JOHN F. KENNEDY PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Columbia Point, Boston, MA 02125 - (617) 514-1600
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=c880b7ed-d01f-40f4-a403-e8e1ed2eb831&c=d96536e0-b55a-11e3-bfa0-d4ae52754db0&ch=da756e60-b55a-11e3-bfd7-d4ae52754db0
Former U.S. Congressman Bob Inglis to Receive the 2015 JFK Profile in Courage Award
Bob Inglis to Receive the 2015 Profile in Courage Award
http://profileincourageaward.org/bob-inglis-receives-2015-profile-in-courage-award/
Bob Inglis is a visionary and courageous leader who believes, as President Kennedy once said, that ‘no problem of human destiny is beyond human beings…His evolution in thought, brave stand and continued dedication to tackling the single biggest environmental and humanitarian crisis of our time inspires us all. – Jack Schlossberg
Former U.S. Congressman Bob Inglis was named the 2015 recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award™ for the political courage he demonstrated when he reversed his previous position on climate change, knowing that by acknowledging the scientific reality of atmospheric warming and calling on the United States to meaningfully address the issue, he was jeopardizing his political career. In June 2010, Inglis lost his re-election due in part to this decision. The prestigious award for political courage will be presented by Jack Schlossberg, President Kennedy’s grandson, at a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on May 3, 2015.
Bob Inglis, a Republican, represented the 4th Congressional District of South Carolina from 1993-1998 and again from 2005-2010. A member of the House Science Committee who served as Ranking Member of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, Inglis initially opposed efforts to address climate change. But interactions with scientists in Antarctica, Australia and elsewhere, along with encouragement from his five children, changed his views on climate change, and he began advocating for a carbon tax to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. In Washington and South Carolina, Inglis’s acknowledgment of the scientific reality of climate change drew intense criticism from within the Republican Party, and in June 2010, he was defeated for re-election in the Republican primary. He went on to found and currently directs the Energy & Enterprise Initiative to encourage conservatives to accept the reality of climate change and to promote market-based innovations to address the challenges it poses.
“Bob Inglis is a visionary and courageous leader who believes, as President Kennedy once said, that ‘no problem of human destiny is beyond human beings,’” said Schlossberg. “In reversing his own position and breaking with his party to acknowledge the realities of a changing climate and its threat to human progress, he displayed the courage to keep an open mind and uphold his responsibilities as a leader and citizen at the expense of his own political career. His evolution in thought, brave stand and continued dedication to tackling the single biggest environmental and humanitarian crisis of our time inspires us all.”
Chairman, Profile in Courage Award Committee
Dear friend,
We are pleased to announce the 2015 recipient of the Profile in Courage Award: Bob Inglis.
In his twelve years as a Republican congressman from South Carolina, Bob was a strong conservative. His defining moment came when he defied party pressure to acknowledge that humans are contributing to climate change.
Though he was attacked by conservative commentators and interests, and threatened with a primary challenge, Bob did not back down. Acting on conviction, he introduced legislation proposing a revenue-neutral carbon tax and warning about the dangers of global warming.
He was challenged and defeated in a primary, a rarity in the House. But he has continued to be an outspoken voice on climate. Bob went on to launch the Energy and Enterprise Initiative, a nationwide campaign to build a conservative consensus around the reality of climate change and promote free-market solutions to the problem.
Please join me in congratulating Bob on receiving the 2015 Profile in Courage award, which honors men and women in public service who risk their careers by embracing unpopular positions for the greater good. Add your name here:
When the Profile in Courage Award committee met last month to review the nominations, Bob immediately stood out. It's no exaggeration to say that Bob is on the front lines of one of the great challenges of our time.
As President John F. Kennedy once said: "In the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future." America is better off for elected officials, like Bob, who are willing to stand up for that future.
We're so glad to name Bob Inglis as this year's Profile in Courage Award recipient. Add your name to his card and we'll send along your congratulations: www.profileincourageaward.org
Thank you, Albert R. Hunt
Chairman, Profile in Courage Award Committee
http://profileincourageaward.org
The importance of courage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj1aha7X_Bs
Caroline Kennedy, Senator Ted Kennedy, and John F. Kennedy, Jr. discuss President Kennedy's legacy and the importance of courage.