On this day 45 years ago the United States lost a young, vibrant, and visionary leader. Though it was 15 years before I was born, I still, for whatever reason, have great interest in this man and the time in which he led our country. Though I try to keep my focus on the truly important things he accomplished and dealt with while alive, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas has always been a topic of great interest to me. It had, obviously, huge historical and political implications for our country and the world at large.
Some historians have speculated on the, “What if Kennedy lived?” question, and really, to do so is quite a mental exercise in revisionist history. The 1960′s were a volatile but pivotal time in our history on many fronts – social equality, the Cold War, national security, and space exploration – among other things, were issues all on the table. I caught myself today thinking about this very intriguing question. What if JFK did live to serve through 1964, the end of his first term as President? What would he have accomplished? Surely, at least from what I know and have read, he would have been re-elected for a second term through 1968.
What great things did our country miss out on? Or did we?
I tend to think we and our country did miss out. Not only on a great man’s leadership, but on the fruits of his vision and related policy.
And you have to wonder…
Would we have had Nixon, Carter, or Reagan as Presidents – ever? Would the Bush’s still have risen to prominence?
What about NASA, the space shuttle, landing on Mars, and all the incredible innovation and discovery provided by space exploration – would we still have the benefit of that?
Would we have pulled out of Vietnam earlier?
These are just some of the tantalizing questions one can consider when playing this ‘what if’ game. Unfortunately that’s all we are left with. The man is gone, and it is up to history to decide his policy and leadership – his legacy – however brief it might have been. It is my opinion that he was a great American, a visionary and charismatic leader, and one of our best Presidents. I wish he, as well as all of us, could have seen it through to the end.
President John F. Kennedy would have been 91 years old today. Maybe he would still be alive today had he survived or avoided that fateful day in Dallas. I sure wish he had. Call me selfish, but I would have liked to have had the opportunity to get to know him (albeit from afar) in my lifetime.
One day I will visit his gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery to properly pay my respects.
Rest in peace, Mr. Kennedy.
