John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the first president in my memory (although I was born during Dwight Eisenhower's tenure), would be 100 years old today had he survived his assassination more than 53 years ago. That he might have lived to today is problematic, for according to Kennedy historian Robert Dallek he suffered from numerous health problems, including the serious Addison's Disease as well as severe pain from osteoporosis of the lower back. On the other hand, his mother Rose lived to the age of 104. JFK only served in the White House a little less than three years, but made an enormous, positive impact on both our country and the world at large. He not only faced down the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, but also began the process of peace between the cold war rivals with the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty the following year. Many of Kennedy's social proposals, such as civil rights legislation and medical care for the elderly that would be eventually known as Medicare, were held up in Congress and wouldn't be passed until his successor, Lyndon Johnson, an experienced arm-twister with legislators, aggressively pushed the bills through. And John F. Kennedy gave this nation two great worldwide images: one was the Peace Corps with American volunteers going abroad to help others...the other was the goal of landing people on the moon and returning safely...within ten years. It was a terrible tragedy when he was murdered on that Friday afternoon in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963...I heard about it back then right after coming back to my second-grade classroom after lunch. In my estimation, John Fitzgerald Kennedy has been the greatest president during my lifetime and I doubt that there will be one greater than him in the future...
Today was John F. Kennedy's birthday, but this year May 29th lands on a Monday, so it is also Memorial Day. Thus we also pay our respects to the many brave and most honorable men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice...with their very lives...in order that we may enjoy living in freedom, both to express ourselves and to pursue our own dreams and beliefs. I saw President Trump on TV earlier at Arlington National Cemetery, presenting the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier...he displayed the solemnity and respect that the ceremony entailed, an admirable job...
I for one am sorry that the tendency has been in the last few decades to diminish the practice of pledging allegiance to our American flag on different public occasions and standing in a respectful, attentive manner at the playing of the National Anthem. Our national symbols stand for the values that those brave soldiers who died for the United States of America in combat fought to protect...for us and for future generations...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment