JFK jr

[[I know JFK did not get a full shake at being President, but how well would he be remembered if he were not killed? ]]
He would probably get his proper credit for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, arguably the most important (and positive) legislation in the Nation’s history.
[[Other than JFK, what have the Kennedy’s done that merits the title “America’s Royalty”?]]
RFK – Senator, AG who did the most (to that time, at least) to take on organized crime, and a man who would almost certainly have become President had he not been assassinated.

Ted – Senator and a man who would have almost surely become President if not for his adventure driving off the bridge.

Joe – US Rep

Patrick - US Rep

Decent start, anyway.

Is the coverage compromising other important news events? If so, I’m with you to some extent. Otherwise, It’s just relative proximity. Everybody knows Kennedy, so there is a story. I’m sure the missing average guy gets a lot of press in his home town. Maybe the networks should reconsider an obviously newsworthy story so as not to bruise a few delicate egos.

This sense of outrage that ‘anybody else’ or the ‘average guy’ wouldn’t get the same media treatment is a riot. The damn media just isn’t the pillar of egalitarian society it should be, is it. My advise is to try and die during your 15 minutes of fame and we’ll hold a parade for you, too.

Sitting there last night trying to escape the barrage of JFK JR the SEARCH on all the channels, a friend and I were sickened by the blitzkrieg reporting. Then, musing to ourselves we came up with two theories:

  1. Joe Kennedy must have made a pact with the devil to get one of his sons into the oval office and the price was to have none of his charismatic sons survive.

Our conspiracy theory du jour:
2) John John, sick of the media attention that has surrounded him his entire life took on his plane with him extra suitcases, seats, spare parts of the plane and tossed them out onto Long Island Sound before flying below radar with his wife and sister in law. He flew to a small private, isolated island in the caribbean where they live with Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Jim Morrison,Jmmy Hoffa ,DB Cooper, Bruce Lee, and Princess Diana. Living in opulent tropical splendor outside the reach of the long arm of the law of the Grand Jury in the Jon Benet Ramsey Case and the Investigation into Crop Circles, the newest residents enjoy for the first time in years media free moments. The trio were welcomed by the Islands inhabitants with a secret Illuminati Ceremony involving the original Coke recipe and gerbil stuffing before they learned what is really behind St. Peter’s Basilica’s Door and the third word that ended in “gry.”


People change not because they see the light but because they feel the heat.

Quote:

“The only other question I have doesn’t deal with media attention, but Coast Guard, Air Force, etc. I would like to think that any private plane that disappeared would get the same amount of rescue attention, but I find myself wondering…”
The only difference in the amount of resources thrown towards finding the plane and passengers, is the media attention on it. The effort would have been the same regardless of who was in the aircraft. I used to be a volunteeer member of the Civil Air Patrol and, over several years, participated in several air searches for ‘missing’ aircraft. The amount of resources dedicated to this search are about what would be dedicated towards any search of this type.

As a licensed pilot I am concerned that there will be a knee jerk reaction to this incident that could lead to further regulations concerning recreational aircraft. Each time I climb into an airplane (as pilot in command) I make a series of decisions. If I make them correctly, I arrive at my destination without incident. Flying accidents occur due to a series of events that combine to create a tragedy.

As for the media . . . .

CBS ignored the Princes Di announcement and that turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes they ever made.

Unfortunately, the TV broadcast media are driven by the Neilsen ratings and this incident is right in the middle of a ‘ratings sweep’ period. The July sweeps aren’t very important (as sweeps periods go) but I certainly wouldn’t want to be the News Director that made the decision NOT to provide the coverage.

On Monday it will be really interesting to read the ‘over nights’ to see what the ratings did over the past two days.

I’m looking forward to it.

Sensei
TV Station Chief Engineer

One of the women is the lt. governor of – Massachusetts(?)(that would make sense). I think her first name is Kathleen or Katherine; I know her last name is Townsend. I’ve heard her name bandied about as a possible V.P. candidate.

