John F Kennedy
In the life of this great nation, few of its presidents appear in the pocket as real and memorable history above others. After all, presidents from the founding fathers are equal to that charge, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
And presidents who serve the country in times of great tragedy are also deeply respected in memory. But in recent memory, perhaps no other president has evoked feelings of respect and admiration like that of John F. Kennedy.
Kennedy seemed to touch the hearts of the American people in a way that was different from the presidency before or after that. Part of it may well have been a time in the country's history when he became President of the United States.
The historical period between 1950 and 1970 was when the largest generation of young people, now known as “baby boomers,” had arrived. The new youth movement brought a sense of hope, a “possible” situation, and somehow a sense of change.
They were looking for new perspectives, a new vision for the future, and new leadership, and John F. Kennedy was the perfect man of the hour to give leadership.
So much for Kennedy's presidency has a romantic aura and is probably its mythological joy. From the naming of his family "Camelot" to the community's love with a wonderfully beautiful couple, Jack and Jacqueline Kennedy.
That magical touch permeated everything he did. Almost everyone in his family, including his younger brother Robert, was also worshiped and would probably have served as president had he not been brutally murdered when he first took office.
But this would not mean that Kennedy was not a very good leader. He faced major challenges. The Cuban Missile Crisis may have been one of the most frightening situations between nuclear Russia and nuclear power.
When it became clear that Russia was starting to build bases in Cuba and arm them with those deadly weapons, this was not the time for a weak president. If Russia had been able to oust Kennedy or intimidate the young president and shoot those arrows at Cuba, it seems certain that the outcome of the Cold War would have been a failure rather than a success.
But Kennedy was not harassed or intimidated and used force in his office; Kennedy stood up and held on to all Americans and forced the Russians to remove those arrows.
But this was not the end of Kennedy's great success. It took a leader with such a great vision and ability to inspire the nation that no one but John F. Kennedy could set the nation's things on the moon. But Kennedy put that desire and that high calling in the hearts of his people, and the nation met to finally the man come out of the moon and proclaim, "This is one step for man, the great connection of humanity." That was one of the proudest days in American history, and it was Kennedy who inspired us to that kind of greatness.
As the life and leadership of John F. Kennedy fully demonstrated the hope and enthusiasm of the younger generation, his tragic dedication changed the world forever. On that sad day of November 22, 1963, when Lee Harvey Oswald shot the beloved American president, the hearts of the American people changed forever.
This was one of those days when almost everyone living at that time, from school children to grandparents, remembered where they were when they heard the news. Since we appointed this great leader, the presidency itself has never been the same.
While Americans will always respect their presidents, that feeling of praise for the White House man disappeared forever. But what did not disappear was the persistent prayer of this man, John F. Kennedy, who encouraged generation and nation to look forward to the greatness and famous words of his 1961 opening remarks…
"Don't ask what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
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