Because we all came from the sea

I first heard this recording of JFK talking about the sea and mankind’s relationship with the sea about 5 years ago on NPR. It has stuck with me since.

Kennedy made these remarks to the American and Australian yacht racing teams on the eve of the America’s Cup race. I think his remarks were off the cuff and rather casual. But as I think you will hear he begins a little slow and stammers a bit but when he starts to talk about man’s similarities to the sea water he hits his stride. He stops stuttering an just hits his point home.

“I really don’t know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it is because in addition to the fact that the sea changes and the light changes, and ships change, it is because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it we are going back from whence we came.”

President Kennedy, August, 1962

I think it is interesting to note Kennedy’s suggestion that we come from the sea. A suggestion that seems consistent with a belief in evolution, a somewhat controversial position for the second most powerful Catholic in the world.

If I had to put a sticker on the back of my car it would be a fish with legs.