Eight reflections on my time in Newcastle

A few weekends ago I got to go and visit the wonderful city that is Newcastle upon Tyne.

Below are a few thoughts about my 8 years and three months in the North.

1. Faith

It would be wrong of me to not put this first on the list.

Although I went to Newcastle a Christian, I'm tremendously grateful for the growth in faith I experienced over my time there.

Through solid teaching and wonderful opportunities to serve I had some great times.

All of it was capped off by my time on the staff at JPC where I got to serve on a brilliant team and (hopefully) was able to help a few people.

And whilst I don’t agree with everything the church teaches and would change it in about a billion ways I am incredibly proud to be associated with it and the work it does.

2. Friendships

I left Newcastle with some incredible friendships which I treasure and hope will be long-lasting.

I had the privilege of meeting some truly beautiful women who have helped me and changed me a lot.

There’s no way I could call the guys ‘beautiful’, indeed ‘regularly showered’ wouldn’t be especially accurate.

But I'm incredibly grateful for their support and for those who were and are particularly close brothers whose prayers have upheld me.

3. International friendships

To my shame I didn’t have many friends from other countries until I studied for my Masters.

It really was a joy to spend part of that year learning about different cultures and ideas.

And it was incredibly good for me to be a white English male and to be in the minority – interacting with people from different backgrounds really is humbling and eye-opening.

In addition it’s great to know I have lots of accommodation options for holidays around the world!

4. Solitude

I really am a solitary figure and find a lot of rest and peace in my own company.

For a while this was quite a battle for me but I’m starting to find real it makes me happy.

It’s not that I don’t want to be around others (well actually it sort of is!), just simply that being on my own is how I recharge my batteries.

I’m determined to change and be a better people-person but also kinda like my life, so we’ll see what happens.

5. Relationships

Epic poems have been written about some people’s deep passions and erotic conquests.

In stark contrast, my love life barely has enough material for a mediocre haiku.

Being single at my age was nowhere near my plan but I’m aware that I couldn’t have upped sticks, moved to Norwich and become a videojournalist and newsreader if I was attached.

I’ve had a pretty good strike rate putting couples together but nothing ever worked out for me, with rapid rejection become the norm.

It’s just too hard, so (for the moment at least) I’m giving up.

6. Books

Those who know me know I love books.

Maybe it sounds crazy but my books are some of my best friends, teachers and companions.

They bring great people and amazing events into my living room and can be an incredible resource and an absolute joy.

One of the more revealing facts about the last few months - I’ve barely met anyone since moving to Norwich, but I have read six books!

7. The North

Before I moved to Newcastle I really didn’t get the North.

To me Geordies were a mysterious people who lived somewhere between Harrogate and Edinburgh.

In essence I thought they were Scottish Yorkshiremen - such is the ignorance of a southerner.

In fact they are an amazing people, helpful, kind and with an incredibly positive attitude.

Also if ever you need someone to punch a horse......

The North is also a beautiful part of the country, with a sunny day in Northumberland being a view to match anything else in the UK.

Add in the Lake District and the wonderful and magical place that is Lindisfarne and it’s a damn fine place to live.

8. Skills learnt

Over my time in Newcastle I learnt a few new things, some self-taught and some learned with others.

My Bible handling and knowledge increased greatly and hopefully allowed me to help others.

Also I got a great experience of pastoral work through being at JPC, working and chatting to people aged 0 to 90+.

The experiences all those people gave me were incredible.

Along with ministry stuff I left Newcastle a fully-trained journalist, able to hold a camera and point it in roughly the right direction AND having mastered the dark art of shorthand.

Add in rediscovering a love of rugby, qualifying as a skydiver and starting to learn to play the guitar and I took on quite a bit!

So there we are, eight things that spring to mind this evening.

I’m convinced that it’s good to review life and I think I’ve changed a lot.

In fact I can’t even imagine meeting the Mark Summers that came to Newcastle in September 2005.

Those changes are good though, part of the human journey of understanding that we’re all on.

Debate warmly encouraged.

My notepads

This is just a short entry but it’s one I wanted to write.

One of my major joys in life is writing and it’s something I do whenever I have free time and am alone.

Generally speaking I use what I would call reporter’s notepads, but I’ve written in everything from pretentious Moleskins to old school exercise books.

