I have a secret to tell...I never quite know what to make of it when I hear people speak of John F. Kennedy. It is clear that people were inspired and driven by his passion and and eloquence, however, I have often chalked that up in my head as more a sign of the times than a sign of the man. As a life-long Democrat I always knew enough to never say it out loud, though...until today that is.
It was a different era. People trusted and believed in their political leaders more than they do today. It was a passionate time full of dramatic challenges on the civil rights front and miraculous achievements in the space race. It just seems like a time in history where people were looking to be inspired. I can see how it might have just been the right guy in the right place at the right time. I have always had a hard time imagining how a president or candidate can sincerely inspire a large portion of the United States...at least not in the world of today.
Now don't get me wrong, I know my history. I recognize the skills and the fortitude that Kennedy clearly possessed...I just couldn't seem to shake the feeling that he lucked into his gilded legacy. You must remember that I have never lived in a world where presidents don't disappoint.
I was born weeks before Nixon resigned. My first remembered president, Reagan, I recall as much for shredded documents as I do for tearing down walls. The first president I voted for, Clinton...well I don't really need to go any farther there do I? And finally G. W. Bush...the first president to make me feel truly hopeless and helpless about my ability to make the country a better place.
So where does that leave me today? That is the strange part of this story. A week ago I confidently settled on my pick for a candidate. Two days ago I cast a vote. On the evening of February 5 as I watched election returns and speeches on cable news. As I watched, I was inspired and it stunned me. I listened to a candidate speak and it gave me chills. I believed what I was being told, things could change, we really do have it in us.
I believe we are at a time in our history where we are capable of great change...Lord knows we have seen great challenge over the last 7 years. Perhaps it is possible for a nation to aspire to be more. Perhaps it is possible for a president to inspire...and maybe it doesn't matter if it has more to do with the individual or with the time in history. Maybe it really is all about us as a nation, not the candidate...and maybe that's how it should be. We should choose the right candidate to harness and guide our potential as it stands today.
I am cautiously inspired and I kind of like it.
1 comment:
as someone who does remember JFK at a young age, and who had her first political experience with his brother Robert, I can tell you that the feeling and spark that you feel when listening to Barack is the same. The same message, the same hope for the country. The world would have been immensely different had Bobby lived. He was on his way to becoming President. I truly hope that Barack gets there. I'll be out campaigning for him, making the phone calls, putting up signs, mailing letters. I hope you do the same. Those who feel passionate have to step up and overcome the great naysayers, and evil people in this country.
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