The President of America John Fitzgerald Kennedy - Research Paper Example

John F. Kennedy, the Hero Abstract The Late John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th president of America. Though, at 43, the youngest president to ever be elected, he represented the hope and a new dawn for the nation. In his 34-month presidency, he achieved numerous accomplishments. Looking back at his political career, personality and family values and civil rights efforts, this paper evaluates JFK as a hero despite the criticisms from some quarters. Introduction John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in Brookline Massachusetts on 29 May 1917 to what BBC (2014) describes as a political and wealthy Irish-American family. Joseph Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy were his parents. He graduated from Harvard University in 1940 and joined the naval service in the Pacific during World War II. Urged on by his pushy father, JFK joined politics in 1946 and went ahead to win election into the US House of Representatives as a Democrat and later into Senate in 1952. He won the 1960 party’s presidential nomination and later the presidency, becoming America’s youngest president at 43 and the first ever Catholic head of state. His presidency represented generational change to the seat, giving it a youthful touch. On November 22, 1963, hardly 1,000 days into his presidency, JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. He became the youngest president to die (White House, 2014). John F. Kennedy remains a hero even to the standards of modern times because of his political prowess, personality and family values and his stand on social justice. Politics It is the political career of JFK that brings his heroism outright, him being a statesman and a courageous politician. In his book, Profiles in Courage, JFK noted that pressures from the public, worry of future elections and the pressures from interest groups discourage politicians from working towards the attainment of their goals (Margaret, 2004). Indeed, he was a victim of negative publicity early in his political career. According to Brinkley (2013), these early years in politics had JFK’s political colleagues refer to him as a playboy who had his campaigns bankrolled by his wealthy father. Critics described him as being impatient, reckless and impetus. In fact, in the book, JKF: Reckless Youth, the author, Nigel Hamilton referred to him as a man with brains, good looks, money and idealism but lacked a serious sense of purpose (Lupačová, 2008). Despite these criticisms, JFK went ahead and convinced voters to elect him into the US House of Representatives. His political star shone further with his election into the Senate. In fact, his was said to be a distinctly innovative senatorial campaign. Furthermore, his campaigns targeted all the categories of the society, thus an all inclusive campaign strategy that saw him elected twice into senate between 1953 and 1960. He went further to win, not just the Democrat presidential nomination, but also beat Richard Nixon to become America’s 35th president. This follows his charm that he used to convince voters that the Republicans had stagnated the county for eight years and therefore the need for positive change. Whereas the presidency of JFK only lasted 34 months, it is his political accomplishments during this short stint that cements his legacy as a diligent president. Religious beliefs did not deter JFK from executing his mandate to the best of his ability. Perhaps, the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, consisting of Houston, Texas protestant ministers would attest to this argument following the speech he delivered to them in September 1960 on his religion. This made them believe in his sound decisions despite his religion, a catapult to his presidential victory. He became the first and the only Catholic president in America’s history (Reeves, 2011). Furthermore, JFK is regarded for his role in preventing the Nuclear Armageddon in 1962. Having led America into the failed 1961 attempt to overthrow Cuba’s Fidel Castro, Russia secretly provided Cuba with nuclear missiles to avert any future attacks by America. On learning this, America threatened an attack that could trigger a nuclear war, but Kennedy’s leadership saw a peaceful resolution reached. The Peace Corps that he established in 1961 aimed at sending young Americans abroad so as to promote global friendship and peace through initiatives related to economic development and AIDS awareness among others (Margaret, 2004). It was in 1961 that Kennedy led the effort to land the first man on the moon and safely return to the earth (Brinkley, 2013). Even though this did not materialise in his reign, his maiden effort transformed the space program. These accomplishments made JFK stand out not just as a national but also a global hero who exuded firmness and resolve. Personality and Family JFK’s personality, particularly his personal charm, made him gain public confidence. According to Brinkley (2013), he was an articulate and witty speaker built for the television age. Watching him would cause one to be stricken by the power he exuded and the elegance and wit of his oratory. His inaugural address has been highly celebrated because of the many phrases that live on. The