We got to sleep in a bit this morning. After the kids did their schoolwork and I did some work, we went to lunch. Next stop was the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Museum and Library, south of the city. It is a beautiful building designed by I.M Pei.
I was only two years old when President Kennedy was assasinated, so this was a great opportunity to learn more about this man that was much loved and taken before his time. The exhibits displayed photos and artifacts from Jack's childhood, his service in the Navy, his rise to the presidency, and his tragic death. It also focused on the issues near to his heart and the crises he faced, both personal and political. He is best known for his work for civil rights, his handling of the Cuban missile crisis and his advancement of the space program. There was at least one entire section devoted to the first lady, Jackie, as well as the rest of the family, including his brother, Robert Kennedy. As can be expected, the museum painted J.F.K. in a most positive light. I wondered where we might find the exhibit detailing his many extra-marital exploits.
By today's standards, J.F.K. would most likely be labeled a conservative. His stand on tax cuts would have rivaled Bush's. He was definitely a proponent for lower taxes and smaller government. I think he would probably be ashamed of how the democrat party has been hijacked by ultra-liberal wackos who seek an ever expanding government and a morality void of any morality.
But I digress.
After the library, we drove to Cambridge to visit Harvard University, the nations oldest institution of higher learning. Most people don't know that Harvard was initially a seminary, serving to educate from the Holy Scriptures to train them as ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Today, one would be hard-pressed to find much more than a secular University, not only void of meaningful spiritual teaching, but inculcating the very opposite principles in the young skulls full of mush who pay (or whose parent's pay) top dollar for the "best education money can buy". What a shame that Harvard's glorious legacy has been tossed aside for pursuit of the almighty dollar.
The photo is a statue of John Harvard, the founder of the university. He was a young minister who died in 1638 and left his library and half his estate to the new institution. Check this page for more info on the history of Harvard. It's truly fascinating stuff. The area was VERY congested with a good many colorful characters roaming about. I was surprised to see so many beggars and homeless people lining the sidewalks.
We walked the campus for a bit and stumbled upon a very old church. I did not get a picture of the sign out front and can't recall the name, but legend has it that George and Martha Washington attended at one time. I sat in the pew where it was rumoured they had been. President Teddy Roosevelt was a Sunday School teacher at the very same church. There was an old cemetary next to the church. It contained dozens of bodies, with headstones dating as far back as the revolutionary war.
We stopped by a gift shop to get some Harvard junk (sweatshirt for Mary, tshirt for me, keychains for the kids) and made our way back to the car. It was dark and we were getting hungry. After dinner and a little family bonding, it was back to the hotel room. That brings you up to date!
I can't believe we have been gone 13 days. It FEELS like a month already. The days are a blur, one running into another. So far, we are holding up with only minor altercations. Tomorrow we'll head into Boston to see a boatload of historical sites. Until then...
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October 19, 2003 09:09 PM
Joel,
Your point about President Kennedy cutting taxes is a little misleading. When Kennedy was president, the top tax rate was around 70%. Just because Kennedy favored cutting the tax rate from such a high amount doesn't mean that if he were alive today that he would necessarily favor cutting the tax rate even more from today's lower brackets.
I'm not sure, either, on what basis you conclude that Kennedy favored smaller government. After all, Kennedy introduced Medicare, even though it wasn't passed until the Johnson administration. Many of Johnson's "Great Society" programs had their genesis in the Kennedy adminstration. Kennedy also supported a number of federal public works projects that would have been fairly expansive if passed. I would not dispute, however, that Kennedy was more conservative than today's Democrats. Bush is also more liberal in several areas than Republicans of 40 years ago, favoring more federal intervention in the public schools as well as a nation-wide prescription program, for instance. Bush has also supported agriculture subsidies and steel tarrifs, not exactly conservative positions.
Now, about that "jackass." I'd say it looks a lot more dignified than you do sitting on it. :-)
May 1, 2004 06:49 PM
Dear MR. mayor johnson,
The students at twelve cornors MIddle school have no appropiate place that is supervised, where they and their friends can hang out at a reasonable price. If there could be a place like this I know the students from grades 5th-8th could have fun and dance and parents could be secure and acknowledge that their children are safe that would be great. THere is a place like this in Chicago called the Checkerboard.
Thank you for your support,
Roe, Shay and Steffie