And I’ve been doing it for years. Years and years and years. In fact the earliest memory I have of doing it is writing about the Atlanta Olympics. So...yeah......a LONG time.

I just haven’t shared it with anyone until today.

I use my notepads to write down quotations I like, to plan out books I’ve never written and to write (awful) songs and poetry.

Almost all my blog posts were written up first as notepad entries.

See.

As were the sketch versions of talks I gave and Bible studies I’ve led.

But I’ve also used them as way of journaling life.

So :

- if I’ve met you, I’ve probably mentioned you in a notebook entry

- if I’ve led a Bible study with you in it, I’ve written about it in a notepad

- if I’ve led with you on a Christian camp, I’ve written about it in a notepad

- if we’ve studied together then, (guess what?!) I’ve written about it in a notepad

- if I’ve asked you out, then firstly my apologies but also I’ve written about it in a notepad

- if you’re a sports team I support then I’ve written about you in a notepad (normally with tears in my eyes due to you being PATHETIC)

- if I’ve worked alongside you, you’re mention in my notepads

- if you’re one of the few people who I’ve counselled about relationships then it will have been recorded in a notepad. Though I haven’t kept a tally of my success rate.

- if you’re a member of my family then I love you deeply....and you’ll have been mentioned a lot in my notepad entries

- if you’re the Bible or theology then you get a lot of mentions in my notepads

- if you’re a thought I’ve had while my brain has wandered to some random places then you were probably written down in a notepad

Finally, if you’re worried about what I’ve written being seen by others then please don’t be – the pads and other bits don’t stay around for long.

They all get lobbed away, so all my thoughts disappear.

It’s a tremendously cathartic process.

In fact the prompting for me writing this post comes from the fact that I’ve just thrown away my latest batch of pads.

Eight of them, covering September through to mid-March, are now being processed by the good folks at one of Norfolk County Council’s recycling plants.

In all this I’ve found my rambling musings to be incredibly enjoyable and the whole process one that gives me clarity on my thoughts and peace in my mind.

If you have a pen, quill, paper or papyrus to hand then please, give it a try.

Debate warmly encouraged

The New Job

I’m aware that my new job is still a mystery to some people as I didn’t get it until after I left Newcastle.

In fact when I left the Toon it looked like I was destined to live with my parents or move to New Zealand!

However I am incredibly fortunate to be working as a Video Journalist at Mustard TV,  part of the Archant organisation in Norwich.

To give you a bit of context, a while back the government approved a new channel for Freeview.

Known generically as channel 8, it will allow local broadcasters to put on programmes for people in a small area.

In Hull the channel 8 broadcaster is Estuary TV, in London it is London Live and so on and so on.

In Norwich it is Mustard, which will be putting out new bulletins at 5.30pm and then on the hour until 10pm, alongside showing documentaries and a daily magazine programme called The Mustard Show.

My role as a VJ will be going out to a story every day, filming it, editing and voicing it and then preparing it for broadcast, all pretty much entirely on my own.

Part of our broadcasting licence means that we send the BBC some of our footage every day, which means that my work might get onto any Beeb programme.

Which is kind of cool.

Hopefully I’ll also start presenting the bulletins but that will come with time.

I’m very fortunate that the editing software Mustard uses is the same one we used on my Masters and that I’m still able to use the shorthand and legal knowledge I got on my PA training course.

Basically it is the ideal job for me and exactly the kind of thing I wanted to get into when I started considering the future and looking at journalism two years ago.

In short, I’m very blessed.

If you want to find out more I’ve set up a Facebook page which I’m posting my reports on so you can ‘Like’ that to keep up to date or you can see all my reports here. 

I’m also on Twitter - @marksummers24

Meanwhile, if anyone wants to visit Norwich and say hi then I could do with the company.

Drop me a message if you’re interested!

So....yeah........about the blog...............

Good news for the 3 insomniacs who actually read this blog:

It’s back!

Seeing as I’ve now started working as a journalist, I’ve taken down everything theological as well as the posts that covered events in the UK.

I’m not quite sure what I can comment on but I thought I’d play it safe.

I suspect I’ll start a new blog soon that just focuses on events in the US at that is certainly where my interest lies.

