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Rob Wick · 12-16-2012, 01:45 PM

(12-16-2012 12:38 PM)LincolnMan Wrote: Yes, JFK probably rates high because of his handling of the Cuban missile crisis.

Bill,

I seriously believe Kennedy's ranking comes because of his assassination, and because of those surrounding him who wrote hagiographic works on him. I once had the opportunity to meet Arthur Schlesinger Jr., and asked him if books like his have contributed to an inflated sense of who Kennedy was, and his reply was "if they have, the stern eye of history will take care of it." Something about that answer has always bothered me.

Best
Rob

LincolnMan · 12-16-2012, 01:49 PM

Perhaps then more time must pass before JFK's ranking can be scrutinized more accurately?

Rob Wick · 12-16-2012, 01:56 PM

I think so. And I think that rankings change over time. When Harry Truman left the White House, he was heartily disliked by a number of people and his presidency was considered by some to be a failure, yet today many look at him differently. Same is true of Gerald Ford. I can remember when he pardoned Nixon and how that basically cost him the 1976 election. Now, many say doing so was the best thing that could have happened to the country. Still not real sure about that, but I can understand why some would say that.

Best
Rob

LincolnMan · 12-16-2012, 07:40 PM

Yes, I too remember negative statements about President Ford's pardon of Nixon. As you say, I think people consider now that it was a good thing overall.

Gene C · 12-16-2012, 08:18 PM

One of the good things Nixon did was sign the National Cancer Act in 1971. He ordered Ft Detrick, the army's biological warfare facility, into a cancer research center. Many of the advancements in battling cancer can be attributed to his "War on Cancer".

LincolnMan · 12-17-2012, 09:16 AM

Is it still active as a research center today?

Gene C · 12-17-2012, 10:30 AM

I don't know.

Laurie Verge · 12-17-2012, 12:45 PM

Yes, it is. Ft. Detrick is about an hour from Surratt House and was a center for biological warfare experiments from 1943 until 1969. It is still a medical research center for that, but dealing more in prevention than experimentation, I think. Nixon's cancer research center there is now known as the National Cancer Institute-Frederick.

There has been a lot of controversy with residents of the town over the past decade because of the high incidents of cancer within communities that live close to the post. Many claim the air and water has been contaminated by the warfare experiments for years.

LincolnMan · 12-18-2012, 08:41 AM

That sure doesn't sound good!

LincolnMan · 12-22-2012, 08:24 AM

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Just thought I'd share this unique item with everyone. I was given a napkin box cover that is a log cabin. A friend gave it to me as a Christmas gift and said that it was a "Lincoln log cabin." How neat!