Greetings loyal readers of AMOO.
I'm the blogmeister this week and will begin the loose threads with quotes taken from times of crises past in the United States.

Let us begin then with John F. Kennedy's quote during the Cuban Missile Crisis. According to the History Place: Great Speeches Collection: "At 7 p.m. on Monday, October 22, 1962, President Kennedy appeared on television to inform Americans of the recently discovered Soviet military buildup in Cuba including the ongoing installation of offensive nuclear missiles."

Read the entire speech. Or just enjoy the quote. And be sure to tell us where you were during the crises. (I was in second grade and confused where I was supposed to go during our mock war drill. We were all supposed to see if we could run home within 15 minutes. I ran to the home of a friend of my mom's near St. Charles School, crying in fear.)

The path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards, as all paths are--but it is the one most consistent with our character and courage as a nation and our commitments around the world. The cost of freedom is always high--and Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender or submission.

(AP file photo)

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