The very word 'secrecy' is repugnant in a free and open society;

Hear, O listener, the solemn words of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, spoken in the shadow of the Cold War, yet echoing far beyond his age: “The very word secrecy is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths, and to secret proceedings.” His voice was both warning and call to courage, a reminder that liberty withers not only under the sword of tyranny, but under the slow poison of concealment. For when the truth is hidden, the people walk in darkness, and a nation in darkness cannot long remain free.

The ancients understood this danger. For in every age, the shadow of secrecy has been the cloak of oppression. Kings who plotted in secret chambers, priests who held mysteries from the people, tyrants who ruled by hidden decrees—all brought ruin upon their nations. But where the councils were open, where the assemblies spoke beneath the sun, there freedom endured. Athens, though flawed, gave birth to democracy because its debates were public. Rome, while its republic lasted, thrived because its laws were spoken aloud. Thus Kennedy’s words are not new, but the echo of history’s warning: secrecy is the enemy of liberty.

Consider the example of the French Revolution. For years, the monarchy conspired behind closed doors, hiding debts, taxes, and treaties from the people. The court lived in secrecy, while the nation starved. But once the people broke into the halls of Versailles and demanded light, the mask was torn away, and a new cry rose: liberty, equality, fraternity. Though the revolution brought its own terrors, it proved the truth of Kennedy’s words—secret proceedings rot the foundation of freedom, while openness, however turbulent, renews it.

Kennedy himself spoke in an age when the specter of communism spread through secret police, secret prisons, and governments that silenced truth. Against this, he declared that America must stand as a light, a free and open society where truth is spoken, where laws are visible, and where the people themselves guard against the creeping chains of hidden power. His words were a shield for democracy, a reminder that the soul of freedom lies in sunlight, not in shadow.

Thus, O child of tomorrow, learn this well: freedom demands vigilance, not only against foreign enemies, but against the silence that grows when truth is hidden. Beware those who cloak themselves in secrecy, who demand oaths in darkness, who conduct the people’s business without the people’s eyes. For secrecy is the seed of corruption, and corruption is the herald of tyranny.

Let your spirit, then, be ever watchful. Demand openness from those who govern you. Speak truth in your own dealings, so that secrecy does not make a home in your heart. Build a society where knowledge flows freely, where decisions are made in the sight of those they affect, where trust is forged by clarity, not by concealment. For only such a people can claim to be truly free.

In practice, let each man and woman cherish transparency. Support leaders who act in the open. Question the hidden, resist the closed, and stand firm for the right of all to know the truth of their laws and rulers. In your own life, do not hide behind falsehoods or secret intentions; speak plainly, act honestly, and build trust through openness. For the habits of individuals become the character of nations.

So I say unto you: the word secrecy is indeed repugnant to a free and open society. Cast off the shadows, and walk in the light. For freedom is a flame, and secrecy is the wind that smothers it. Only in openness shall the flame endure, and only by vigilance shall it burn forever.