The Kennedys: American Martyrs

  John F. Kennedy remains the most enigmatic person to serve as president of the United States. He came from a wealthy socialite family with a tragic backstory and larger-than-life characters, and he had a record as a war hero who famously saved his comrade by taking his life vest in his teeth and swimming for half a mile. His wife, Jackie, and his children embodied an American family, and, as the youngest man elected president and a frequent guest on television, his youthfulness and relatability, alongside his actions, gave Americans a sense of hope and a sense of future achievement.

In his inauguration speech, he famously said, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country," and he certainly practiced what he preached. He led the nation through the tensest years of the Cold War. He created the Peace Corps and sought human rights globally. He created the goal of landing a man on the moon by the end of the decade, bringing the nation to new frontiers in the most literal and the most extreme sense of the word. In another "New Frontier," he sought domestic policies that kickstarted the American economy, cut taxes, expanded educational frontiers, and increased welfare benefits. This program laid the groundwork for the Johnson programs that cut poverty in half. He was also the first president to actively work toward civil rights, and by the end of the decade a number of laws regarding racial justice had been passed. He also broke borders as the only Catholic elected.

Much of the work with regards to civil rights was done by his younger brother Robert, who was an advocate for the poor, minorities, and other groups. As attorney general, he prosecuted the mafia and helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He later ran for president in 1968, and, in the likely case that he were elected, the nation would have been spared the disgrace of Watergate.

Alas, both lives were tragically cut short in gruesome fashion, dashing some of the hopes of untold Americans. While their legacies have endured and much of the work they fought for has been done, it is important to hold the feeling of hope and security that the Kennedys gave us and use it as we move into the future.