A visit to the JFK Museum in Hyannis

[PJMcK]

Each year, we spend the week between Christmas and New Years on Cape Cod. It's lovely in the off-season and without the crowds, it's quite wonderful.

Yesterday, we went to the John F. Kennedy Museum in Hyannis where the Kennedy family has owned a compound of homes for decades. The museum has a wonderful collection of memorabilia from the late President's life from infancy through his political career and the legacy he left behind. Here's their website:

https://jfkhyannismuseum.org

There are several exhibits that have video or audio recordings of President Kennedy's speeches. It stunned me to hear a president speak with intelligence, clarity, exuberance, vision and hopefulness.

The contrast with Trump was stunning.

What in the world has happened to our country?

[Sherman A1]

1. I have visited

The Truman, Carter, Clinton Presidential Libraries along with the Abraham Lincoln Library and all are superb. One thing that always is striking is the how classy they are in their presentations.

I have to wonder what the one that comes out of this presidency will look like....

[Scarsdale]

2. It will be like a circus

side show. Nothing "classy" about anything Trumpian. A collection of tweets, insulting people, calling everyone names. Very presidential. His legacy will be nothing but SLEAZE. The sooner the country can forget him and move on, the better for all concerned. Thank the gop for backing their "best and brightest"

[PJMcK]

7. JFK has two museums

The JFK Presidential library is located in Boston. It's terrific and beautiful and bittersweet.

The smaller, more personal museum is the one in Hyannis. It really focuses solely on Jack Kennedy the man more than his presidency. In fact and unsurprisingly, it was slightly hagiographic. The exhibits make one feel that very event in JFK's life was perfect. As an example, when we were leaving the building, my wife asked, "Where was the picture of Marilyn Monroe?!"

Still, it's a great overview of JFK, his wife and family and the events that shaped his life. There was another smaller exhibit focused on JFK, Jr.'s life. A quote from Senator Edward Kennedy's eulogy following JFK, Jr.'s death stood out:

"From the first day of his life, John seemed to belong not only to our family, but to the American family. The whole world knew his name before he did."

Another exhibit, “Creating Camelot: The Kennedy Photography of Jacques Lowe,” shows many of the intimate photographs that we know from Kennedy's presidency. A tragic side-story is that all of Lowe's negatives were stored in a vault in the World Trade Towers; they were destroyed on 9/11/01.

[Duppers]

3. What happened?

Last edited Sun Dec 29, 2019, 04:08 PM - Edit history (1)

Fox Lies, Rush Limbaugh, 1500 RW talk radio stations, & Citizens United.

Add in a number of well-placed Elmer Gantry preachers, big oil interests, a Putin looking to regain old Soviet-type power, Racism, and we then have a Donald Trump.

Propaganda works on weak-minded, disgruntled Americans looking to blame the wrong ppl for their woes

Btw, here's a tidbit: did you know that the Citizens United case was brought by a group chaired by David Bossie, who later was Trump’s deputy campaign manager?

So, it's been Corporate take-over of media, the courts, and our country.

Did I leave anything off?

[malaise]

5. Nailed it

how to counter this is the real question

[XRubicon]

10. +1

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. I cried when I visited that museum about 20 years ago.

The thought of what we had lost was too much. Have you driven down to the Kennedy compound? It's pretty easy to find. You can only look at it from a distance, but it's worth it because it's such a beautiful place.

[PJMcK]

8. The Kennedy compound

Last year, we walked along the beach and we were able to walk past the Kennedy estate. It's beautiful and elegant. It appeared that no one was there and we guessed that was why we were able to walk on the beach.

[greatauntoftriplets]

9. Wow, that must have been wonderful!

Every time I've been there, it's been closed off. But I've never seen anyone in there. The first time was when I was young, and JFK was president. A big crowd had gathered, which was how we figured out that was the location. At the time, there was a small shop on that street. but that was gone on my last visit.

[TuxedoKat]

6. Presidential Museums

Are great. I have been to FDR's, JFK's, Truman's and Herbert Hoover's. I was about 10 or 11 when we visited Hoover's, wasn't expecting to find it interesting but I was fascinated. The one exhibit that really touched me were flour sacks sent to Belgium by Hoover during WWI were sent back to the president embroidered with designs by school children and others in thanks.

https://hoover.archives.gov/exhibits/years-compassion-1914-1923

Truman's library has beautiful murals painted by his friend, the artist Thomas Hart Benton.

JFK museum was very moving, as was FDR's.

[2naSalit]

11. Wow...

I haven't been back there for decades. I spent much of my early childhood in Hyannis/Centerville. The family estate was sold a few years back but I still recall long summer days and many Christmas holidays at the "the Cape". Haven't thought about that in a while, thanks for sparking the memories!

Guess I should go visit and see this museum while there, during the off season!