John-F.-Kennedy

JohnFitzgeraldKennedyLessonSeven“Asknotwhatthecountrycandoforyou，askwhatyoucandoforthecountry。”ContentsLifeofJohnF.KennedyFirstPartSecondPartThirdPartFourthPartGrowingUpintheKennedyFamilyWorldWarIIandaFutureinPoliticsBecomeingThe35thPresidentoftheUnitedStatesThePresidentisShotTheLegacyofJohnF.KennedyLifeofJohnF.KennedyRoseFitzgeraldKennedy,whowasaverydisciplinedandorganizedwoman,madethefollowingentryonanotecard,whenhersecondchildwasborn:JohnFitzgeraldKennedyBornBrookline,Mass.(83BealsStreet)May29,1917Inall,RoseFitzgeraldKennedywouldhaveninechildren,fourboysandfivegirls.JohnFitzgeraldKennedywasnamedinhonorofRose'sfather,JohnFrancisFitzgerald,theBostonMayorpopularlyknownasHoneyFitz.Jackwasnotaveryhealthybaby,andRoserecordedonhisnotecardthechildhooddiseasesfromwhichhesuffered,suchas:whoopingcough(百日咳),measles（麻疹）,chickenpox(水痘).OnFebruary20,1920whenJackwasnotyetthreeyearsold,hebecamesickwithscarletfever（猩红热）,ahighlycontagiousandthenpotentiallylife-threateningdisease.Hisfather,JosephPatrickKennedy,wasterrifiedthatlittleJackwoulddie.Hewenttothehospitaleverydaytobebyhisson'sside,andaboutamonthlaterJackrecovered.ButJackwasneververyhealthy,andbecausehewasalwayssufferingfromoneailment（小病）oranotherhisfamilyusedtojokeaboutthegreatriskamosquitotookinbitinghim–withsomeofhisbloodthemosquitowasalmostsuretodie!GrowingUpintheKennedyFamilyGrowingUpintheKennedyFamilyJackwasverypopularandhadmanyfriendsatChoate,aboardingschoolforadolescentboysinConnecticut（康乃迪克州）.Heplayedtennis,basketball,football,andgolfandalsoenjoyedreading.Jackhadaclever,individualistmind,hisHeadMasteroncenoted,thoughhewasnotthebeststudent.Hedidnotalwaysworkashardashecould,exceptinhistoryandEnglish,whichwerehisfavoritesubjects.NowJack,hisfatherwroteinaletteroneday,Idon'twanttogivetheimpressionthatIamanagger(爱唠叨的人),forgoodnessknowsIthinkthatistheworsethinganyparentcanbe,andIalsofeelthatyouknowifIdidn'treallyfeelyouhadthegoodsIwouldbemostcharitableinmyattitudetowardyourfailings.AfterlongexperienceinsizinguppeopleIdefinitelyknowyouhavethegoodsandyoucangoalongway…Itisverydifficulttomakeupfundamentalsthatyouhaveneglectedwhenyouwereveryyoung,andthatiswhyIamurgingyoutodothebestyoucan.Iamnotexpectingtoomuch,andIwillnotbedisappointedifyoudon'tturnouttobearealgenius,butIthinkyoucanbeareallyworthwhilecitizenwithgoodjudgmentandunderstanding.Thetwoeldestboyswereattractive,agreeable,andintelligentyoungmenandMr.Kennedyhadhighhopesforthemboth.Latein1937,Mr.KennedywasappointedUnitedStatesAmbassadortoEnglandandmovedtherewithhiswholefamily,withtheexceptionofJoeandJackwhowereatHarvard.Becauseofhisfather'sjob,JackbecameveryinterestedinEuropeanpoliticsandworldaffairs.AfterasummervisittoEnglandandothercountriesinEurope,JackreturnedtoHarvardmoreeagertolearnabouthistoryandgovernmentandtokeepupwithcurrentevents.JoeandJackfrequentlyreceivedlettersfromtheirfatherinEngland,whoinformedthemofthelatestnewsregardingtheconflictsandtensionsthateveryonefearedwouldsoonblowupintoafull-scalewar.AdolphHitlerruledGermanyandBenitoMussoliniruledItaly.Theybothhadstrongarmiesandwantedtotakelandfromothercountries.OnSeptember1,1939,GermanyinvadedPolandandWorldWarIIbegan.Bythistime,JackwasasenioratHarvardanddecidedtowritehisthesisonwhyGreatBritainwasunpreparedforwarwithGermany.ItwaslaterpublishedasabookcalledWhyEnglandSlept.InJune1940,JackgraduatedfromHarvard.HisfathersenthimacablegramfromLondon:TWOTHINGSIALWAYSKNEWABOUTYOUONETHATYOUARESMARTTWOTHATYOUAREASWELLGUYLOVEDAD.GrowingUpintheKennedyFamilyWorldWarIIbeganin1939andtheUnitedStatesenteredthewarin1941.JackandhisbrotherJoejoinedtheNavy.JoeflewairplanesandJackservedonapatroltorpedo(鱼雷)boat.InAugust1943,Jack'sboat,thePT-109,washitbyaJapaneseship.Jackhurthisbackinthecrashbutstillhelpedothermenswimtoanearbyisland.ThecrewwasrescuedandJackwasawardedtheNavyandMarineCorpsMedalforhisleadershipandcourage.Jack'sbrotherJoewasnotsolucky.HediedayearlaterwhenhisplaneblewupduringadangerousmissioninEurope.AfterseriousdiscussionswithJackabouthisfuture,JosephKennedyconvincedhimthatheshouldrunforCongressinMassachusetts'eleventhcongressionaldistrict,wherehewonin1946.ThiswasthebeginningofJack'spoliticalcareer.Astheyearswenton,JohnF.Kennedy,aDemocrat,servedthreeterms(sixyears)intheHouseofRepresentatives,andin1952hewaselectedtotheUSSenate.WorldWarIIandaFutureinPoliticsSoonafterbeingelectedsenator,JohnF.Kennedy,at36yearsofage,married24year-oldJacquelineBouvier.Unfortunately,earlyonintheirmarriage,SenatorKennedy’sbackstartedtohurtagainandhehadtwoseriousoperations.Whilerecoveringfromsurgery,hewroteabookaboutseveralUSSenatorswhohadriskedtheircareerstofightforthethingsinwhichtheybelieved.Thebook,calledProfilesinCourage,wasawardedthePulitzerPrizeforbiographyin1957.JohnF.Kennedywasbecomingapopularpolitician.In1956hewasalmostpickedtorunforvicepresident.Kennedynonethelessdecidedthathewouldrunforpresidentinthenextelection.HebeganworkingverylonghoursandtravelingallaroundtheUnitedStatesonweekends.OnJuly13,1960theDemocraticpartynominatedhimasitscandidateforpresident.InthegeneralelectiononN