I’ve not posted anything for a while because I’ve been incredibly busy moving to Norwich and getting settled.

Annoyingly, that means I’ve missed the chance to comment on several big stories.

Here’s a rundown:

- Chris Christie, personally my favourite US politician in terms of ideology, has ruined his chances to get the 2016 GOP nomination. Although he denies involvement, his staff plotted closing most of the lanes on a bridge to get their own back on a mayor who refused to support Christie’s recent re-election. Now he comes across as a bully and a liar (he MUST have known) and no one wants to be seen with him. With no support and a scandal brewing, he has a massive hill to climb. It does however go down as the scandal with the worst name ever – Bridgegate

- Hillary Clinton is the heir apparent to Obama in all but name. Several big names in the Democrat party have already all-but endorsed her and you suspect anyone running against her will really be trying to get their name on her ticket to be the next VP. She hasn’t announced her intention to run yet but she will run and will do incredibly well. As an aside she could face Jeb Bush, whose stock is definitely on the rise in the Republican Party. The Clinton v. Bush presidential election has happened before in 1992, though of course with different competitors (Bill v. George H.W.)

- Gay marriage continues to make its way across the US. It was legalised in Utah, one of the Republic’s most conservative states, back in December, though the District Court decision is stayed as an appeal court considers the case. SB 1062, a bill that would have legalised discrimination against gay people in Arizona, was not signed by the state’s governor due to significant pressure from businesses and the NFL (AZ will be home to Super Bowl XLIX). Hopefully the decision will mean similar laws in other states (SD, KA, MA, TN and CO) are killed off. District courts in OK and VA have ruled state-wide bans to be unconstitutional and the Supreme Court will also start considering case law soon. It will almost certainly defend gay marriage, though any federal law is still many years off due to the political make-up of Congress

- a former Governor of Virginia has been in court on bribery charges. Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen both pleaded not guilty to charges that connect them to a health supplement maker. They seem to have been in ridiculous amounts of debts and are alleged to have been given money, watches, rings and loaned a private jet. At the same time the company CEO met with state officials. The case will rumble on but removes a (no hope) candidate from the GOP list for 2016.

- Obama continues to muddle through. He got Obamacare passed and that it is now safe but he really is heading towards becoming insignificant. The lame duck period will begin once the nomination season gets into full swing but the Ukraine crisis (about which he can/will do very little) is potentially going to make him look impotent well before that.

US politics is absolutely fascinating so all of these stories will continue to rumble on. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep on top of all of them on the new blog.

I’ll put a couple of other posts on this blog covering my new job, my notebooks and my thoughts on leaving Newcastle over the next couple of days.

Apart from that, it’s good bye to Politics, Theology and Stuff!

Debate warmly encouraged

Hotspur School of Defence – Sword fighting feature

This is the feature I wrote for the press journalism course I'm currently on.

Sadly it is not going to be published but I've posted it here so some people (both of you) at least get to read it. 

All pictures are copyright Paul Norris and NCJ Media in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

“And all I need to do from here is twist my wrist and I’d cut your belly open.”

In any circumstance those words would be threatening, but when the blade of a medieval longsword is resting on your stomach they become particularly terrifying.

Fortunately the blade is blunt and the man holding it is Rob Brooks, 41, a keen hobbyist and the teacher at this Hotspur School of Defence session.

I went along to St Nicholas Parish Hall in Gosforth for a night to find out more about the world of medieval swordplay, what enthusiasts call historical fencing.

Many of us would probably expect this to look a bit like Hollywood battles – big lunging movements that involve heavy swords and epic amounts of muscles.

But Rob says this depiction simply isn’t realistic.

“None of the research supports what people see in films because if you make big movements you simply won’t be able to defend yourself.

“You’ll end up being killed pretty quickly.”

Instead the people at Hotspur practice skills that come straight from the time, using newly discovered manuscripts from the 14th and 15th centuries to better understand warfare.

They even use the original German and Italian terms as Rob and his students drill different methods of attacking and defending.

The first step was footwork, using Italian terms to advance and retreat and learn about body position.

Feet and body positioning would have been vital in combat as a way to gain an advantage over your opponent.

It was made very clear that even a slight slip or showing too much of your chest could have proved fatal.