-Melin

Big Iron,

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 would have happened regardless of whether JFK ever even existed, and organized crime would have been fought without RFK

Other things to add to the Kennedy’s list of accomplishments - almost getting the U.S.A. nuked, having sex with a 14 year old babysitter, a drug overdose, killing a woman by driving off a bridge (or attempting to capitalize on her self-inflicted (accidental) death), rape… I’m sure there are other things I’m forgetting.

Hmmmmm…. I guess that actually is a damn fine start on the path to “Royalty”.

Since the Kennedy’s are so uniquely qualified for the positions they have held, I suppose we should look past their myriad indiscretions and scandals, for without them, where would we be?

Disclaimer – I realize that it is not the case that all of the Kennedy’s are bad apples. The scandals that have been made known, are the acts of individuals (as are any positive accomplishments). I’m simply trying to make the case that the exalted status of the Kennedy’s as a group is not so deserved. They are just a family (a very rich family), whose business is politics. Are they more deserving of exaltation than another family that is successful at another business (say one that produces private industry jobs)? Personally, I don’t think so.

That’s my two cents. Sarcasm has been used, but in a friendly manner. I love this discussion board mostly for its civility. Go ahead and be frustrated with me for being stupid (not seeing things your way) :wink: , but don’t get angry. (This last bit is for everyone, and is not directed at any one person.) :slight_smile:

Being that he and his family is a very big part of recent history (JFK’s + RFK’s assasination) don’t you think their children deserve the media coverage they are getting ?


Take Good Care, Scott E.

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is the Lt. Governor of Maryland. (You were close, Melin - they both start with an M!) :slight_smile: She’s expected to become the next governor, if she doesn’t end up running for vice president.

Shirley, I love your post!

Disclaimer – I realize that it is not the case that all of the Kennedy’s are bad apples.

Steve-o, thanks for the vote of confidence. Kennedy is my maiden name. Don’t think we’re related. Actually, hope we’re not; not with the seeming curse they’ve got on their end of the family tree!


…it has never been my way to bother much about things which you can’t cure.

  • A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court-Mark Twain

Duh, that was dumb:

Sheesh!!

Listening to some of what Rush Limblech was talking about for a bit today while taking a break at work today made me think. Fox was the only major news station to report this tragedy as the Kennedy-Bisset(sp?)Tragedy, since there was more than just JFK jr on board- every other station felt as if JFK jr was the only one on board. I can still remember what Dan Blather said, “Stay tuned as we look back on his life for the next several hours…”- which, right as he finished saying that I flipped the channel to watch ESPN. JFK, jr gave us very little in comparison to his dad, just a nice magazine and a cute mug… but nothing to be put him as Mr. All-American.


“I’m not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless information.”
– Calvin and Hobbes

I think even JFK, JR. himself would be a little upset about the coverage of his own demise. Maybe I just don’t pay much attention to the Kennedy’s, but he and Caroline seemed to have done a pretty good job living their adult lives away from alot of public scrutiny. Sure, dating people like Darryl Hannah and Madonna sort of messed that up a little, but all in all, he has tried to be a “normal” guy and have a normal marriage.

Much has been said about all the tragedy that has befallen this family, but think about it! They are a big family, at least 4 of them I can think of lived most of their lives in public service. There are many other large (and small) American families that had plenty of tragedies befall them, especially during war years. (I don’t count things like Chappaquidick or the William Kennedy Smith trial to be tragedies.)

Why do we need around the clock coverage complete with weather forcasts and endless replays of JFK’s assassination? Do they think we have FORGOTTEN how JFK #1 died? IMO, it is none of our business how the families grieve for their loved ones, which is the same way I felt about the Columbine shootings. After the initial shock, and report of the occurrence, why can’t they just leave the families alone. Maybe we as viewers need to let the networks know how we feel. Since Princess Diana’s death, this type of blanket coverage has become the norm.

First of all, my condolences to the Kennedy and Besset families.

