This is my ONE!!! THOUSANDTH Blog Post of the Year 2011. I've been thinking a lot about what I would write about it. This blog entry will start by looking at the sons of Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Senior and His wife Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy.
Rose's Father was a Former Mayor of Boston. Joseph Senior was a man who chose to make his priority to become wealthy and influential " by any means necessary.". The Four Kennedy Brothers were raised to value wealth, political power and influence.
The father longed to be The President of The US. That never occurred! Early on, Joseph decided that his oldest son, Joseph Junior would become President Joe died while serving The US Military during World War II. He dies while flying on a secret mission when his plane exploded.
John, The Second son was elected President in 1960 and served as President From January 20Th ,1961 until his murder in Dallas on Friday, November 22ND, 1963. He is seen by many Americans as one of our Iconic President. Some people see him as a man who had style, intelligence, a quick wit. He was viewed as a pragmatist who was quickly evolving to become a more passionate and compassionate leader. This is energetically debated by many Presidential scholars. He is also widely considered as a man determined to live the good life and get the most out of every POSSIBLE opportunity to enjoy life, in all the joy and recklessness that that concept can encompass.
The Youngest Brother, born in 1932, was Edward Moore Kennedy aka Teddy! Teddy , looking at matters now, seems to have been far more comfortable with being a United States Senator. Edward battled with alcoholism and also seemed to be a bit reckless, perhaps inclined to act before thinking. He's also branded as a serial womanizer.
Teddy is also a man who is widely lionized as a man who seemed to care passionately for the poor, the under served, the dispossessed and the passed over. He is also seen as a type of patron saint of health care! Others see him as a man who wanted to see people more cared about rather than providing ways to encourage people to do all that is legal and within their own power and ability to achieve as much as they can individually to live the maximally best possible that they can for themselves.
The 3rd Son, Robert, served as Senate staffer through out the 1950's he is infamously connect to Senator Joseph Raymond McCarthy of Wisconsin. He is also lauded for the work he did during Senate investigation of Organized Crime. This Committee was chaired by Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee.
Robert served as Attorney General from 1961 until early 1964, He was elected to The Senate representing New York in the fall of 1964. He served as a Senator from 1965 until his murder in Los Angeles.
A few days ago, I finished reading a book entitled " Then Everything Changed" written by well known political analyst and commentator Jeff Greenfield. This book is a fictional work- it contains with in it 3 novellas- three well-written and spell binding tales of a genre known as Alternative History.
The First novella features John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Nikita Khruschev and Hubert Humphrey.. The 3RD Novella centers upon Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Gary Hart, The middle novella is focused upon Robert Kennedy!
Greenfield, very early in his career served as a speechwriter for Robert Kennedy. He helped me to view Senator Kennedy in a whole new way! On Page 246, Greenfield tells us the following information, " When he spoke of black unemployment, He would argue that " something more is needed" but he would add. " Let us make clear what " something more" is not.It is not a massive extension of welfare services or a new profusion of guidance counselors and psychiatrists." But,by 1968, welfare workers, guidance counselors and social workers were a part of a growing cadre of public employees who were becoming an important part of The Democratic Party Base."
On Page 247, Greenfield notes what Robert Kennedy believes is a developing "stereotype" of the Democratic Party, " Kennedy understood the political danger if the middle class came to view the Democratic Party of a growing government whose focus was primarily on the poor."
It does seem that Robert Kennedy gained some valuable insights that definitely need to be applied to Early 2012. He saw that Government had to be limited and contained. He truly understood that that the poor, the suffering, the disadvantaged and the broken need to be well-supported and well-championed. He also saw that they also need to be shown that they are valuable individuals and that their intelligence, creativity, initiative and desire to achieve and succeed would create a path out of poverty and dependence for them!
This is a message that I am convinced that NO!!! ONE!!! now running for The Presidency now understands, believes in and truly subscribes to. This is a shame. I believe that this paradigm that Robert Kennedy came to embrace in the last years of his life needs to become a life- enhancing social service paradigm in the 21St Century. George W. Bush often spoke of the " soft bigotry of lowered expectations". I can also imagine Robert Kennedy unashamedly saying those very same words. I'd long wondered why Robert Francis Kennedy was never very comfortable with Hubert Humphrey and truly detested and loathed Lyndon Baines Johnson. He powerfully disagreed with their ideas on problem solving, creating categories of people and writing legislation that created large agencies to insure that those problems were solved. He wanted a lighter and more personalized touch. Solve the problems that will keep a man or a woman from accessing their own best problem solving ability- themselves, their dreams, their desires and their deepest conviction and motivations and then get out of their way and do noting to impede or sabotage their progress to a better them and an ultimately better life.
As I type this I am dependent upon SSI, SSDI and subsidized housing. My fondest desire is for this to one day not be a statement that is true of me. I'm actively involved in finding a life- empowering way of escape that will lead to a quality life for me. I enjoy spending as much time as possible around cultured, bright, positive, well-spoken erudite and urbane men and women. I want this to become a more regular and frequent occurance in my life. I know that I can battle to make this so!
People with no hope of becoming better, living and acting better and desiring continuing improvement will become individuals who will live lives that will be bountiful, meaningful and prosperous! Robert Kennedy saw this as what America need to be. My dream for 2012 is that more of those who are elected to be of us and serve us will embrace this as the reality that we ALL need to live within!
- Johnny-
No comments:
Post a Comment