The Life and Death of JFK: How One Man’s Death Changed the Lives of Millions
The third bullet sliced through John Kennedy’s thatch of thick reddish-brown hair. It cut a neat hole through his scalp and perforated his scalp. The velocity, and the physics of death did the rest. The right side of the presidents skull blew out-exploded, really- tearing open his scalp, and spewing skull fragments, blood, and brains several feet into the air where it hung for a few seconds, suspended in a pink cloud. (Swanson 113)
On November 22nd, 1963, 35th President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was shot in a stunningly gory fashion described above by author James L. Swanson. The death of one of the most culturally popular presidents of all time left the nation shocked, …show more content…
Kennedy represented his desire to quell bipartisanship in the government and gain appeal from both sides of the political spectrum. Most obvious of these policies was Kennedy’s unending support for the civil rights movement. In one predicament during the presidential race of 1960, Martin Luther King, the outspoken leader of the movement, was jailed in Georgia as a result of a civil rights march. Kennedy’s Republican opponent Richard Nixon refused to complicate himself with the affair. Kennedy on the other hand, made calls to the local police department, and personally contacted King’s wife during her husband’s imprisonment. King truly took this to heart, and publicly endorsed Kennedy; this huge gesture of appreciation was politically invaluable to Kennedy, who eventually won more than 70% of the nation’s African American vote that year. Further showing his support for the civil rights of blacks in America was his Executive Order 10925, which forced government contractors to disregard race, religion, or place of origin in the process of employment. Actions like these disenchanted many Southern voters who considered racial segregation a cornerstone of their society. Though Kennedy tried to allure as many voters to his ticket as possible, he still stood for what he believed in regardless of what others thought, a quality recognized by many Northerners who began to give their allegiance to Kennedy as a result of his actions. Another political action of Kennedy’s that showed his desire to appeal to the masses was his lasting support for Senator Joe McCarthy. McCarthy is infamous for initiating an assault on thousands of Americans, deeming numbers of government employees and Hollywood stars as being Communists. Kennedy was openly berated by various politicians of his own party for his backing of McCarthy and his cause. McCarthyism was initially widely popular among the public, and JFK’s support for the cause only served to strengthen
The third bullet sliced through John Kennedy’s thatch of thick reddish-brown hair. It cut a neat hole through his scalp and perforated his scalp. The velocity, and the physics of death did the rest. The right side of the presidents skull blew out-exploded, really- tearing open his scalp, and spewing skull fragments, blood, and brains several feet into the air where it hung for a few seconds, suspended in a pink cloud. (Swanson 113)
On November 22nd, 1963, 35th President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was shot in a stunningly gory fashion described above by author James L. Swanson. The death of one of the most culturally popular presidents of all time left the nation shocked, …show more content…
Kennedy represented his desire to quell bipartisanship in the government and gain appeal from both sides of the political spectrum. Most obvious of these policies was Kennedy’s unending support for the civil rights movement. In one predicament during the presidential race of 1960, Martin Luther King, the outspoken leader of the movement, was jailed in Georgia as a result of a civil rights march. Kennedy’s Republican opponent Richard Nixon refused to complicate himself with the affair. Kennedy on the other hand, made calls to the local police department, and personally contacted King’s wife during her husband’s imprisonment. King truly took this to heart, and publicly endorsed Kennedy; this huge gesture of appreciation was politically invaluable to Kennedy, who eventually won more than 70% of the nation’s African American vote that year. Further showing his support for the civil rights of blacks in America was his Executive Order 10925, which forced government contractors to disregard race, religion, or place of origin in the process of employment. Actions like these disenchanted many Southern voters who considered racial segregation a cornerstone of their society. Though Kennedy tried to allure as many voters to his ticket as possible, he still stood for what he believed in regardless of what others thought, a quality recognized by many Northerners who began to give their allegiance to Kennedy as a result of his actions. Another political action of Kennedy’s that showed his desire to appeal to the masses was his lasting support for Senator Joe McCarthy. McCarthy is infamous for initiating an assault on thousands of Americans, deeming numbers of government employees and Hollywood stars as being Communists. Kennedy was openly berated by various politicians of his own party for his backing of McCarthy and his cause. McCarthyism was initially widely popular among the public, and JFK’s support for the cause only served to strengthen