The Assassination That Changed the Nation

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In January of 1961, John F. Kennedy, or usually known by his initials JFK, became the 35th President of the United States. He was sworn in at the young age of 43, becoming the youngest man elected to office and the first of the Roman Catholic faith. Kennedy, a distinguished man of confidence, was known for his good looks, irresistible personality, and oratory skills. Kennedy is said to have “brought to public life not only the hard assets of leadership, but the rarest capacity to illuminate ideas by the grace of his personality and the clarity of his speech” (Freeman, par 5). Justin O'Neill in his article, “The Day The President Was Shot,” continues the idea stated by Freeman, asserting that “many Americans saw Kennedy as a symbol of hope - and of everything the U.S. could accomplish” (par 8). The United States was, of course, much different during the '60s than it is now. And Kennedy had desires to accomplish numerous things. However, there were several issues surrounding JFK's presidency. There was the bomb issue, in which the threat of nuclear war loomed over everyone's head. Kennedy wanted both the Soviet Union and the United States to cease the creation of nuclear weapons. Second, there was the intervention issue, in which Kennedy sought to prevent the progression of Communism. Additionally, the civil rights issue was in full effect. JFK supported both integration and civil right, and it was one of Kennedy's central problems in regards to the disagreement between blacks and whites. Despite those issues, Kennedy did rise to the occasion, by preventing a Nuclear Armageddon, establishing the Peace Corps, which was to encourage young individuals to seek mutual understanding of different cultures and nations, and funding the pr... ... middle of paper ... ...): 5. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. Freeman, John. "The Man We Trusted." New Statesman 142.5169 (2013): 27. Literary Reference Center. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. Herskovitz, John. “How The JFK Assassination Transformed Media Coverage.” Reuters. Thomas Reuters, 21 Nov. 2013. Web. 10 Mar. 2014 “JFK's Assassination, Frame By Frame: Key Stills From The Zapruder Film” TIME.com. 2014. Web. 10 Mar. 2014 Morrow, Lance, Hays Gorey, and John F. Stacks. "J.F.K. After 20 Years, The Question: How Good A President?." Time 122.21 (1983): 80. Publisher Provided Full Text Searching File. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. Moy, Ross. "Famous Trauma Victims - John F. Kennedy." Trauma 13.3 (2011): 245. Advanced Placement Source. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. O'Neill, Justin. "The Day The President Was Shot." Scholastic Scope 62.4 (2013): 4-9. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.

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