RIVERS0LOST0SANITY

The revolutionary president John F. Kennedy once stated, “For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.” Known for his progressive and non-violent tactics, Kennedy handled some of the toughest times for the United States, including violent civil rights protests and the Cuban Missile Crisis, the closest our nation has ever come to total nuclear devastation. However, by remaining calm, confident, and levelheaded throughout his presidency, JFK was able to guide our nation gracefully through these turbulent times. His innovative, yet controversial ideas led to his successful election in 1960, but ultimately led to his assassination in 1963. Regardless of his youth, John F. Kennedy was the Democratic winner of the closest election in the U.S. history. Kennedy won the popular vote by .2% against Republican candidate Richard Nixon, who was popular for his conservative ideals. Texas Senator Lyndon B. Johnson was chosen as Kennedy’s running mate, but no one could have estimated his eventual importance. Everyone knows that if the unthinkable were to happen, if the President were to die, the Vice President would be forced to assume his responsibilities. This had not occurred since the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the American public naively believed it could not happen again. Kennedy and Johnson were a strong team, but until the Great Debates, they were not the clear victors against Nixon and Henry Lodge. The Kennedy-Nixon Debates of 1960, also known as the Great Debates, had an important impact on the outcome of the presidential election. Fifty percent of all voters were influenced by these four debates, and six percent made their voting decision from the debates alone. Being the first ever televised debates, Kennedy had a great advantage due to his looks. This was the first election in history where the majority of the public had a visual representation of the candidates. While JFK was tan, fit, youthful, and confident, Nixon had stubble, and appeared sweaty and sickly. However, the men were equally matched with their debating skills. They deliberated over domestic issues, two islands off the coast of China, and America’s relations with Cuba. On each of these critical points, Kennedy made it clear to the public that his ground breaking policies would point America in the right direction.

RIVERS0LOST0SANITY

The revolutionary president John F. Kennedy once stated, “For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.” Known for his progressive and non-violent tactics, Kennedy handled some of the toughest times for the United States, including violent civil rights protests and the Cuban Missile Crisis, the closest our nation has ever come to total nuclear devastation. However, by remaining calm, confident, and levelheaded throughout his presidency, JFK was able to guide our nation gracefully through these turbulent times. His innovative, yet controversial ideas led to his successful election in 1960, but ultimately led to his assassination in 1963. Regardless of his youth, John F. Kennedy was the Democratic winner of the closest election in the U.S. history. Kennedy won the popular vote by .2% against Republican candidate Richard Nixon, who was popular for his conservative ideals. Texas Senator Lyndon B. Johnson was chosen as Kennedy’s running mate, but no one could have estimated his eventual importance. Everyone knows that if the unthinkable were to happen, if the President were to die, the Vice President would be forced to assume his responsibilities. This had not occurred since the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the American public naively believed it could not happen again. Kennedy and Johnson were a strong team, but until the Great Debates, they were not the clear victors against Nixon and Henry Lodge. The Kennedy-Nixon Debates of 1960, also known as the Great Debates, had an important impact on the outcome of the presidential election. Fifty percent of all voters were influenced by these four debates, and six percent made their voting decision from the debates alone. Being the first ever televised debates, Kennedy had a great advantage due to his looks. This was the first election in history where the majority of the public had a visual representation of the candidates. While JFK was tan, fit, youthful, and confident, Nixon had stubble, and appeared sweaty and sickly. However, the men were equally matched with their debating skills. They deliberated over domestic issues, two islands off the coast of China, and America’s relations with Cuba. On each of these critical points, Kennedy made it clear to the public that his ground breaking policies would point America in the right direction.

RIVERS0LOST0SANITY

Kennedy entered the political arena at a time of great unrest. The United States was in a state of turmoil, tor n by racial and civil injustice. In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to forfeit her seat to a white man on a public bus, setting into motion the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which brought national attention to the growing problem of racial segregation. The boycott was led by Martin Luther King Jr., who became the icon of the civil rights movement. Also, that same year, African-American teenager Emmett Till was killed for whistling at a white woman. This tragedy illustrated the intense prejudice still felt by many white extremists at the time. Five years later, in 1960, peaceful protests, such as sit-ins, began. Sit-ins were a form of protest where both African-Americans and their white supporters refused to leave establishments that only served white patrons. Their actions were met with violence and ridicule, like most of the protests, but they did not back down from their cause. Neither did Kennedy during his presidency, whose support of the civil rights movement was met with both praise and opposition. While Kennedy sustained a loss of support from more conservative voters, he gained something that was indeed the key to his success: the African-American vote. When Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) was arrested for leading a civil rights protest in Georgia, Kennedy secured his prison release. Consequently, this earned him the backing of Martin Luther King Sr., father of MLK, and thus the black vote, supplying him the winning margin in five Northern states. Kennedy’s radical ideas did not only pertain to civil rights. His policies regarding Cuba were equally controversial.