After that the blades, specially made by experienced swordsmiths in Europe and blunted for people’s safety, started to make an appearance.

It wasn’t long before the rasp of metal hitting metal fills the hall as the group began to duel.

True to what was said earlier, the style used was nothing like a Hollywood portrayal.

Footwork was based on the balls of the feet, meaning that mobility was easy.

With the hands, a lose grip and swift but small wrist movements ensured the swords, which weigh only a couple of pounds, sliced through the air cleanly and quickly.

The end result was that, far from oafish heaving and panting, the movements were graceful, rapid and almost dance-like as the members moved across the hall.

Clearly though this was the result of years of study and practice, something I as a mere beginner could only watch and aspire to.

The School is very welcoming to newcomers and its structure allows them to progress through different types of weapon, becoming proficient in various types of medieval weaponry.

Complete beginners started with a broadsword and then go on to the messer, a German sword with a curved ending that was the most commonly used weapon of the period.

Members progressed through other weapons, such as the spear, pollaxe, and dagger and also learn unarmed wrestling, known in German as 'ringen' and in Italian as 'abrazzare'.

Rob said that holding onto these skills was vital.

“These are martial arts, and they represent a real link to our past.

“Like any martial art we learn discipline control, but we also learn about the history, science and the culture of the period.”

The amount of knowledge they had in the period was made all too clear when I faced up to Rob and his blade rested on my neck.

“Just six millimetres below your skin there are nerves that control your heart rate and your diaphragm.

“Cut there and your enemy hasn’t got a chance.

“People back then knew how important the neck and torso were and there are hundreds of methods outlined in attacking opponents to ensure a quick victory.

“Barely anyone concentrates on attacking the legs as all you do is leave yourself open to attack.

“Why go for someone’s legs when they get a clear strike on your head?”

Time to gulp and reflect on the detail and finesse involved and the brutal time Rob was talking about.

Warfare was common in the medieval period and noblemen could expect exposure to training and even battle from a young age.

One of the most prolific was Tancred, a Norman knight on the First Crusade who was famous for killing 40 men in combat by his 15th birthday.

Another fighter, Harry Percy, nicknamed “Hotspur” by the Scots (and from whom the School gets its name), took part in the siege of Berwick aged only 14.

The School is however for over-18s only because of the danger involved, though they have an unblemished safety record over their ten-year history.

Rob says that the methods used by historical fencers creates a much more realistic atmosphere for learning.

The main sources for historical fencing are recently studied 14th and 15th century books written in old dialects of Italian and German.

English sources would be used but, perhaps surprisingly given a long history of border battles, crusading and rebellion, there are very few manuscripts from the period.

Rob says that armed with this new academic research, interest in the martial art is growing.

“The whole area of research has grown massively in the last three decades, and we know so much more now then when I started in the 1990s.

“This has meant there is a renewed understanding of the whole area.

“The historical fencing community has grown from a handful of practitioners during the early 1990s to many thousands of enthusiasts today, spread across Europe, North America and Australasia.”

Having seen the group practice and had a go myself I was tired out and sweaty but certainly understood the interest and felt inspired by their efforts.

Backed up by good quality research they all have a passion to ensure important skills aren’t lost, even if they are currently misunderstood and misrepresented.

Watching them count out the moves and responding to orders in old German, I can only say I admire their efforts and interest.

Perhaps it’s best I say that though, I don’t want Tancred paying me a visit.

You can find out more on the Hotspur School of Defence by emailing hotspurschool@aol.com or by searching for them on Facebook.

Sidebar:

Hotspur School of Defence is part of the growing movement known as historical fencing.

The group particularly focuses on the works of the Italian master Fiore dei Liberi, who wrote “Fior de Battaglia” (Flower of Battle) around 1409.

“De Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi” (On the Art of Swordsmanship) by Filippo Vadi of Pisa, written between 1482 and 1487, is also used during their training.

German manuals are also consulted, especially the tradition and teachings of the 14th century grand-master Johannes Liechtenauer, though others, all original sources from the 15th century, are frequently used.

Diagrams found in Liberi's manual.....

....and another from a 15th century work by Hans Talhoffer.