I’m glad to see that some people are defending the coverage this is getting. Yes, I thought seeing the weather over Mass. today was a little excessive, but in terms of newsworthiness, this story epitomizes the word.
I was not alive during the 60’s but I know this family means a lot to people older than me. JFK Jr.'s dad won the closest election in history, and transformed the office from a bland suit position to something glamourous. He made people care. I do believe he is somewhat responsible, along with another great assassinated leader, for the successes of the Civil Rights Movement. He started the Peace Corps.
The Kennedy family has gone on to have a disproportionate share of unusual tragedies for a famous family, and a disproportionate share of public service.
JFK Jr. was notable. He did not succumb to booze or women, and he was LOADED with potential. He could easily be running for president in 20 years, if not for this weekend’s events. He is also the subject of the memorable image at his father’s funeral.
He really was someone to look up too, he was a nice, successful guy who used, but didn’t abuse the family name. A lot of us, myself included, wanted to be like him.
I say the coverage of him is deserved.

[[The Civil Rights Act of 1964 would have happened regardless of whether JFK ever even existed, and organized crime would have been fought without RFK]] Steve-O
But they actually DID IT – if you are going to go about demanding political accomplishments, you can’t go around saying that the ones accomplished don’t somehow count because they probably eventually would have happened anyway. Hey, someone would’ve gone to China if Nixon hadn’t, someone would have gotten the tax rate dropped from 70% if Reagan hadn’t, etc – so what? Politics depends on a lot more than any individual can do, in most cases.
[[Other things to add to the Kennedy’s list of accomplishments - almost getting the U.S.A. nuked, having sex with a 14 year old babysitter, a drug overdose, killing a woman by driving off a bridge (or attempting to capitalize on her self-inflicted (accidental) death), rape… I’m sure there are other things I’m forgetting.]]
Certainly they are not perfect (although if you are tossing the inflammatory rape charge in re Smith, he was acquitted – but then, Kennedys are always guilty of anything they are accused of, right?).
[[I’m simply trying to make the case that the exalted status of the Kennedy’s as a group is not so deserved. They are just a family (a very rich family), whose business is politics. Are they more deserving of exaltation than another family that is successful at another business (say one that produces private industry jobs)? Personally, I don’t think so.]]
You don’t see any connection to the “business” of politics and the role of royalty?

OK to start off, I will admit I’m biased. My mother was a JFK volunteer in 1960, and I still tear up whenever I hear Ted’s eulogy for Bobby. That said:

I am amazed at how the Kennedy haters have come out of the woodwork this weekend. On talk radio, here, on NPR. I freely admit that my generally low opinion of Nixon was not altered when he died.

When Reagan was shot, I didn’t hear people saying that he deserved it, or making jokes about it. When he finally goes I will have the class not to use the opportunity to write letters and call talk shows, telling people how bad he was for the country and what a poor example he set.

Yet this family, whatever you think of their politics, whatever bad choices a few of them have made, experienced a horrible tragedy this weekend. And here we are, talking about whether or not they deserved it! By the way, whatever risks might have been accepted by flying in those conditions, he was a licenced pilot – and one local official has said that the mist that night was “unexpected.” Not to mention the fact that driving is on the order of 500x as risky as flying – would he be accused of participating in risky behaviour if he had crashed while driving his family from New York to Massachusetts?

And it goes further – JFK and RFK brought it on themselves, by getting involved in national politics! No one said that here, but I’ve heard it at least twice today. So I guess Joseph and/or Kathleen are next, because this is a family that prides itself on public service and charity. Of all the rich people who involve themselves in politics, the Kennedys are the only ones I know of who have always been advocates for people less advantaged than themselves.

Of course, old Joe made his money bootlegging (worse than Capone? Is someone here going to accuse him of murder?). Since this is always brought up first by Kennedy-bashers I assume that you advocate – what? that they give the money back? Is Rockefeller’s money forever tainted? Is Getty’s?

And Teddy is guilty of manslaughter. It probably would have been pretty easy for him to leave politics after that, and would have saved him a lot of grief. But he felt that he had a significant contribution to make, and he has been one of the most effective senators for the past 30 years. I often wonder if his drinking problem was related to the fact that he watched his older brothers all die tragically, the last two shot down while trying to make the world a better place.

Yeah, they live a privledged life up there in Hyannis Port, in their compound. But at least they don’t lock the gates from the inside and demand tax breaks and the death penalty for homelessness. They come out and participate in society. So, even if you really hate them, could you allow some sort of mourning period before you start bashing them again?