Kennedy's Legacy

Most Americans who lived through the events of November 22, 1963 can remember exactly what they were doing when they received the news of the death of President John F. Kennedy. He's widely regarded as one of the greatest presidents in U.S. history, despite the fact that he was only in office for around 1,000 days. His approval ratings have in fact gone up since his death, as seen from the chart on the left. This week, flags flew half staff throughout the country, as the 50th anniversary of the events that occurred in Dealey Plaza passed. According to an article in the most recent edition of The Week,  "a Gallup poll showed that Americans still rate Kennedy as the best president since World War II, with 74 percent saying he was an outstanding or above average leader."

Kennedy represented a new era in leadership when he took office, he was a "youthful charmer who turned the White House into an idealistic 'Camelot,'" according to Doyle McManus of the Los Angeles Times. His increasing approval ratings seem shocking to historians. Many view him as a president who couldn't pass legislative initiatives, is blamed for the escalation of the conflict in Vietnam, and a relentless womanizer. A 1988 survey of historians named Kennedy the most overrated figure in American History, which begs the question, what did he really do in office? Americans value glamour, and when an innovator such as Kennedy and his presence comes around, he's bound to have his fair share of supporters. For the same reason that we have advertisements of the most visually appealing people that companies can find. Kennedy may have been thought of more because of his appearance (in comparison to the many men he followed, no offense to them) rather than his accomplishments. Kennedy's legacy has been embellished in my opinion, but I'd like to hear yours as well.

Honoring or Offending Veterans?

Anybody who watched College Football this past saturday was exposed to the uniforms that the Northwestern Wildcats wore in their 3/OT thriller against Michigan. The hyper-patriotic jerseys ever worn in sports will be auctioned off over the following weeks, all proceeds will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.

The jerseys have received mixed reviews thus far, with many voicing that the extra red in the design (seen in between the red streaks on the helmet to the left) appears to resemble blood spatter. Under Armour, the designer of the uniforms, released a statement saying that, "the suggestion that these uniforms are depicting streaks of blood is completely false and uninformed." Instead, they are meant to feature an "authentic distressed pattern which depicts a flag that has flown proudly for a long period of time."Which seems like the more reasonable claim based on first sight? I'll go with blood.

I personally love these jerseys and the cause they are going towards. Northwestern will have absolutely no trouble selling these jerseys for big money, and making a substantial contribution to a fantastic non-profit organization. Be that as it may, it is very understandable that these jerseys can be portrayed as offensive. The pride that Americans hold for their veterans is undeniable, monuments and propaganda nation-wide honor members of the armed forces. But, sometimes we go over the top. Northwestern and Under Armour should have toned it down a bit, and I think after this attempt at honoring America's vets, franchises and teams will take a more conservative approach.