50 years ago on November 22, President John F. Kennedy was
assassinated. It was a historic moment
in the story of the United States. Most
adults who were alive in November of 1963 can tell you where they were when
they heard the President had been shot.
John Kennedy changed America and changed the presidency in
just the few short years he held the office.
He was the youngest president ever elected, the only Catholic, and a war
hero. His family was as close to
American royalty as one can get. He was
the second born son to Joseph and Rose Kennedy.
For most of his life, he accepted his position as second eldest. The high family expectations were placed on
his older brother, Joseph. Joe was to be
the politician and the face of the family.
Unfortunately, Joe was killed during World War II.
For his service during World War II, John Kennedy received
the Naval and Marine Corps Medal and qualified for the Purple Heart. The story of his heroics followed him into
politics and provided a strong foundation of his leadership qualities.
During his presidency he faced all kinds of obstacles,
foreign and domestic. This is the height
of the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the dawn of live television
coverage. For the first time in history
live news feeds captured events while they were happening and these images were
delivered to Americans across the country.
His youthful and energetic appearance played well on television. He had frequent issues with the communist
Soviet Union. He was at the helm as the
country came about as close to nuclear war as we would like during the Cuban
Missile Crisis. He set the agenda for
our journey into space and landing on the moon.
The 1960’s were a chaotic and exciting time in the United States and
John F. Kennedy was in the middle of it all.
Given the polarizing events of the 1960’s, Kennedy was not
loved by all. When tough decisions are
required, often groups feel alienated and rejected. To many John Kennedy was dangerous. This may be why Lee Harvey Oswald felt
compelled to assassinate him.
On a trip to Dallas, Texas, as the President, First Lady and
the Governor of Texas were driving through the city; John Kennedy was fatally
shot from a high powered rifle by a man in the Book Depository.
As a result of the brutal assassination as well as his
commitment to America, John Kennedy has gone down in history as an iconic president. The country and the news have been honoring
his memory as we are approaching the 50 anniversary of his death. Although the news specials have focused on
the events leading up to his death, it is the life he led that sets him apart.
This is a link to a site honoring JFK: http://www.jfk50.org/
What qualities do you think make a good president? Why?
Who is your favorite president and why?
If you do not have one, ask your parents or some other trusted
adult. If they don’t know, do some
research.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think that a president has to know what he's doing. He should probably have some experience in politics(Barack Obama was a senator). He should also be good with money, honest, and, of course, have faith and want to help the country. My favorite president is Andrew Jackson because he was a general in the war of 1812 and he was a good president except for his mistreatment of the Native Americans that has plagued American history. He served 2 terms in office and has had his portrait on numerous postage stamps.
DeleteI believe that a president must be someone willing to make a change. They must be ready to stand up for and understand the people's needs and beliefs. They also have to have a good character. Whether they're funny, smart, or athletic, they must have something that makes them stand out from everyone else. My favorite president is... well, if you had asked me that before I read this blog, I probably would have said Abraham Lincoln, because he did a lot for our country and without him, we would probably be a very troubled country. But after reading this blog, I think I might have a new favorite. I love the things Kennedy believed in, and how hard he tried to make them true. Even if not all of his dreams became reality, the world will never forget how hard he tried.
ReplyDeleteI think that a good president should be someone willing to stand up for what he or she believes in. A good president shouldn't be one to give up when the going gets tough. But don't get me wrong, they also have to have a soft side, also a side that is fair, last of all, a side that can make you feel comfortable.My favorite president is Abraham Lincoln, because of his bravery and perseverance. I also like the fact that he wasn't just a president. He really lived his life to the fullest. I also like his hat and beard.
ReplyDeleteI think qualities that make a good president are the ability to manage a country, charm, a good money keeper, someone who keeps their promises, someone who is ambitious, someone who is not afraid to move out of their comfort zone, and someone with new ideas. I believe that theses are good qualities because these are the characteristics of a good leader, just an all around good person, and of someone who is prepared for what is down the road. My favorite president is George Washington because well... first of all he was the first president and he set great examples for all the people that were and are presidents after him, and he is very humble for example when the people said he could have as many terms as he wanted he only did two and he did not let the power get to him. Also he had great ideas that have helped form the amazing country that we live in today.
ReplyDeleteI think there are a lot of qualities that make a good president. He has to be kind, patient, able to handle problems, a good money handler, and able to speak well. I think these characters make a president more able to make allies, lower the debt, and help the countries economy grow. My favorite president is George Washington because he sort of set the tone for the future presidents of the U.S. Also he fought in a war and lived so I think that's cool.
