Comments on: Tributes to Jack Kemp: “A Man Above Men” http://blog.heritage.org/2009/05/08/tributes-to-jack-kemp-a-man-above-men/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:29:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Steve Barnhoorn, Hon http://blog.heritage.org/2009/05/08/tributes-to-jack-kemp-a-man-above-men/#comment-31644 Steve Barnhoorn, Hon Fri, 08 May 2009 16:20:34 +0000 http://www.foundry.org/?p=6461#comment-31644 Former New York congressman and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp's passing brought back a flood of memories. During my freshman year at Honeoye Central School, I wrote then-Congressman Kemp a letter expressing support for the work he was trying to do in lowering income taxes and revitalizing the U.S. economy. He responded to my letter, dated June 14, 1978, with these words of encouragement to this serious student of political science: “The best advice I can give an aspiring young man looking to become the leader of our great United States is to get into the arena and with enthusiasm and devotion, spend yourself for those causes in which you believe.” Those words still inspire me today. I admired and supported his outreach to minorities and blue-collar workers who traditionally did not support the GOP. I first met Congressman Kemp in July 1982 in Phelps, New York. It was heady stuff for a then-20-year-old to meet a potential future president. The last time I saw Jack Kemp was in August 1996 when he came to Buffalo with Bob Dole during the 1996 presidential campaign. Kemp's speech that day was one of relentless optimism and inclusion. I now find it difficult to imagine any political discussion without Jack Kemp in the picture. Former New York congressman and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp's passing brought back a flood of memories.

During my freshman year at Honeoye Central School, I wrote then-Congressman Kemp a letter expressing support for the work he was trying to do in lowering income taxes and revitalizing the U.S. economy. He responded to my letter, dated June 14, 1978, with these words of encouragement to this serious student of political science: “The best advice I can give an aspiring young man looking to become the leader of our great United States is to get into the arena and with enthusiasm and devotion, spend yourself for those causes in which you believe.” Those words still inspire me today.

I admired and supported his outreach to minorities and blue-collar workers who traditionally did not support the GOP.

I first met Congressman Kemp in July 1982 in Phelps, New York. It was heady stuff for a then-20-year-old to meet a potential future president. The last time I saw Jack Kemp was in August 1996 when he came to Buffalo with Bob Dole during the 1996 presidential campaign. Kemp's speech that day was one of relentless optimism and inclusion. I now find it difficult to imagine any political discussion without Jack Kemp in the picture.

]]> By: Frank Florida http://blog.heritage.org/2009/05/08/tributes-to-jack-kemp-a-man-above-men/#comment-31601 Frank Florida Fri, 08 May 2009 13:24:04 +0000 http://www.foundry.org/?p=6461#comment-31601 As a very low level big C Conservative Party of New York volunteer, I had the privledge to meet mr kemp when he was running for high office. The man was a gentleman in every noble sense of the word. As a very low level big C Conservative Party of New York volunteer, I had the privledge to meet mr kemp when he was running for high office. The man was a gentleman in every noble sense of the word.

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