I was 29 years of age when President Kennedy was killed in November of 1963. Old enough to remember his administration and President's Roosevelt Truman and Eisenhower before him. Being a follower of politics since my teen years I feel I know the Presidents who have served since Kennedy's death also and how they all performed.
President Kennedy came from a wealthy family but did not cater to the wealthy. He was raised and taught that public service was an honorable profession and if used properly, would move the country and its people forward and that was the hallmark of his public life. As Commander in Chief, he had military experience having served in the Pacific during WWII. He used that experience along with his military's advisors advice to help him make military decisions during the "cold war."
Although he was in office only 2 years and 11 months the people of America answered his call to "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" and lit the fire of hope, patriotism and a feeling of can do. The majority of America, young, middle age and the elderly supported his administration and he made us all feel young and productive.
The President also had the support of the free world and those oppressed. The "peace corps" he established bridged the gap between America and many parts of the world where America had no hands on contact. The President also made it clear he thought people around the world should decide its own destiny. Because of his faith in our couintry and its people he called America never to negotiate out of fear but never fear to negoiate. Many of todays politicians wrongly associate negotiate with weakness.
Kennedy knew first hand what war was all about and would never start an unnecessary war. People who were close to Kennedy said he always thought about the casualties of children in war and the fact that they never have a say so in the matter. He was a student of history and well versed in what took place before he became President and was mindful of the future. He publically stated that our problems on Earth are man made and therefore can be solved by man and that is what his policies addressed.
He supported the "arts" and knew the history of the "arts" and the role played in developing our country. Civility was a part of the President's persona and not personal attacks which is SOP for many politicians today. He believed in a free press and below is a speech he gave on the subject matter. President Kennedy's decision to explore outer space for peaceful purposes and put a man on the moon underscored his knowledge of what space exploration would do for future generations. It also put America on the moon first.
His wisdom and knowlege of history was displayed when he went to W. Berlin in June of 1963. It was estimated that more than a million people gathered to hear his speech which was perhaps the most famous single moment of the "cold war"according to some. Kennedy's speech made the case that communism was not the wave of the futurethe Russians were promoting. He also pointed out that the Berlin wall was a vivid demonstration of the failure of the communist system. Kennedy closed out his speech by saying, "all free men, where ever they may live are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man I take pride in the words,"ich bin ein Berliner." (I too am a Berliner) The people of Berlin loved his speech and loved the President.
I often wish my three children and two grand children were of age where they could have known JFK. I think they would feel as I do that our country today is lacking leaders with wisdom, courage and the commitment to public service In fact, today's leaders seem to lack the understanding what our political system is all about.
It is this writers opinion that our political system has changed for the worst since that tragic day in Dallas. Our country, our people and the people of the world lost its hero that day and 50 years later we have lost sight of what hero's are all about. The noise machine of being negative has taken center stage and our political system is paralized. I believe true hero's are still out there to lead this great nation and its people. We have just lost the wisdom and the ability to distinguish who they really are.
From a speech President Kennedy made in February 1962 on the twentieth anniversary of The Voice of America.
You are obliged to tell our story in a truthful way, to tell it, as Oliver Cromwell said about his portrait, "Paint us with all our blemishes and warts, all those things that might not be immediately attractive.
We compete with those who are our adversaries who tell only the good stories. But the things that go bad in America, you must tell that also. And we hope that the bad and the good is sifted together by people of judgement and discretion and taste and discrimination, that they will realize what we are trying to do here.
We seek a free flow of information.... We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.
This commentary written by John Lucia.
