http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/do_history/decisions/images/johnson.jpg
I remember the unit we did on Johnson in US history. The final words on him were something like "yeah, he did some great stuff but Vietnam was the worst thing ever the end". I feel like people overlook him all of the time because his compassionate successes as a President were overshadowed by his failure in Vietnam.
Look at this guy. His presidency stared off with an assassination. An ASSASSINATION, ok? The country was sitting there, heartbroken and probably ridiculously uncertain about their future, and Johnson knows that everybody is expecting him to fix it. Meanwhile, he himself is shaken not only by Kennedy's death but also by the fact that he was definitely one of the targets in Dallas. One of the exhibits at LBJ showed this beautifully written letter from Jackie Kennedy to Johnson, where she talks about how he walked behind the casket even though his advisors told him it was dangerous, and how much this sign of respect meant to her family. THAT is compassion.
And what did he do with this tradgedy that had befallen the Presidency? He reassured. He comforted. And he UTILIZED. When I was studying US history, that for me was the most impressive thing about him: the way he channelled the grief that followed Kennedy's assassination to better society.
And what EXACTLY did he accomplish? What did he do?
A lot. His War on Poverty forced people to look past the facade of decadence and organization that America was emitting and realize that 1/5 of US citizens were in want. Not only that, but he helped them not just with money but with job training, health care, and expanded educational opportunities, giving them the tools they needed to get out of poverty and STAY OUT. Staying out of poverty was a stretch goal, but by giving people the tools necessary to do so, he made it a reality. For me, however, the most impressive of this legislation was the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, because it was these two pieces of legislation that he seriously PUSHED through congress after Kennedy's assassination, saying that it was, in essence, Kennedy's dying wish. Considering the racism and smoldering tempers that existed in America on this subject, I think this was definitely a stretch goal, and he treated this goal bravely, compassionately, and made it a reality in a genius way. An obvious comparison for these two acts is with Nelson Mandela, who helped bring SOuth Africa back together after the Apartheid.
But more important then what he did, in my book, is what he was TRYING to do. Look at his goals. Look at the name he gave them. GREAT SOCIETY.
In US history, the always start of the books talking about WHY this country was founded. As John Winthrop so eloquently put it, this place we're living was meant to be a "City upon a hill," a place of the utmost grace and goodness, of the strictest moral integrity. I feel like Johnson, with his efforts to put America back on track, to make us a Great Society, compassionate towards all of our citizens, really embodies this idea.
As for Vietnam... I feel like LBJ was pressured from all angles concerning this. He had good intentions; In fact, this whole country had good intentions. We wanted to spread democracy, to be that "city upon a hill" for the Vietnamese people. But this was one stretch goal that Johnson just did not have the tools to accomplish. I remember my history teacher saying that this was the first televised war, the first war where the Amercacn people really saw the Hell that war is and were constantly aware of our progress at the front. There were so many protests... I feel like maybe Johnson, in this arena, was partially beat out by the compassion of the American people towards those in Vietnam as they realized what a terrible thing war really is.
People wanted peace during Vietnam.
http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~bump/603B10/images/classLBJpeacecloseup.jpg
All in all, I really feel like Johnson, despite his failed foreign exploits, was a successful, compassionate, amazing president.
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