RIVERS0LOST0SANITY

The United States has always enjoyed its isolation from the continents of Europe and Asia, with an ocean between America and the chaos of war. However, Cuba was a mere 100 miles off the coast of Florida, and too close for comfort. Soviet leader Khrushchev had aligned himself with Cuban Communist leader Castro, planting nuclear weapons in his country aimed at the U.S. This worried Kennedy, who sought a diplomatic solution, encouraging Cuba to sever ties with the Soviet Union. Additionally, Kennedy wanted to extinguish Communist practices in Cuba, which had led to oppressive and inhumane conditions for the people. Many believe that his ideas regarding Cuba and Communism led to his assassination three years later. On November 22, 1963, shots were fired, shattering the nation’s hope. Tragedy struck when John F. Kennedy was assassinated before 250, 000 witnesses on his way to the Dallas airport by way of motorcade. As he drove past Dealey Plaza, waving to the crowd, a man named Lee Harvey Oswald shot him in the head and neck, injuries which resulted in his death 35 minutes later. Immediately after the death of Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson was flown to Washington, where he took the oath to become the 36th president. Once again, as it had influenced the election, the presence of the media and television played an important role in communicating to the American people. However, to this day, no one is sure exactly why JFK was assassinated. There are many theories as to the motives behind Kennedy’s death. One prominent idea is that Oswald was part of a pro-Communist group against Kennedy’s strategies regarding Cuba, especially because of where he had lived. Oswald was a U.S. marine for a few years, but at age 19, he emigrated to Russia, living there for several years before returning to the U.S., eventually residing in Dallas, Texas. On the other hand, some believe that Kennedy’s non-violent actions in the Cuban Missile Crisis angered anti-Castro groups, and they wished to have him killed. Another idea suggests that since JFK wanted to stop aiding South Vietnam and cease U.S. involvement with the Vietnam War, people in favor of Vietnamese involvement were behind his assassination. Other conspiracy theories include a CIA plot, and even Mafia involvement, but Kennedy’s stance in all of these guesses only illustrates that he was a peacekeeper, not only for the U.S., but for the entire world.

RIVERS0LOST0SANITY

John F. Kennedy entered the public eye at a time where change was needed more than anything, and he brought forth a new way of looking at the world: through peace. Although Kennedy realized that it is important to learn from the past, he was a visionary who also tapped into the dire need for moving forward in a new direction. Unfortunately, people do not readily accept change, instead they cling to what’s familiar, even if it’s not what’s best. Since the dawn of time, history can show us that people who bring change are martyred, persecuted, and oppressed. Take for example Jesus, Gandhi, MLK, or JFK. Jesus fought to liberate people from Roman rule and oppression, showing them that they had within themselves the power to decide their future. Gandhi led peaceful protests against British imperialism in order to help bring better lives for the citizens of India. Martin Luther King Jr. was a man who had faith in humanity to rise above the dehumanizing racial intolerance that surrounded him. Each of these men worked ceaselessly to illuminate love and shine light on the darkness of hate. Each of these men transcended the close-mindedness and mediocrity of society, and in turn were met with violence. The ignorant use violence and aggression when faced with change, hence the assassination of so many great minds. It takes a truly enlightened person to see that violence does not equal power or strength, that diplomacy and peace do not equal weakness. John F. Kennedy was leagues ahead of his time, and could see the peace is the answer. Just like Abraham Lincoln, JFK fought for civil rights, and they both gave their lives for their cause. Today, as we head towards the November presidential election, we invite a new opportunity for growth, change, and global reformation. In fact, many comparisons can be drawn between presidential hopeful Barack Obama and John F. Kennedy. As the first black man to represent the Democratic party in a U.S. presidential election, Obama is the very picture of change. Like Kennedy, he projects progressive and different ideals, bringing forth messages of peace and diplomacy, as well as something even more important: hope. Hope is like the lighthouse that can guide our country through the stormy, violent sea that is war and destruction. Hope can pick up the pieces of a divided country and join them together as one, and right now, hope is what our country lacks the most. Kennedy brought the United States great change and a new way of thinking, and perhaps it is time for our new president to do the same. After all, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

ASIANSOLO

Well we got the insurance check to fix the old house but their was a promble with it. First it was not signed by anyone at the insurance company. Got that taken care of but then one of the names on the check outside of mine was a bank that no one had heard of before. I called the mortgage company about it, they said they never heard of it either. So I had to go back to the insurance comapny and get a new check reissused to me. I spent most of the day driving around my city getting the check signed and reissused. What a waste of time. I hope that I do not have this much trouble with my wife's car.