[Rhodalee]

Today marks the 41st year since President Kennedy was assassinated. I remember the day as though it were yesterday. So much has happened since, but I would like to take this time to remember him.

Rest in Peace -- JFK

Rhodalee

Rhodalee,

Thank you for setting up this thread to remember President John F. Kennedy. A man of extraordinary character and one of our very finest leaders. He has my very deepest admiration and respect. The assassination and tv coverage is very vivid in my memory too. He is resting peacefully.

[rosy]

Originally posted by Carolyn
Rhodalee,

Thank you for setting up this thread to remember President John F. Kennedy. A man of extraordinary character and one of our very finest leaders. He has my very deepest admiration and respect. The assassination and tv coverage is very vivid in my memory too. He is resting peacefully.

thanks for this post have been saying all day i have not heard or seen anything about this sad day! he will always be remembered as one of he finest president's of the u s a

Rhodalee,
A greatly respected leader of your nation who was liked the world over, they loved him here too, so many streets are named after him !
I always thought people found some of him in Clinton?
Tony

[Savatri]

"When he shall die
Take him and cut him out in little stars
And he shall make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun"

- from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Quoted by Robert F. Kennedy at the 1964 Democratic convention



Joan

[S V PELUZIO JR]

[DELETED]

I can't believe it's 41 years, it's a shame Kennedy's Presidency didn't have the time to finish any meaningful agenda. RIP, JFK..
Joe...

Found this recap:

John Fitzgerald Kennedy


John Fitzgerald Kennedy 35th president of the United States, the
youngest person ever to be elected president. He was also the first
Roman Catholic president and the first president to be born in the
20th century. Kennedy was assassinated before he completed his third
year as president. Therefore his achievements were limited.
Nevertheless, his influence was worldwide, and his handling of the
Cuban Missile Crisis may have prevented war. Young people especially
liked him. No other president was so popular. He brought to the
presidency an awareness of the cultural and historical traditions of
the United States. Because Kennedy expressed the values of
20th-century America, his presidency was important beyond its
political achievements. John Kennedy was born in Brookline,
Massachusetts. He was the second of nine children.
Kennedy announced his candidacy early in 1960. By the time the
Democratic National Convention opened in July, he had won seven
primary victories. His most important had been in West Virginia, where
he proved that a Roman Catholic could win in a predominantly
Protestant state.

When the convention opened, it appeared that Kennedy's only serious
challenge for the nomination would come from the Senate majority
leader, Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas. However, Johnson was strong only
among Southern delegates. Kennedy won the nomination on the first
ballot and then persuaded Johnson to become his running mate.
Two weeks later the Republicans nominated Vice President Richard Nixon
for president and Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., who was ambassador to the
United Nations and whom Kennedy had defeated for the Senate in 1952,
for vice president. In the fast-paced campaign that followed, Kennedy
made stops in 46 states and 273 cities and towns, while Nixon visited
every state and 170 urban areas.

Another important element of the campaign was the support Kennedy
received from blacks in important Northern states, especially Illinois
and Pennsylvania. They supported him in part because he and Robert
Kennedy had tried to get the release of the civil rights leader Martin
Luther King, Jr. King, who had been jailed for taking part in a civil
rights demonstration in Georgia, was released soon afterward.
The election drew a record 69 million voters to the polls, but Kennedy
won by only 113,000 votes. Kennedy was inaugurated on January 20,
1961. In his inaugural address he emphasized America's revolutionary
heritage. 2"The same … beliefs for which our forebears fought are
still at issue around the globe," Kennedy said. 3"Let the word go
forth from this time and place to friend and foe alike, that the torch
has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century,
tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our
ancient heritage—and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing
of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed
and to which we are committed today at home and around the world."
Kennedy challenged Americans to assume the burden of "defending
freedom in its hour of maximum danger." The words of his address were,
4"Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for
your country."

Kennedy sought with considerable success to attract brilliant young
people to government service. His hope was to bring new ideas and new
methods into the executive branch. As a result many of his advisers
were teachers and scholars. Among them were McGeorge Bundy and Arthur
M. Schlesinger, Jr., both graduates of Harvard. Kennedy's most
influential adviser was Theodore C. Sorenson, a member of Kennedy's
staff since his days in the Senate. Sorenson wrote many of Kennedy's
speeches and exerted a strong influence on Kennedy's development as a
political liberal, 5 a person who believes that the government should
directly help people to overcome poverty or social discrimination.
The president and Mrs. Kennedy attempted to make the White House the
cultural center of the nation. Writers, artists, poets, scientists,
and musicians were frequent dinner guests. On one occasion the
Kennedy's held a reception for all the American winners of the Nobel
Prize, people who made outstanding contributions to their field during
the past year. At the party the president suggested that more talent
and genius was at the White House that night than there had been since
Thomas Jefferson had last dined there alone.

