As Americans, we have grown up to view our national heroes as more than human. This is true with figures from George Washington to Franklin D. Roosevelt. And we sometimes struggle to separate fact from fiction.
James L. Loewen, author of “Lies My Teacher Told Me,” warns us of the consequences of idolizing people.
“Our educational media turn flesh-and-blood individuals into pious, perfect creatures, without conflicts, pain, credibility, or human interests,” he writes. John F. Kennedy falls into this category.
While in office, Kennedy had family and friends so faithful that acting outside of the “Kennedy Code” would mean exile from the circle.
For instance, those unwilling to follow Kennedy’s decisions to remove Fidel Castro from power in Cuba or increase the number of special advisors in Vietnam would be immediately ousted.
It seems this group of Kennedy devotees, or at least their descendants, have lost neither their public influence nor their personal passion for defending the Kennedy name.
Earlier this month, succumbing to pressure put forth by Kennedy advocates (including JFK’s daughter Caroline) and numerous historians, the History Channel decided against broadcasting an eight-hour mini-series entitled “The Kennedys.”
"We have concluded this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand,” the network said.
Certainly, there is more to it that that. The History Channel has completely finished filming and is set to broadcast the series abroad. It seems backlash at home prevented a U.S. premiere.
The same people who so vociferously opposed the series rightly trumpeted the inspired choice made last week by the John F. Kennedy Library to put vast amounts of presidential material online.
The Kennedy Library has made almost 200,000 documents and 1,500 photos readily available online, according to Reuters.
Exposing young audiences to exciting online multimedia and primary resources ensures a greater interest level for a generation growing up on the Internet.
This is a victory for JFK’s legacy. He attempted to be a more transparent president. He kept a historian on his staff and promised to ensure presidential documents would be available to the public.
Yet, as the History Channel controversy exposes, when not in control of the storyline, Kennedy supporters overextend themselves in feverous ways.
The concerns from the late Theodore Sorensen, Kennedy’s former speechwriter, undoubtedly have merit. Sorensen worried about the lack of accuracy surrounding events depicted by historians who have studied JFK’s presidency.
This episode teaches us about the levels of political influence today and the need for truth regarding our mythical heroes.
Narrowly focusing on how JFK may be viewed through one medium is simply wrong.
Rather, we should expose the truth by heralding the release of the presidential documents and allowing historians’ interpretations to speak for themselves.
Contact Zach at Zachary.Levin-Epstein@asu.edu
