Answers to some Questions about JFK. And good questions too!

Yesterday one of the readers of GEopolar wrote a long post asking," What was so great about JFK?"

Let's face the facts, death always produces memories that are larger in death than in life. EVen the worst person in the world sometimes gets a break when they leave for the great beyond.

But, I wanted to answer some of his questions, because unlike him, I was alive when Kennedy was president and when he was assasinated. His questions were not taken personally. Although, I loved Kennedy, and the eloquence of his life and words, I am very aware of the frailties of the man. So, here are answers about Kennedy, as I knew them, or experienced them.


He brought up some general ideas and questions.1) Except for the Cuban Missile Crisis, what did he do that was so great?

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a big "except for" Having nuclear missiles actually pointed at the shores of America? Kinda scarey. And Kennedy, and the people of his administration, through diplomacy and backchannels diffused the situation. Read "Thirteen Days" This is a book by Robert F. Kennedy talking about those days.

Did JFK get us into Vietnam? No, he didn't take us into Vietnam initially, but did begin our escalation into Vietnam, and like the writer of the deleted post, I, too do not blame Johnson, or even the country's favorite punching bag, before Bush, NIxon, for the Vietnam War. And as a person, who had friends go to that war by no choice of their own (drafted) I do know it was the biggest tragedy of the 20th century. When 58,000 young people die in a war that has no real bearing in America and they are forced to go? You would have thought our "leaders" would have learned.

JFK was a known womanizer. Yes, he was. And I also agree with the writer of the post. That was the worst part of the man. He could have done much better, and he should have. I don't think anyone can excuse that kind of behavior.

The writer also asked if Kennedy had passed any Civil Rights legislation. No, he didn't, he didn't have much time to. But, he did step forward in important and effective ways in that regard. Listen to his Civil Rights Speech on American Rhetoric online.

Lastly, the writer said, "So he was charismatic and extremely good looking, what is that worth?" Or something to that effect.

My answer to that is, ask all of those who are supporting Obama.






More about Vietnam

JFK Civil Rights speech, one of the top 100 speeches of all time.