guest blogger Loise King Waller
The Kennedy Legacy
by guest blogger Loise King Waller, B.S. Political Science, summa cum laude, Boston University; J.D., University of Texas School of Law
From Joseph Kennedy‘s ambassadorship to England at a time when we were on the brink of WWII, the Kennedy family’s fate has, for better or worse, been inextricably linked with our nation’s. Although John Kennedy was young and untested when he took office in 1961 as President of the United States and presided over defeat at the Bay of Pigs, he finessed the Russians during the Cuban Missile Crisis and successfully avoided a nuclear showdown between the superpowers. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 would never have been passed without the initiative of his administration.
JFKs Attorney General, brother Robert Kennedy, courageously took on the mob, at great peril to himself and his family. His efforts to enfranchise minorities and mobilize antiwar sentiment during his ill-fated run for the presidency piqued the conscience of America.
Most people would agree that although he was not a perfect human being (who is?) Senator Ted Kennedy came of age as a distinguished statesman and tireless advocate of universal healthcare. We need him now. He will be missed.
To read more on the Kennedys on this site, scroll down the right sidebar to “Categories – People – Kennedys.”
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