Today is the centennial of John Kennedy's birth. His family has often said the anniversary of his birth was a better time to remember him than the sad anniversary of his murder. It's pretty easy to agree with that.
No matter what you may have heard, the truth is few men have ever been President who were better suited to the office by dint of temperament, intelligence, education and life experience. As a result of those things he rightfully shaped our affairs for the better far beyond his tenure in office. He was a premier member of the greatest generation.
I guess as the result of the darker side of human nature and public debate we've heard a lot of other things as well. Some of that was motivated by a partisan, Nixon like, desire to deprive the other party of any type of hero. The rest is just foolishness.
Here's some things you never hear. By the time of Prohibition Joe Kennedy was a millionaire many times over. He was a Harvard graduate married to the daughter of the mayor of Boston. He, like so many people, realized Prohibition just wasn't going to last. He bought the rights to distribute various brands of liquor into the U S when those rights seemed worthless. That was the extent of his financial involvement with liquor other than his father had been a prominent saloon owner in Boston.
Have you heard this? These people led highly structured lives. In addition to all the documented public attention, for financial reasons and other legitimate considerations every detail of their travel and other social interactions are completely documented. This is true of most public figures, notably movie stars. These dry as dust tax and social records are rarely examined. When they are examined they prove beyond any gossip or doubt no assignation that's ever been reported could have possibly happened.
I don't know that John or Robert Kennedy were pure as the driven snow. I do know that records don't indicate any of the more titillating things that have been said about them ever could have happened as a matter of shear, physical impossibility.
So, Happy Birthday Mr President.
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