LBJ was a great President

I will happily admit right now that I love LBJ. He is my favourite 20^th century President (different from “the best”, which is FDR, whilst Lincoln and Jefferson have to fight it out for my “best ever”) and whilst he made mistakes (some of them, especially concerning Vietnam, were absolutely terrible), out of his time in power come some of the most amazing stories and incredible legislation.

                                            

He is still underappreciated but I am convinced the time will come when people will really start to see him as one of the great Presidents of the USA.

First a bit of background – Lyndon Baines Johnson was a Southern Democrat, a beast that was becoming rare at the time as the South slowly became red all over.

He worked his way through both the House and the Senate, spending 30 years on Capitol Hill before running for the Democrat nomination.

Ultimately he failed to the bright, young and rich JFK but the man from Massachusetts offered him the ticket and he accepted.

It was a genius move from JFK, meaning that the scary, liberal and Catholic Northerner gained Southern votes and ultimately won the White House.

After the election, Johnson didn’t enjoy being VP – he was left powerless and was snubbed by many of those who were close to Kennedy, though the President himself tried to keep his VP in the loop.

His main role became taking part in diplomatic missions though he also headed up the task force that recommended to JFK that NASA try to land a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s.

This plan is commonly credited to JFK, and not many people know that LBJ played a leading role in both its creation and (once President) its completion, though Nixon got to hog the limelight when the crew of Apollo 11 returned.

All this changed though on November 22 1963. JFK is shot and LBJ (who was in the motorcade, though not the same vehicle) is sworn in on an aeroplane with the slain President’s widow at his side.

It was a shaky start, but over the next few years LBJ helped pass some of the greatest pieces of US legislation of the 20^th century.

His used both his Congressional experience and his Southern roots, twisting arms and guiding those who were unsure.

Aside from that he swore like an absolute trooper, and some of his insults are the best known amongst Presidents.

For what was needed, he was absolutely the best man for the job.

A quick rundown of what he achieved:

1964 saw the signing of the Civil Rights Act, which JFK tried hard to promote in public but about which actually did very little. If anyone doubts this, the only published study on JFK’s role in the civil rights fight is called ‘The Bystander’. Blunt but true.

Once in the White House, LBJ invoked JFK and was able to ride the national grief, but it was mainly his use of his Southern connections that helped him defeat a 57 day filibuster and pass the heavily pork-barrelled Act. Martin Luther King was at LBJ’s side when he signed the legislation that outlawed almost all forms of racial segregation.

1965 was a bumper year.

Johnson signed the Voting Rights Acts (again with MLK at his side), another victory for civil rights campaigners as it enforced federal monitoring of elections and removed blocks such as quizzes on current affairs as barriers to voting. This meant blacks were no longer (in all but law) banned from voting in many states and so could express their opinion, in turn electing their own black representatives.

LBJ also approved the Education Act, ensuring schools for all, signing it in the one room Texan school house he had been taught in.

Healthcare reform also came in, with the President approving help for those who struggled with health bills. Medicaid supported those who couldn’t afford it, whilst Medicare helped the over-65s who obviously had much bigger bills to pay.

Both systems remain in place and whilst they have many failings (and will have to adapt as the baby-boomers get older) they have done a great job.

All this was part of LBJ's “Great Society” (not Big Society!) campaign, which was supported on the Capitol by a Democratic majority and a divided GOP.

These promised bits of legislation also helped Johnson to victory in the 1964 election where he received 61% percent of the popular vote (still the largest share in US history) and an incredible 486 electoral votes (a record that was later beaten by Reagan in 1980 but still a remarkable tally).

LBJ’s domestic work was however overshadowed by the growing spectre of Vietnam, with the chant “Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?” becoming synonymous with the war.

LBJ himself hated the conflict, even calling it “that bitch of a war on the other side of the world”.

However he was committed to the cause and it was on his watch that thousands of US soldiers first got involved as combat troops rather than as the vaguely named “advisors” that Kennedy approved.

Other campaigns, in particular the highly controversial aerial bombing operation named Rolling Thunder, were approved by Johnson and led to the deaths of thousands.

Although he sought peace through the Paris talks they floundered at the basic level of the shape of the table that should be used and so he got nowhere.

Under LBJ public opinion changed, so these mistakes surrounding a futile and unpopular war in Vietnam helped bring him down.

