The Kennedy family is as fascinating as the Roosevelts--and equally full of contradictions. They fought for the poor and underprivileged, but Joe Kennedy had his own first born daughter lobotomized, shipped away to a remote institution and isolated from the family because her mild behavioral and intellectual disabilities were inconvenient to the narrative of perfection and success he imparted to his sons. He was a king maker and a person breaker. There are many instances of artists, thinkers, and politicians who led very different public and private lives, committing heroic deeds in public while doing the opposite when the cameras were off. I think it's an open question: does a good deed cancel out a bad deed? Or vice versa? I think lots of folks would agree that The Kennedys achieved redemption through the great public projects they accomplished, but the disconnect between the image they presented to the world versus the reality of their private behavior is a jarring contrast.