50 YEARS I was 13 when JFK was murdered – old enough to understand what was happening but probably too immature to really grasp the impact of the event beyond the raw emotion it evoked. I think mostly I was in shock that such a thing could even happen. It seemed far removed from my adolescent reality. I had an afternoon paper route and vividly remember having to deliver papers very late that day because press time was delayed. As I grew older, I began to appreciate what the man stood for (at least in his public persona). However, in my opposition to the Vietnam War, I also understood that it was JFK who began the escalation of US involvement and that bothered me a lot. Though he voiced support for the Civil Rights movement, he was unwilling to engage the southern Democrats in Congress and it fell to his successor, Lyndon Johnson, to advance the cause. JFK will, of course, be remembered for staring down the Russians over the Cuban missile crisis (though we should not forget the disastrous Bay of Pigs adventure). He put the “race for the moon” front and center of national attention. I have to say I never liked his brother, Bobby, much. Bobby struck me as the colder maniuplator and in 1968 he entered the presidential primary race at the last minute against my hero, Eugene McCarthy, but that’s another story. At end of this day, it’s fitting to remember a fallen president and to grant him his due despite our differences.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 22:55:53 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015