At a meeting with the leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics (USSR), Nikita Khrushchev, Kennedy asked the name of a medal
Khrushchev was wearing. When the premier identified it as the Lenin
Peace Medal, Kennedy remarked, 6"I hope you keep it." On another
occasion he told a group of Republican business leaders, 7"It would be
premature to ask for your support in the next election and inaccurate
to thank you for it in the past." Even in great crises, Kennedy
retained his sense of humor.

Kennedy's first year in office brought him considerable success in
enacting new legislation. Congress passed a major housing bill, a law
increasing the minimum wage, and a bill granting federal aid to
economically depressed areas of the United States. The most original
piece of legislation Kennedy put through Congress was the bill
creating the Peace Corps, an agency that trained American volunteers
to perform social and humanitarian service overseas. The program's
goal was to promote world peace and friendship with developing
nations. The idea of American volunteers helping people in foreign
lands touched the idealism of many citizens. Within two years, Peace
Corps volunteers were working in Asia, Africa, and Latin America,
living with the people and working on education, public health, and
agricultural projects.

However, after his initial success with Congress, Kennedy found it
increasingly difficult to get his programs enacted into law. Although
the Democrats held a majority in both houses, Southern Democrats
joined with conservative Republicans to stop legislation they
disliked. The Medicare bill, a bill to make medical care for the aged
a national benefit, was defeated. A civil rights bill and a bill to
cut taxes were debated, and compromises were agreed to, but even the
compromises were delayed. A bill to create a Cabinet-level Department
of Urban Affairs was soundly defeated, partly because Kennedy wanted
the economist Robert C. Weaver, a black man, to be the new secretary.
Southern Congressmen united with representatives from mostly rural
areas to defeat the bill.

Kennedy did win approval of a bill to lower tariffs and thus allow
more competitive American trade abroad. Congress also authorized the
purchase of $100 million in United Nations bonds, and the money
enabled the international organization to survive a financial crisis.
Further, Congress appropriated more than $1 billion to finance sending
a man to the moon by 1970 which was accomplished in 1969.
The major American legal and moral conflict during Kennedy's three
years in office was in the area of civil rights. Black agitation
against discrimination had become widespread and well organized.
Although Kennedy was in no way responsible for the growth of the civil
rights movement, he attempted to aid the black cause by enforcing
existing laws. Kennedy particularly wanted to end discrimination in
federally financed projects or in companies that were doing business
with the government.

More from the essay is here:

http://www.cyberessays.com/History/20.htm

[ARIES3032]

Rhodakee , and everyone else. We shall always remember John F. Kennedy. He was a great President, I shall never forget him or the way his life was taken. Rest in peace President Kennedy.

[Gerald]

Rest in Peace President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Gerald.

I was at a high school assembly when they made the announcement. What a weekend that was. Imagine if we had CNN and FOXNEWS in 1963. In those days, there wasn't even satelite feeds, let alone cable..

[Savatri]

I was at work in Washington when someone breezed by with the news that he had been shot. I didn't know what to do but did not want to remain with my 2 fundamentalist co-workers. I called my husband first. Then I looked in the yellow pages for the nearest Catholic Church. It seemed the only place to be because JFK was Catholic and he was still alive (we thought). Walked a few blocks to St. Stephen's (I think) on Pennsylvania Ave, right next to George Washington Univ. hospital. Just stayed a few minutes and when I came out learned the bad news.

My husband, tho not American, loved him as much as I did. We sat for those 4 days in front of the tv in shock. Sat. night my husband drove me up to Capitol Hill about 10:00 pm. to view the lying in state. My husband had a bad leg and couldn't stand that long.

The "line" was about a hundred in width and I could barely see the Capitol in front of us. We would stand for at least an hour in one place and then actually "shuffle" a couple of feet and then wait another hour. I was freezing cold that Nov. night but couldn't have moved out of there if I wanted to.

