Ellen Fitzpatrick

Opinion | The Thread Tying Together Everything Trump Does

Superb piece www.nytimes.com/2025/10/26/o...

1962 - JFK is interviewed in the Oval Office about his news-reading habits, and he stresses the importance of a free press that can criticize the president. - DVarchive Stock footage of 1962 - JFK is interviewed in the Oval Office about his news-reading habits, and he stresses the importance of a free press that can criticize the president.

JFK on press criticism of the president … 1962

www.dvarchive.com/921-4447/196...

Thanks for posting. Ditto. Most of what I’ve written is here including book reviews I forgot I wrote !

Well done Joanne. Great points, well made

Notably : “The men who create power make an indispensable contribution to the Nation's greatness, but the men who question power make a contribution just as indispensable, especially when that questioning is disinterested, for they determine whether we use power or power uses us.” JFK at Amherst

“In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation. “
JFK at Amherst 10/63

“In free society art is not a weapon and it does not belong to the sphere of polemics and ideology. . . [in democratic society] the highest duty of the writer, the composer, the artist is to remain true to himself and to let the chips fall where they may. “
JFK at Amherst 10/63

“If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth. “ JFK at Amherst 10/63

“If sometimes our great artists have been the most critical of our society, it is because their sensitivity and their concern for justice, which must motivate any true artist, makes him aware that our Nation fails short of its highest potential.” JFK at Amherst

The Kennedy Center was named for JFK to honor his vigorous defense of the arts. Since the current admin claims to value historical truth and fact, while ignoring it routinely, and seeks control over this space, they might wish to consider what JFK had to say: www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-...

What if History Died by Sanctioned Ignorance? newrepublic.com/article/1983... via @newrepublic.com

Why Harvard Has No Way Out

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/u... I’ll bet on Harvard on this one. To use the word “creativity” to describe this effort to dismantle the universities is repellant

Opinion | The President Will Destroy You Now

Tom Edsall puts his finger on some hard truths here. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/20/o...

Bravo, Heather. You lit another lantern tonight

April 18, 2025 Tonight I had the extraordinary privilege of speaking at the anniversary of the lighting of the lanterns in Boston’s Old North Church, which happened 250 years ago tonight.

April 18, 2025

There is a PR narrative quickly emerging about “entitlement” of elite universities, as if this $ is some sort of subsidy

Harvard & others must counter this quickly

The $ doesn’t flow into Harvard’s coffers - this is grant money, most of which goes to research the govt has agreed has social value

Harvard Will Not Comply With a List of Trump Administration Demands Federal officials said Harvard must enact “merit-based reform” in hiring and admissions, among other things. Harvard called the demands unlawful.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/u...
Harvard stands up

Time to flip the Trump message - “they are ripping us off” - and send it right back. “They are ripping YOU off” captures likely outcomes for millions of American citizens as the administrative state is gutted and bedrock security programs dating to the New Deal are being dismantled

4/ Rejecting any further discussion of the history, Vance said his concern was with diplomacy now and proceeded to excoriate Zelensky for “disrespecting” Trump and the U.S.
Responding to a perceived slight to Trump over the date, Vance escalated this and helped unleash the rest.

3/That’s when Vance leapt in - clearly responding to what he no doubt viewed as an embarrassment to Trump.

2/ Trump tried to correct Zelensky on the date - 2015 said Trump. “I wasn’t here” Zelensky : reiterated 2014 - as he continued the historical narrative - stressing Putin did not fulfill diplomatic agreements made thereafter and that no American president responded.

1/ Watching the Zelensky/ Trump / Vance meeting, fascinating to see the sharp escalation in tone followed Zelensky’s effort to describe the chronology of the war - emphasizing the 2014 incursion into Crimea as the start date of Russian aggression.

Lawrence I hope you feature this on your program. The library is a central repository for historical research and education, as you know, attracting visitors and scholars from all over the world.

JFK Library forced to close today when staff are summarily dismissed. A central repository in Boston for historical research and education.

Perhaps “learning something” is the answer to her question