John F. Kennedy Profile In Courage Essay Analysis

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, commonly referred to his initials JFK, was the 35th American President. He had accomplished major things throughout his term and was a role model to many. Born to the wealthy father, Joseph P. Kennedy and mother, Rose Kennedy on May 29, 1917, he was also named after his maternal grandfather, John Fitzgerald, the mayor of Boston. Growing up with nine siblings, Kennedy was the second oldest. He was raised into a Roman Catholic Family that focused widely on the Democratic Party and the basic principles that came with it. For most of his childhood, Kennedy was often sick in his childhood.

John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage discusses the presence of moral fiber, or courage, in the careers of 8 different Senators. Throughout the book, Kennedy tells accounts of how a select few Senators showed courage and displayed moral fiber by standing their ground on certain issues when their party and constituents were in great opposition to them. In Profiles of Courage, Kennedy dedicates one chapter to each Senator and his tale of courage. The following Senators were used: John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, Sam Houston, Edmund G. Ross, Lucius Lamar, George Norris, and Robert A. Taft.

Thesis Statement: President Kennedy proved to be one of the most remembered Presidents of America and inspires everyone, especially me.

As human beings, we live by our morals, outlining our ethical principles in distinguishing what is right from what is wrong. Our morals define who we are as a person, how we behave, how we communicate, and how we manage challenging situations. As stated by President John F. Kennedy, “a man does what he must – in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality” (225). In order to achieve and portray one’s morals and ethical principles regardless of the circumstances, a person must portray courage. As Ernest Hemingway defined it, “Grace under pressure (Kennedy 1).” According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, courage is the “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.” In the Pulitzer Prize winning book Profiles in Courage, written on 1957 by John F. Kennedy, some of the greatest deeds of political courage in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are discussed through the accounts of the historical events that inspired such acts and the consequences of those brave enough to carry them out. The author of the award winning memoir The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls, could not be considered a candidate for John F. Kennedy’s Profile in Courage Award because of the failure to fulfill of the requirements of the award, the type of courage portrayed, and the limited sphere of influence.

Kennedy uses facts and tons of background to back up his stories. Kennedy writes, “Calhoun, in spite of his appearance, had been born-in 1782, the same year as Webster and five years after Clay. He was six feet, two inches tall; a graduate of Yale University; a Member of Congress at the age of twenty-nine, a War Hawk who joined Henry Clay in driving the United States into the War of 1812” (54). By giving extensive background knowledge, Kennedy informs the reader of qualifications and achievements. It shows the reader that courage would be needed to argue against men of such caliber. It would be much easier to argue against an unqualified high school student as compared to a qualified member of Congress. Kennedy also writes about how the Senate used to be near the birth of the United States so he could fill them in on the different role of the Senate. Kennedy writes, “the Senate was to be less of a legislative body- where heated debates on vital issues would be followed anxiously by the public- and more of an executive council, passing on appointments and treaties and generally advising the President, without public galleries or even a journal of its own proceedings” (24). Kennedy fills in the reader to help educate them on how the Senate was different back when America was still a young country. It allows the reader to know that courage back then would have been to not conform to the senator’s party views

On a clear sunny day in Dallas Texas, November 22, 1963 to be exact, at about 12:30pm, the President's car rounded the curve in front of the Texas School Book Depository building and proceeded on to Main Street throughout Dally plaza. Shots rang out and the President was rushed to the nearby hospital and was declared dead at 1pm. The Vice President took the oath of office and flew back to Washington with the slain leader. The accused assassin was arrested, charged and then executed on national television in front of millions. Three days latter, the Texas officials in charge of the investigation declared the case closed and the new President set up a hand picked committee to investigate. The