By 5:00 am next morning we reached the Capitol steps. I thought, oh no, they're going to close it now, but I got in. We just passed through very quickly and I just remember the golden light surrounding that flag-draped coffin.

To be honest with you, when I was outside, I finally got so cold that I'm ashamed to say that I just wanted to get inside to get warm. Women didn't wear slacks when they were not 'playing', and I don't think that would have made any difference anyway. I got on the first bus I saw just to get warm.

My husband and I didn't get over that for a couple of years or more. Remember, we were in Washington and President Kennedy was like family to all of us.

Rosy - it has been all over cable news this past week in the U.S. I can hardly bear to watch it still, tho I did look at a program or two on the life of the Kennedys, beginning with Joseph Kennedy, Sr. Please don't anyone say anything bad about Joe; it makes me sick when I know some of the things he did.

But how we in Washington loved President Kennedy. We would listen to his press conferences (which were televised across the street from where I worked at the State Dept). Then when we would drive home after work, we would listen to them on the car radios and laugh and laugh.

His best line: When asked by May Craig, an ancient woman reporter everyone knew, what he - President Kennedy - was going to do for the women of America. You could just see JFK trying to hold back his smile (didn't quite succeed) and he said: "Well, what is it that you want, Mrs. Craig?" May Craig said: "Well, we want everything we can get, Mr. President." And while the large room with all the reporters was erupting with laughter, the President said: "Well, we'll do everything we can, Mrs. Craig," at that point breaking out into laughter as everyone was. Anyone in Washington and probably this forum can quote that line from his press conference. Humor is so important, too.

Lucky for you, I'm going to have a nice, long holiday rest starting tomorrow. Actually, being on the computer is very relaxing for me and, thus, the long posts. I apologize.

I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving.

Joan

What did you do when you worked for the State Dept?

I was in the first grade and had tonsilitis the day Kennedy was assassinated. My grandmother was watching TV and she came in my room and to tell me.

The whole town where I lived closed for nearly a week. There was no school and no one was out playing or anything. In fact, my whole family was glued to the TV when Jack Ruby killed Oswald. What I remember most is how much my mother cried and cried during the television coverage. Both of my parent's were devastated that such a thing could even happen in the USA.

Emily

[MAP 55]

...When you think about it....that was the last day that America was America.....That horribly warren commission report.....and to see what a twisted sick world we live in , some greedy Scottish video game developer....has come out with an assisanination video game that makes you Oswald....What a sick world we live in........Mark my words, there will be a 9/11 video soon........

[pattisam]

I'd forgotten today was the 22nd, but once I heard the date, JFK was my first thought.

I was just a kid, but I remember the sadness. We, too, sat in front of the televison -- most likely CBS -- for the duration.

At ten, I was most amazed at Jackie, and how she found the strength to celebrate the kids' birthdays without fail, through all her grief, and the pomp and circumstance.

Joan Wonderful. Thank you for taking to time to share your personal recollections. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.

Thanks for the interesting essay Peter. I feel like I'm back in school again, but now, I want to learn.

Rest in Peace JFK

Never forgotten

[Rhodalee]

Ray -- thanks for posting this picture.

Rhodalee

[Tony]

God Bless you Mr President.

[Tricia]

I think he always will be my favorite. I just remember that, as a teen, he was the perfect president. We were all enthused by his energy and his attention to the young and his own great interest in everything. He encouraged the young to "Go forth with great viga!!" Remember? I even had Kennedy book covers on all my books and loved his sense of humour.

I felt safe with him as president, even through the Missle Crisis and those were dark, dark days. He was our hero.

I thank Frank Sinatra for his farsightedness (a word?) when he "Backed Jack" and helped Kennedy so enormously in West Virginia and just by his own support for JFK. I think Frank was right when he said, "I think he is a good man." I can see why FS gave JFK such undying loyalty and yet, I don't think JFK would have won without the support of FS. Too bad Joe Kennedy had to be part of the equation.

JFK was probably the first "Civil Rights" president and though he doesn't get credit for it, he had already set civil rights in motion. It may be one reason he was killed.

It was great to be a kid during the "thousand days." It was also a terrible shock, heartbreaking and life changing, to lose him to the assassination. I cried for 3 or 4 days straight.

Thanks Rhodalee, for your lovely and insightful memories. I know I was going through so much of what you wrote about and so lovingly. I would have done anything to be near, but I was 15 1/2. What a strange time it was.