Kennedy legend was also filled with the image of what many people came to refer to as grace according to Reeves (2011). This could be radiated through his graceful performance and act and also that he received so much grace. He was handsome, further propagated by his athletic look. According to Mara, “women adored him, men wanted to be like him” (2010, 7). On the streets, people waved and clapped as his motorcade passed along wishing that the president would meet their gaze. As noted by Lupačová (2008), a Gallup poll in 1975 found out that 52% of Americans ranked him top among all presidents. This was still the case ten years later. In 1999, he dropped down to position two to tie with Bill Clinton, George Washington and Ronald Reagan. In 2000, he was back to the top again. Therefore, his personality appealed to people who considered as handsome, witty and intelligent, yet so compassionate and humble. His wife and family were captivating, making up a photogenic family. As noted by Brinkley (2013), this family lit up the White House, attracting intellectuals, artists and writers. The efforts of the president’s wife, Jackie Kennedy, is said to have been a major contributor in making the White House a place of celebration and encouragement of creativity. The image of JFK as a father of young children made the public to perceive him as a vibrant young leader. The image of his children Caroline and John, then about five and two years old respectively, playing in the Oval Office with JFK looking on is among the most celebrated images of the 35th American president as a family man (Mara, 2010). A combination of these personality traits and family values makes JFK a celebrated hero. Civil Rights JFK believed in equality, the rule of law and social justice at large. With his 1960 presidential campaigns, JFK aimed at bringing forth a new frontier aimed at showing the world the privileges of being a free and democratic society so as to defeat communism. At this time, the world associated America with oppression and intolerance (Mara, 2010). With the push for equality in the American society from leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., JFK cautiously tackled the issue, careful not to destroy his political career by seeming outright in his support for the African American course. He therefore emphasized that the existing laws be enforced other than creating new ones. He even appointed African Americans to posts in the administration on the court briefs that he had ordered his attorney general to submit. However, tackling this problem from this perspective proved a challenge, but JFK did not relent. He resorted to handling each case of oppression as it arose. That is how he ended up sending marshals to protect protestors who had been attacked by racists in 1961 as they were travelling by bus to Birmingham, Alabama. His fight for the underprivileged did not start with his presidency, as Lupačová (2008) traces back Kennedy, a congressman, who despite coming from a privileged background always voted in favour of the underprivileged. He supported fairness and equality for all Americans. Even though JFK failed to secure meaningful civil rights legislation against discrimination, his commitment towards the course makes him a champion of social integration. Criticisms Even as the public considers J. F. Kennedy as one of the greatest leaders, there are historians who believe that he does not deserve all the praise. They criticise JFK for his failure to enact momentous legislation. Despite his accomplishments as a president, historians do not believe these should make him one of America’s greatest presidents (Reeves, 2011). In fact, the academic community refers to him as being overrated. Conclusion Just like other great heroes, John F. Kennedy had his failures in life. He did not legislate any meaningful laws to deter discrimination and led America to a failed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. However, his charm made him appeal to the general public who appreciated his personality and also family values. Despite his privileged background, he fought for the less privileged in the society in an effort to create an equal opportunity society. Perhaps, it is political prowess that makes JFK a true hero indeed, having risen through the ranks from a member of House of Representatives to becoming America’s youngest president. With these successes overriding the failures, JFK remains a hero even in his death. References BBC. (2014). More information about John F Kennedy. Author. Retrieved 15 March 2014 from www.bbc.co.uk Brinkley, A. (2013, September 18). The legacy of John F. Kennedy. The Atlantic. Retrieved 15 March 2014 from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/08/the-legacy-of-john-f-kennedy/309499/ Lupačová, M. (2008). John F. Kennedy and his role in the civil rights movement. (Master’s Diploma Thesis). Masaryk University, Brno. Mara, W. (2010). John F. Kennedy. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. Margaret, A. (2004). John F. Kennedy Library and Museum. New York, NY: Rosen Publishing. Reeves, R. (2011). President Kennedy: Profile of power. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster. White House. (2014). John F. Kennedy: 1961 – 1963. Retrieved 15 March 2014 from http://www.whitehouse.gov/ Read More