ReplyDeleteThere are too many qualities that i think a president should have. here are a few... they need to be kind,honest, respectful. they have to know about other countries, speak well, and know about what the people want. these qualities make the president more likable, and help them form relationships with other countries. My favorite president is probably Abraham Lincoln because he brought our country together and helped end the Civil War
ReplyDeleteThe qualities I love about presidents vary, but here are my favorites. I think a nice president would be full of ideas. I like when they make ideas that could change the world, like how JFK wanted to send people to the moon. I also like presidents who don't spend time supporting their own ideas.(Such as Obama Care.) I like presidents who have a positive attitude, and don't give up. Honestly, my favorite president is Thomas Jefferson because he wrote the Declaration of Independence to bring us together, and he was brave enough to send out explorers to build the United States.
ReplyDeleteI think each president has different qualities. These are my favorite. They should be able to respect other countries, have ideas that would help others out a lot, and be able to when some one thinks that an idea isn't good not put up a fight. My favorite president is actually John F. Kennedy because he had really good ideas and he was brave.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sophie that the qualities a president should have are honesty, respect, and kind and intelligence
ReplyDeletebecause he takes care of all the people in the UNITED STATES with his best ability and have faith in the president. My favorite president is President Obama because he seems like someone I can just sit down and talk to him.
I think some qualities a good president have are honesty and leadership because you are leading the U.S.A and you need to know how to communicate withe other people and leaders of the world. Along with leadership comes honesty because you don't want to lead people down the wrong path and you also don't want people to believe things that are not true. My favorite president is Abraham Lincoln, or honest Abe because he was against slavery, honest, and a great leader!!
ReplyDeleteQualities that I think would make a good president is trustworthiness, respect, and open-mindedness. Trustworthiness because if it's a person that doesn't have a good reputation you don't know if their risky or make good decisions. Also it's important to know about a persons history. Respect because you'll know if they treat the citizens fairly. Open-mindedness because they can interact with foreign country's better. I don't really have a favorite president, but I'll tell you two of my favorites Abraham Inchon and JFK. Lincoln because he help eliminate slavery. JFK because he kept his promises like how he said he was going to send someone to the moon and we did that already which shows he's honest.
ReplyDeleteGood qualities of a President are being a good speaker, respect, and someone who isn't serious all the time, some one who can lighten up. We wouldn't want a President who couldn't speak ,would we? Some one who was rude?I don't really have a favorite president, but if I had to pick one it would be Abraham Lincoln because he kept his calm during the Civil War and he had a beard.
ReplyDeleteI think that there are many qualities that make a goo d president. But one of the most important things I think is that they have to be willing to listen to the people of the United States and be willing to do something about our countries problems. I think a president has to understand what the countries needs are and there are many different people with many different opinions. After learning about JFK this week I think that he is my favorite president. He seemed to have the qualities listed above and the people seemed to like him very much. I wish i could have met him.
ReplyDeleteI think that a president with good qualities is a person that will tell the truth, respect other countries, try to solve problems with peace, and open-minded. I also think that America will want a president that is a leader not a follower, mostly because the president won't has someone to follow!my favorite president is JFK because just like Grace S. I think that it was awesome that he helped end slavery!
ReplyDeleteThe qualities that make a good president are being smart, peaceful, and patient. Those are good qualities because you have to know what to do, you have to be able to make peace with other countries, and you have to let everything take its time, like how the president has to wait out us being in debt. My favorite President is George Washington because he helped start this country and develop it.
ReplyDeleteThe qualities that make a good president are that they listen to the people and also have strong beliefs.my favorite President is George Washington because he was a strong leader and set the bar for all the other presidents to come.
ReplyDeleteThe qualities that make a good president are being trustworthy, responsible, and respectful of other people's opinions. They need to have these qualities if they're going to run our country. I think my favorite president is John F. Kennedy because he made a new perspective for people by saying different things, that presidents dont usually say, and he was the youngest president.
ReplyDeleteThe qualities that make a president good are being a good listener to people, being trustworthy,and being responsible and respectful of others and there opinions.If they weren't any of the ones i listed they couldn't be trusted as a president.Well i don't really have a favorite president but the one i like most is George Washington.I like George Washington because he helped let slaves free but not all he way free.Also because he led the country into the Revolutionary war.I also like his big hats he had on in all of the pictures i saw of him,i don't really know what they are called.So George Washington is the president i like the most right now.