LBJ realised this and announced on national TV that he wouldn’t run for election again in 1968, even though he could have done under the terms of the 22^nd Amendment.

His actions surrounding Vietnam ultimately split the Democratic Party as anti-war campaigners and LBJ fans supported different candidates, which led to a divided Convention and in turn gifted the Presidency to Nixon.

LBJ’s watch also included the other two great political assassinations of the 1960s, that of MLK on April 4^th 1968 and of Bobby Kennedy (Attorney General to his brother and at the time an anti-war candidate for the Democratic nomination) on June 6^th of the same year.

He spent his last few months in the White House reportedly pacing the corridors at night and staring at Presidential portraits, taking a particular shine to Woodrow Wilson.

I can’t help but think that he was all too aware that his name would always be linked to his mistakes in Vietnam, whilst his Presidency would be sandwiched between the assassinations of the most popular and divisive politicians and leaders of the period.

No doubt this was also the truth with the Moon landing – JFK announced the plan, Nixon welcomed home the heroes. LBJ recommended it, funded it and watched over its progress but doesn’t get the praise he deserves for his involvement.

Even more  is all the more unusual when one considers that LBJ did mull over the idea of bursting into the 1968 Convention, which could not decide on a candidate over multiple votes, and claiming the nomination.

The plan was turned down by the Secret Service (fortunately on security grounds, though also you hope some Democrat stooge told them it was a stupid idea) but you can’t help but think what might have happened. Nixon would have had a harder fight and LBJ might have overseen more of the Vietnamese negotiations. Whatever the case, I think he would be better appreciated than he is nowadays.

LBJ died in January 1973 after a massive heart, a day before the Vietnamese ceasefire was signed and just a few weeks after he would have resigned the Presidency had he won the 1968 election. Again, I just can’t help but wonder what might have been.......

Debate warmly encouraged.

JFK was not a great President

Initially I wrote the notes for this during a train journey back from London and I had aimed to put it online on Nov 22nd. However I chose to differ posting it to today so as to not cause any unnecessary offence. Sorry it is so long, it was a topic I was passionate about then I expected!

Two days ago the US and the world remembered the assassination of JFK.

In death he was made near-perfect and an American martyr was created.

Jack Kennedy was already known to be a war hero, a Pulitzer Prize winner and an international peacemaker.

Now through death he was elevated, immediately becoming a ‘great’ President and a model leader to which others would aspire.

Sadly though this version of JFK is mainly myth, a story that was created and fostered throughout his life and which was heavily promoted after his death.

The reality is that, although he didn’t waste his time in the White House, Kennedy’s martyr status is an illusion.

Instead, although through tragic circumstances, his death led to one of the great Presidencies of the 20^th century as Lyndon Baines Johnson took over the Oval Office.

Kennedy

JFK was part of a family which was carefully guided towards greatness by the Patriarch, Joseph.

Jack was a war hero as his boat (PT109) was rammed and he led his men to safety. He got his medals and ran for Congress and later the Senate, representing the state of Massachusetts in both.

His time in Congress was haphazard as he didn’t like the House and didn’t spend very long in the Senate. All in all he missed one third of the votes that took place during his time there.

Along with his political work, he had a spellbinding private life, marrying the incredibly beautiful Jackie and starting a family, whilst also winning the Pulitzer Prize for a book that profiled eight Senators (which was later revealed to have been written by his speechwriter).

Eventually JFK ran for the Big Job, gained the Democratic Party nomination and adopted LBJ as his running mate.

He beat incumbent VP Richard Nixon in a close election (the TV debate didn’t nearly have the affect the myth about it claims) and settled in to the White House.

And so the time of ‘Camelot’ was created, where beautiful and happy people lived a perfect existence in Washington DC basking in the glow of the youthful and vibrant President and First Lady. 

The look was made all the more amazing when the President solved the Cuban Missile Crisis and went on a glamorous tour of Europe.

The reality however was far from what the public saw.

Firstly the President was sick. Very sick. He denied through clever semantics having Addison’s disease during the 1960 election campaign.

However his condition, which affects the immune system, was coupled with searing back that he had had for years, and meant that JFK took large amounts of steroids and painkillers each day.

