JOSHUA BUYUKYILMAZ

Remembering Kennedy

By Joshua Buyukyilmaz

The article that you are about to read will provide you with a sense of hope, optimism, liberty and freedom. "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" were the first words of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK), the 35^th president of the United States and the first and only Irish-American President.

JFK was president for little over a thousand days – the ‘Camelot Era’. Camelot in romantic fiction and history was associated with the court of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Medieval romantics depict the city of Camelot as standing along a river. It is surrounded by plains and forests. It is a religious centre and was famed for the chivalry and courtesy of its inhabitants. It was a magical place and was also home to fabled magician, Merlin. It was a mythical, magical wonderful place, where anything was possible. In American contexts, the word ‘Camelot’ is used to refer admiringly to the presidency, of John F. Kennedy, as his term in office was said to have potential and promise for the future and many were inspired by Kennedy’s speeches, vision and policies.

At that time, Kennedy’s assassination had been compared to the fall of King Arthur. The lines “Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief, shining moment, that was known as Camelot,” from the musical Camelot, were quoted by his widow, Jacqueline as being from his favourite song in the score. “there’ll be great Presidents again,” she added, “but there’ll never be another Camelot again….it will never be that way again”.

I first became interested in JFK when my mum told me that when she was growing up in Ireland, on the wall were ‘photos of the Pope (John XX111), the Irish President (Eamon De Valera) and JFK. My mum spoke to me about the history of Ireland, English invasion/occupation, the Irish famine of 1845-1852 also known as the ‘Great Famine’ or the ‘Irish Potato Famine’. This was a period of mass starvation, disease, death and emigration to America by millions of Irish people. In the Irish language, this period in Irish history is also referred to as “an Gorta Mor (the Great Hunger). Many poor Irish tenant farmers at that time were dependent on the potato for food. The potato blight was a disease that ruined the potato crop and caused the potatoes to rot in the ground. The result of which was death and starvation for the people. This situation was made worse by a host of political, religious, social and economic issues, which remain the subject of division and debate in Ireland to this day. As a result of mass migration to America at this time, a strong and enduring relationship has existed between the two countries.

2011 marked the 50^th anniversary of JFK’s inauguration, and 2012 marked the 50^th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis. This summer, I visited New Ross in Wexford, Ireland. JFK’s ancestors had left this part of Ireland come to America to survive the famine. JFK himself made a now infamous trip to Ireland in June 1963. I followed in his footsteps and spent a wonderful afternoon at the old Kennedy homestead. I met with his third cousin, who still lives there and farms the surrounding land. I had a look around the family home and the memorabilia collected by the Kennedy family across the generations. I also had my ‘photo taken with the life sized statue of the president, which was unveiled in 2008 by JFK’s sister Jean Kennedy Smith on the quayside at New Ross.

JFK created the Peace Corps in 1961, with the intention that wealthy and privileged Americans should reach out to help those in undeveloped countries. The president was passionate about space exploration and he encouraged Americans to enter the space race. The first words JFK spoke about this were as follows “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish." Relations between America and Russia (U.S.S.R) at this time were not good. America was a capitalist country and Russia was communist. This period is often referred to as the “Cold War.” The Russians had already a head start in the race to explore space, sending its first satellite – sputnik-1, and first man and animal (Laika, the dog), to orbit the earth. Followed by first human in space and to orbit the earth – cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1. The space race between both these super powers was in attaining firsts in space exploration. This race was seen as being necessary for national security and was symbolic of technological and ideological superiority. The US called their space travellers astronauts. The first man to land on the moon was American astronaut Neil Armstrong in July 1969. In his speech at Rice University, Houston on the 12^th of September 1962, President Kennedy said “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard”.