John F. Kennedy, the 35th President and Pulitzer Prize winner, had since his college days, been interested in the subject of political courage. In Kennedy’s book, Profiles In Courage, he quoted Ernest Hemingway suggesting that one must have “grace under pressure” to truly be courageous. Senators who display political courage, risk at a minimum, their professional careers, to stand by their principles. These politicians withstand tremendous pressures placed on them by their family responsibilities, the States they represent, the parties to which they belong, the special interests which often subsidize their campaigns, their duties to their Nation and even their own personal ego needs and ethics. Recognizing so many competing obligations at play, JFK did not specify a narrow definition of political courage. Notwithstanding, to Kennedy a courageous politician does not succumb to these pressures; rather, he carefully navigates a very public minefield and successfully emerges with honor.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts, into one of the wealthiest families in the United States. Universally called "JFK," he became a millionaire at the age of 21 when his father gave him one million dollars, but politics and sports were of much more importance to him. He loved touch football, tennis, golf, sailing, and swimming. JFK attended Princeton University and Harvard, graduating from there cum laude. He attended Stanford University business school before serving in the U.S. Navy. He was a naval hero during World War 11 when his PT boat was cut in half and he helped to save the lives of his crew. Returning after the war, he was elected to Congress in 1946 and to the Senate in 1948 and

A leader’s legacy is portrayed in a multitude of ways: from the goals and dreams he sought for, from stories and memories of the people he’s touched, and from snapshots of his accomplishments. John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address of 1961, his most famous speech, “Inside Kennedy’s Inauguration, 50 Years On”, an article by Eleanor Clift that gives a detailed description of the president’s inauguration, and an image, “Inauguration of John F. Kennedy”, by the United States Army Corp, all convey the impact of John F. Kennedy in their own unique fashion. The legacy of John Fitzgerald Kennedy is expressed through a variety of similar and contrasting styles appealing to the same rhetorical appeals but further differentiated by their syntax and

These words said by a powerful president, who had helped this country not only be successful but a very strong country. John F. Kennedy said these words to tell Americans, you need to care for your country not just yourself. John F. Kennedy was not only a president but he was in the U.S. Navy, which I think means he has pride in his country and was willing to do anything he could do to make it a better place. In chronological order I will discuss John F. Kennedy’s life, his problems and struggles that made him a stronger man, and Kennedy’s accomplishments that helped change this country and the world.

In addition to the bill creating problems with equal health care representation, if the bill was passed, millions of Americans would have been left without healthcare. These changes were openly accepted among the Republican Party who argued that a shoddy place-holder was better than protecting a bill put in place by former President Barack Obama. The choice to vote against this bill forced McCain to go against the views of his own party and subjected him to criticism. However, just as John F Kennedy said, "A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all human morality” (Kennedy 266). By voting no McCain put the nation’s need before his own, capturing the very essence of John F. Kennedy’s Profiles in Courage.

On November 22 1963 former President John F Kennedy was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald. He became the second out of the two most remembered presidents to be killed, the first being Lincoln. However, most people believe that John Wilkes Booth killed Lincoln, but most people don’t think Oswald killed JFK. Ranging from his future-self killing his past self to other crazy theories like aliens, but 55% of our nation still think that JFK was involved by some government conspiracy at the time of his death. Right now in 2014 America some people still believe that the assassination of John F Kennedy was just a conspiracy, here we’ll see why and how this could have happened in our own state in our own country.

Dallek, R. (2003). An unfinished life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963. Boston: Little, Brown, and Co.

Robert Francis Kennedy was born on November 20, 1925 in Brookline Massachusetts. He was the seventh child, and third son of Rose Fitzgerald and Joe Kennedy . "I was the seventh of nine children," he later recalled, "and when you come from that far down you have to struggle to survive."( Alden Whitman, 2001).Compared to his brothers, Robert or Bobby as they all called him, was smaller and he struggled to match his brothers athleticism.

Throughout history, presidents have always had a strong impact. In these two essays it was very obvious that John F. Kennedy impacted the people and government during his presidency, but these two authors had very different opinions of his true goals and accomplishments. The way that Carl M. Brauer’s essay describes John F. Kennedy’s involvement in the civil rights movement in comparison to Nick Bryant’s essay, was completely opposite, in Brauer’s essay, JFK was a leader and promoted youth and need for change. JFK was seen to leave behind a legacy of what he started rather than what he actually did. According to Bryant, John F. Kennedy was just doing what he could without actually getting truly involved and that he was only doing it for the image he wanted to portray to the people. JFK was explained to be lazy and selfish and only able to identify with those he could relate to: privileged.