Perhaps most controversially the President was treated by Max Johnson (aka Dr Feelgood) whose methods were opposed by many medical professionals at the time.

Johnson would load up his patients (others included Marilyn Monroe and Elvis) with amphetamines without asking why they were needed or warning about health issues the treatment might cause.

Secondly JFK was not the family man that he liked to be portrayed as. Having followed his father’s advice to “get laid as often as possible” his conquests included the aforementioned Monroe and Marlene Dietrich along with several incredibly attractive secretaries.

Jackie endured the infidelity and their marriage was often saved due to the clear care they had for each other (witness Jackie’s reaction after JFK’s death), but the reality was that Kennedy traded in image. He needed to be seen to be a family man, and Jackie played the part perfectly.

I’m not saying that his being ill or sleeping around didn’t mean that he couldn’t be President, merely that he actively lived a different life from the one that was presented.

Politics based on style over substance already existed, but it was wholeheartedly embraced by the Kennedy team and the result is that sadly it remains with us to this day.

As for actual policies, JFK can claim to have helped the case for civil rights through an important speech that was broadcast on the major networks.

However domestically he did very little and his foreign policy isn’t much more impressive.

The moment that people refer to is the Cuban Missile Crisis, and it must be said that it was a massively important episode which he helped defuse, ending a stand-off that brought the Cold War closest to open hostilities.

However it must also be recognised that JFK helped create the problem through the Bay of Pigs fiasco the year before, where he tacitly supported an attempted coup against Castro but refused to give much US support to it.

1,600 dissidents invaded and several hundred were killed or executed alongside their CIA handlers. 1,200 eventually returned to the US but only after $500m was sent in food aid, a move that in essence helped increase the popularity of the regime Kennedy had hoped to topple.

Kennedy later announced a blockage of Cuba (a precursor to the illegal blockade the US still imposes today) but only after a friend managed to smuggle 1,200 of his favourite cigars out of Havana.

It is important to add that whilst Soviet missiles were removed from Cuba with great fanfare, the similar removal of US missiles from Turkey was done in secret.

Kennedy appeared as the victorious peacemaker, when in fact he helped create the problem and was dishonest about the solution.

Elsewhere on the foreign front JFK supported the South Vietnamese government and then supported their overthrow in a military coup which removed any democratic element from Saigon.

His further commitment of US troops only helped further the conflict, creating headaches for future Presidents.

Perhaps his biggest impact was out of this world when he committed the US to the space race and started off the Apollo project in 1961 when NASA hadn’t even got a man into orbit.

The agency’s budget was boosted by 30% and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the “magnificent desolation” of the lunar surface on July 20 1969.

This project though was based on an idea that Kennedy’s VP Lyndon Baines Johnson had, but more of that in my next post.

Overall therefore JFK’s legacy is shaky – pre-Presidency he was not an effective representative, whilst in the White House domestically his policy was very poor and when it came to foreign affairs he defused a potential nuclear war he had helped create and basked in the resulting glory during a European tour.

In short he was not nearly as effective as many biographers would want us to think.

I’m aware that I’ve been overly harsh in this and I don’t want to deny that JFK did some remarkable things. He just simply was not a great President, which people seem to just not realise.

Something in the human condition wants to us to think that deaths happen for a reason, something which is especially true when the death is of a young and supposedly ‘great’ individual.

However that just simply isn’t the case with JFK, and so the gloss of martyrdom that his death has been given doesn’t really ring true.

Perhaps though whilst his Presidency was ineffective, there is something that can be taken from his death which can so easily be forgotten.

After all, whilst done in the most brutal and unexpected way, Jack’s death summoned in the Presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson, the man who created and passed some of the greatest legislation in US history and the man who almost certainly wouldn’t have become President had JFK have lived through one (and possible two) terms.

My next post will have a look over the highs and lows of LBJ’s time in power, but I hope I make it clear that he was a remarkably effective (and flawed) leader.

LBJ is my favourite US President of the 20^th century, so don’t expect an unbiased write up!

Finally, while I’m here, just to put it down but not to go into it, there was no conspiracy within the government over the JFK assassination, so Alec Baldwin, Oliver Stone and others can shut up (my time in the Debate Society was not wasted!).

Debate warmly encouraged.