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The Myth of John F. Kennedy

 

            Some people consider him one of the best presidents of all time. Many others say there will never be another one like him. And yet there is still so much about John F. Kennedy that is ignored. The most shocking to me were his numerous affairs with women, including one with one of the biggest cultural icons of the time, Marilyn Monroe. So, why do Americans praise a man that made such controversial decisions throughout his entire tenure as a political figure and President of the United States? I believe this is because the Kennedy Myth is so powerful that Americans choose to ignore any questionable decision the President made before his assassination in 1963. I believe that because Americans had such a strong attachment to the Kennedy family they would rather pay tribute to him in any way they can but I would rather talk about the truth and debunk the myth. .
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             The myth of John F. Kennedy has to start with his family and their connection with the American people. They were put on a pedestal and "the combination of their faith and their wealth placed the Kennedy family into a microscopic minority" (Greene 21). Being from Massachusetts myself, I learned about the Kennedy's at a young age. It seemed like they had it all. Their importance as a family was unheard of: "The Kennedy family has been the subject of almost as many books as the Kennedy presidency" (Greene 21). There was always competition between the children to please John's father, Joseph Kennedy Sr. John F. Kennedy was not the one who was supposed to get into politics. It was supposed to be Joe Jr. because John was different compared to the rest of his siblings. He dealt with a lot of sicknesses during his childhood, including severe asthma. Also, a back injury in college would bother Kennedy the rest of his life. But he did have something that Joe Jr. did not have. John had a charm about him that made him "instantly likable, and his smile was both quick and sincere" (Greene 22).


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