JFK: John Fitzgerald Kennedy for the Layman

In light of all the awesome 50th anniversary Kennedy shows I stopped and watched JFK: In His Words on HBO. I think it's very important for my younger generation to learn about JFK and why he was such a polarizing figure. We're all too familiar with his horrible and untimely end and all that accompanies it, but we are often lost in why he was so important. It's debatable if a anyone has been more charismatic and charming to come along in the Presidency since JFK. I enjoy his speeches and video clips GREATLY. The HBO documentary is fantastic giving you insight into his rise to political power. He was loved by youth and minorities, which I don't think gets mentioned enough. I think that's a large part of why he's still talked about today. I loved watching how he took down Nixon in the first majorly televised Presidential campaigns. The first widely televised debate where his youth, vitality, and flat out good looks destroyed Nixon to the public. His charisma and charm (overused I know) took over and ran the race for him. He was American royalty, something that just doesn't exist today. I wish the focus wasn't on his death, but on his life and what he championed and stood for. You can only wonder about what could have been if he survived another term, or if his brother Robert could have made it into the highest office. He was born into great wealth, but it never defined him, or even seemed to matter. He was a WWII hero for the Navy. He was at home with the common man wherever he went. There were great videos of him shaking hands and politicking in the streets of MA for his Congressional seat. I just really enjoyed this documentary of all of the old footage and speeches. He was at home wherever he was and it was refreshing and enjoying. He was a great figure in our history, but I feel like my generation doesn't understand why. He stood for youth, change, and progress. The greatest disappointment is knowing him only for his gruesome end and not all that he accomplished in a very short time on earth and in office.