Last night I was watching something on PBS called <a href=" http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/kennedys " TARGET=_blank>American Experience: The Kennedys</a>, about the famous Kennedy family. For those who are not from this area (Boston), the Kennedy family history, well, at least the Kennedy family, is sacred. The Kennedys are from the Boston area. JFK?s father, Joseph, raised his family in a Boston community called Brookline. Joseph, JFK and Edward (aka Ted) were congressmen and senators in Massachusetts. Ed (aka Ted) is still one of our senators. The Kennedy family is like royalty around here. So it was interesting to watch the show on them because I never realized some of the tragedy that family has gone through and some of the very interesting facts. Sure, we all know about JFK being assassinated. Most of us know about Robert being killed as well. But did you know that the eldest son, Joseph Jr., was killed during WW2. Or that the eldest daughter, Rosemary, was born with serious learning disabilities, institutionalized and was finally given a lobotomy. Did you know another sister, Kathleen, lost her first husband, a Brit, during World War Two and she herself was killed in a plane crash with her second husband. Or did you know that Joseph Sr., JFK?s father, was married to the daughter of John ?Honey Fitz? Fitzgerald, a popular Boston mayor. Joseph Sr. was once the 12th richest man in the country. He was the first chairman of the SEC and the ambassador to Great Britain right before WW2. When John F. Kennedy was three, he almost died of scarlet fever. When he entered the navy, his first job was clerical because of his health. Most of his life he had some kind of health issue. Robert was his campaign manager during his senate run as well as presidential run. Cool stuff.
I usually like biography or news magazine type programs but rarely find them well done. But this one was great. I recommend it.
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