He was against the use of nuclear weapons, and in 1962 during "The Cuban missile Crisis" he was instrumental in preventing a nuclear war. Russian leader, Premier Nikita Khrushchev was good friends with Fidel Castro who was the communist leader of Cuba. Cuba is located off the coast of Miami – 94 miles from the Florida Keys. Khrushchev gave money and weapons to Cuba. On the 14^th of October 1962, a CIA U-2 spy plane took photographs over Cuba. The photos showed intermediate-range ballistic missile sites being built in Cuba by the Soviets. Kennedy and his advisors came up with a number ideas of how to get rid of the missiles

Do nothing: American vulnerability to Soviet missiles was not new. Newly placed missiles in Cuba made little strategic difference in the military balance of power.
Diplomacy: Use diplomatic pressure to get the Soviet Union to remove the missiles.
Warning: Send a message to Castro to warn him of the grave danger he, and Cuba were in.
Blockade: Use the US Navy to block any missiles from arriving in Cuba.
Air strike: Use the US Air Force to attack all known missile sites. However Kennedy’s advisors told him that this could result in another "Pearl Harbor but in reverse"
Invasion: Full force invasion of Cuba and overthrow Castro.

JFK’s final decision was to create a naval quarantine also known as a blockade around Cuba. The U.S. Navy would stop and inspect all Soviet ships arriving off the cost of Cuba. Khrushchev also demanded that Kennedy remove American missiles from Turkey. Kennedy refused to do this, as he thought it would affect the balance of power between America and the Soviet Union. Eventually the U.S. publicly promised never to invade Cuba and privately decided to remove its missiles from Turkey. This crisis brought the world closer to nuclear war than it’s ever been before or since. This was followed by JFK’s Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963. His strong negotiating skills and personal beliefs were summed up in the following quote: “We must never negotiate out of fear, but we must never fear to negotiate” (JFK – 1961, United Nations).

In 1963, Kennedy instigated the Civil Rights Bill. He wanted America to be a nation where “race has no place in American life or law” - this with special reference to African-Americans. JFK inspired a generation of Americans to see public service as something to which all Americans should aspire. He was the first American President to use television to speak to the American people. He had a vision for the 1960s. He saw it as an era of change, some of which would be technological change and the spread of American influence around the world.

On Friday November 22^nd 1963, JFK was assassinated in Dallas. His brother Robert Kennedy who was also Attorney General of the US, quoted Shakespeare in his tribute to his brother: “When he shall die, take him and cut him out into the stars, and he shall make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun”.

In 1991 Academy Award winning filmmaker Oliver Stone made the film JFK staring Kevin Costner. In 1992 the FBI and the CIA released files about the Kennedy assassination; there are more files due to be released in 2017. The FBI and The CIA can still continue to black out certain information, so it is possible that we will never find out the truth about his assassination. 2013 marks the 50^th anniversary of his assassination.

Manny leaders have spoken of peace. I think JFK best sums up the desire for peace best: “Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children’s futures and we are all mortal”.

The more I have learnt about JKF, the more I have looked up to him as a personal hero. He has and continues to be a positive influence on me and my life. He was man and a president who possessed the ‘common touch’ and one who put his own personal ‘stamp’ and humor into politics. He can inspire you to consider entering public service. I also think that President Kennedy is the best president of the United States ever! - His talks, speeches etc on many issues are as relevant, inspiring and fresh today as when they were first delivered them.

I can also relate to the president on a medical level. Even though he had many different diseases and medical conditions such as Addison’s disease, the medicines that were available to treat the condition at the time were amphetamines which caused abscesses and which also brought on seizures. I can relate to this, as I also suffer with this medical condition. His spelling and grammar were not great either, and I can also relate to this!. Despite his medical and health challenges, he did not allow anything to stop him or to limit his ability to follow his dream to become president of the USA.

He wanted America to be a place where the impossible was possible and achievable. In practice this meant that anything was possible. In other words, if there is anything you want to do – you can with persistence, belief and hard work do/achieve it.

I admire JFK’s personal style and ‘look’. I like the way JFK interacted with and greeted people, he knew people’s names and made them feel important as individuals in their own right. When I watch and listen to his speeches I never fail to be inspired by them, his motto was - “if you can imagine it you can accomplish it”. President John F. Kennedy was and continues to be and icon of the 20^th Century. He was a man and a president of whom one can truly state was ahead of his time in every way!