Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968)
So many times in the past, those of us who have stood up for the rights of the human race, who have proposed and even implemented change, have been liked by a majority but through the hatred of the minority they are destroyed. Sometimes this destruction is literal, for example assassination. This was the case for Robert F. Kennedy, born on November 20th, 1925 and who died on June 5th, 1968, with three bullet wounds to his chest. This is who I will be talking about today.
In his forty three years of life, Robert F. Kennedy achieved so much. During his life, RFK gained the trust and respect of the American people, he delivered some of the most famous speeches of all time and gained some of the highest
…show more content…
I believe that the different characteristics that helped Robert F. Kennedy rise and become a powerful leader in the society that he lived in were that: * He was a persuasive speaker who used his charisma and honesty to gain the trust of the nation. * He was determined and this allowed for him to reach the multitude of goals that he set for himself, for example without this determination RFK would never have been able to implement any change in relation to the abolishment of racism in the Civil Rights Movement or the increased convictions of organised crime. * Through goal setting and planning, RFK was able to be a visionary and look at the big picture as well as try and achieve his goals through determination, assertiveness and proper resource management. For example, the increased convictions of organised crime would not have been achieved without RFK setting his goal and originally having the dream of alerting the American people of the corruptness of the Mafia. * RFK had the ability to work collaboratively with others, and although many cried nepotism when his brother gave him the position of Attorney-General, through the brothers’ cooperation and cohesiveness they actually achieved so much for the U.S. Shoulder to shoulder these two great men lead the U.S.
He ensured the construction of the Panama Canal, won the Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the Russo-Japanese War, reached a Gentleman’s Agreement on immigration with Japan, and conserved thousands of acres for national parks in the West. He used his leverage with the people and likeability to affect congress, and used his charm and geniality to influence foreign powers. He set the stage for the presidents who came after him in using the power of persuasion in the modern presidency. (Hargrove 98)
John F Kennedy's first leadership trait was articulating a vision. Kennedy had a vision to not just finish the cold war but win it. America ended up winning the cold in 1989 when the Berlin Wall came down. This is a quote from John F Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” ( John F Kennedy). John F Kennedy said this at a speech he was giving. He said this to the people of the country when they were in the cold war and he was hoping that they would end up winning and finish the war. Another quote from John F Kennedy. “Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.” (John F Kennedy). John F Kennedy had a vision to build schools for
Kennedy’s family are hard to ignore. King Arthur’s father was the king beforehand, and his brother, Sir Kay, became seneschal of all his lands. John F. Kennedy’s father was the Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and his brothers all were involved in politics long before John F. Kennedy became president. “Rather than the lightning strikes which characterized his brothers’ forays in national politics, Ted Kennedy became the master of the long slog, placing a deep imprint on the American fabric.” Both men were praised for the beauty of their wives, and for their pulchritudinous styles. Because of these family similarities, both King Arthur and John F. Kennedy are inexplicably similar.
One of the most beloved president in the history of the United States is John F. Kennedy. JFK is revered and esteemed as a champion of racial equality. This perception of him was delicately and strategically crafted by him through his performances during his presidential bid. However, JFK did not contribute much to the civil rights movement per se (). JFK did not produce many historical achievements in his term, which includes civil rights achievements (). Many experts even argue that the crucial Civil Rights Act of 1964 would’ve been either watered down or not even passed if JFK was not assassinated (). But shockingly, he is still seen in the eyes of many Americans as one of the main propellers of the advancement of civil rights. However, this perception combined with his assassination helped his successor, LBJ, to advance the civil rights movement. The perception of JFK as an avid advocate of the civil rights movement was more impactful than what he accomplished, but the perception he created helped propel movement to new heights.
Many Americans argue over whether John F. Kennedy was a good president. When simply grazing over the surface, it is easy to assume that Kennedy was indeed a superb president. From having a “perfect” family, handsome face, and possessing exceptional speaking skills, it would seem almost impossible for such an ideal man to have flaws. Only by digging deeper into the late president’s life and political affairs would Americans understand how lacking Kennedy truly was as president of one of the world’s leading nations. Kennedy was sluggish when it came to granting African Americans the rights they lacked and fought so strenuously for, his constant fear of the spread of communism also caused him to focus most of his attention on poor developing countries and less on the country he’s leading, and he also made careless mistakes which came at the cost of many innocent American lives at the Bay of Pigs.
John F. Kennedy had a very fascinating life growing up. John grew up in a very rich family. His parents had many different traditions that most families did not have. John had many health problems, and became very sick with scarlet fever. “John grew up in a wealthy and political family in Brookline, Massachusetts” (Nelson). Also, “John was not a very healthy baby, and his mother recorded the childhood diseases from which he suffered, such as: whooping cough, measles, and chickenpox” (The Life of John F. Kennedy). Lastly, “The future president also had trouble focusing on his studies and couldn’t even keep his room neat” (Hodge).Sense John had many health problems, his parents were very scared that John would not
As president of the executive branch, he showed the value of a trustworthy person. He stayed within bounds of presidential authority and orangized the executive
He had strong general convictions, he set his administrations overall priorities early on. He obviously placed his defensive buildup and his economic programs a head of everything else. He was very tactically flexible; he often showed no regret when he had to adjust to political opposition or to changed circumstances. He was also a great negotiator, setting his demands higher than the minimum, and accepting what he could get, making his decisions easily and promptly.
John F. Kennedy uses anaphora, calls to action, and appeals to ethos to achieve his purpose of creating freedom and peace in the world.
One of the strongest actions that he took was giving General Clay the podium. General Clay had jurisdiction over Berlin airlift, which brought millions of supplies to Berlin because of their entrapment. General Clay being presented by Kennedy immediately gained the favor of Berliners because of how much General Clay had done for them. This gave Kennedy power and attention of every Berliner that was watching him or listening to him. Doing this showed he was also flexible and did not need all the
difficult decisions--like what to do about the missiles in Cuba. Others admire his ability to inspire people with his eloquent speeches. Still others think his compassion and his willingness to fight for new government programs to help the poor, the elderly and the ill were most
John F Kennedy was a man that led this country and government with integrity he was a man that was for the people and he thought of the people in a very
That man, who has become somewhat of an icon in our nation’s history, possessed an aura and a charisma unlike any other prior president. Not only did this man possess a great deal of charisma, but he possessed a natural ability to draw together large masses of people in times of grief or strife. This charismatic leader was Ronald Reagan, but he would have let you call him Ronnie.
John F. Kennedy was symbolized as a young charismatic president that gained rapid public exposure and popularity with strong character and morals. Author Michael Dobbs posits:
Throughout history, presidents have always had a strong impact. In these two essays it was very obvious that John F. Kennedy impacted the people and government during his presidency, but these two authors had very different opinions of his true goals and accomplishments. The way that Carl M. Brauer’s essay describes John F. Kennedy’s involvement in the civil rights movement in comparison to Nick Bryant’s essay, was completely opposite, in Brauer’s essay, JFK was a leader and promoted youth and need for change. JFK was seen to leave behind a legacy of what he started rather than what he actually did. According to Bryant, John F. Kennedy was just doing what he could without actually getting truly involved and that he was only doing it for the image he wanted to portray to the people. JFK was explained to be lazy and selfish and only able to identify with those he could relate to: privileged.