of the country by championing an anti-Viet Nam war message. For my strong advocacy of advancing Freedom's Frontier, Britt Hume from Fox News called me the most honest Republican in the 2006 election because I stood up for what I believed in even though it was politically unpopular and damaging electorally.
The goal for the Frontiers of Freedom lecture series is to add real intellectual diversity to the McCarthy Center, to ensure that you hear both sides, so you can critically evaluate the challenges we face. My earnest desire is that the McCarthy Center becomes known first and foremost for promoting standing for the courage of your convictions."
-Excerpt from Congressman Mark Kennedy's speech inaugurating the Mark Kennedy Frontiers of Freedom Lecture Series