ReplyDeleteI think the qualities that make a good president are #1. Listen to all peoples ideas, don't just automatically think that your ideas are the best. #2. Respecting peoples rights is also very important if you are going to be elected president. I think that these are important because if you are the president, you are representing the people. Therefore, you have to listen to all ideas and do what they want, because you aren't the US. My favorite president is Abraham Lincoln because he helped protect slaves to a certain extent, he also passed a lot of laws that we now follow by. I also think he was a strong leader.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many things that make up a god president. But some basic qualities are to be a good speaker. When the president goes to different countries to talk to their leaders we don't want our president being a weak speaker and saying um all the time. He also needs to be brave in a time of danger. My favorite president is George Washington. He is my favorite president because he is a war hero but he was also the first president. I mean how cool would that be, being the first of many presidents.
ReplyDeleteSome qualities that make him a good president is that he was young, smart, and a good speaker. these qualities are good for a president because if he is young younger people look up to him more and he is smart because he wanted everyone to be equal. My favorite president is George Washington because he shaped our nation to be the nation that we now know today.
ReplyDeleteGood quality's in a president are trustworthiness, honesty, and experience. I like JFK he was truly all those qualities. I don't really keep track of the presidents I just know JFK was open to his fan.
ReplyDeleteI think we needed a president who has fidelity and is honest. Or else he would be liar. My favorite president is JFK because he has those components and more like ho is selfless.
ReplyDeleteI think a president needs to be strong enough to do what he thinks is best for the US and not what everyone else wants. He needs to be an experienced leader. A president needs to inspire people. My favorite president is Thomas Jefferson. I like Thomas Jefferson because he bought the Louisiana Territory. He also sent Louis and Clark to explore the Northwest. He made our country bigger.
ReplyDeleteI think a president needs to be strong, leadership skills, and choose what is right. My favorite president is JFK because he is all those things. We could use another president like him. I like him because he was a very nice and honest person. Also he wasn't afraid to show his face in public.
ReplyDeleteI think being brave, strong, honest, able to make the right decisions without hesitation, and having good leadership skills makes a good president. A president having these qualities could lead to a good possible outcome. My favorite president is Ronald Reagan. I chose him because he believed in small government, helped cut our deficit, and a strong military. The best reason is because he is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI think a good president should have the countries best efforts at heart, be honest, try very hard to become/stay friendly for other countries, have at least some experience, and be able to make choices always based on what would be best for the country. I think this because if the president thinks mostly about his popularity, then things could go wrong. He/she would need to be confident enough about what they choose, so much that they didn't worry about the people that didn't agree with them. I wouldn't say that he did the best for our country, so therefore he's not my favorite, but I think that Richard Nixon had the most interesting presidency to learn about. I think that because apparently he was really smart, but made some really stupid decisions. I like to learn about his trickery and stuff.
ReplyDeleteThere are many qualities a good president must have such as dealing with failure well and handling things well under pressure.Well, just think about it.If a president messed up something big time he would be under that much more pressure.Then he would just mess up even more.As long as that president is doing what is right for our country they are my favorite president.
ReplyDeleteThere are many good qualities I think a president should have. He should be honest, trustworthy, and follow through with promises he makes. These qualities are important because I want to feel safe and secure with the decisions the person that is in charge of our country makes.
ReplyDeletePresident Regan is my favorite president because he brought our country together.
I think some qualities to have a good president would be brave, honest, trustworthy, strong, and happy.Ronald Reagan is my favorite president because gave better opportunity to legalize a family from other countries.
ReplyDeleteI think qualities that make a good president are leadership, honesty, courage, and the ability to compromise. These are important because I want to be able to trust the president and his choices. My favorite president is George W. Bush because he was president during 9/11 and he wasn't worried about his safety but the country's. He also showed us hope when every one was scared and unsure.
ReplyDeletethe qualities that make a good presedent are definetly integrety, faith, cooperability and stregnth. my favorite president just changed from geoge washington to john f kennedy. this man is truely incredible.
ReplyDeleteThe qualities I think president include but are not limited to: past experience, trustworthiness, social skills, leadership, good speaking skills (persuasiveness). Especially social skills b/c he couldn't have gotten elected or stay as president very long if he didn't have social skills. My favorite president is George Washington because he is the founder of our nation. His election was the only unanimous one ever. Looks like I'm not the only one who thinks George Washington is totally Awesome!!!
ReplyDelete