The current issue of VANITY FAIR, which continues to make hay through the Kennedy dynasty in America, reminds us: This November is the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's murder in Dallas, Texas. We sure know what that means.
The bookstores will be displaying the classic and the newer books on that event. Television will run and re-run clips. The text media will carry opinion-editorials (op-eds) by famous people. And some wise-guy will resurrect the question about where we were when Kennedy was shot.
This year the rehash will be worse than ever. But it always is a force-fit of the past on the present. One way to stop this annual ritual is to not support it this year. Soon enough, for example, the low ratings for "specials" on the assassination will tell the powers-that-be that we have had it.
Full disclosure: That November 1963, I was a freshman at Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. On Facebook, my college classmates Lee Harrison, Charlotte Toal, Irene Nunn, and Kathleen Huebner haven't introduced the subject. I will do my best to keep it that way.
I am a child of the 60s and from Massachusetts. In high school I was president of the young Democrats and campaigned with a vengeance for JFK even though I wasn't old enough to vote. One day when he was traveling from Boston to Hartford on Rt 91, I organized our club to go out and stand on the highway and wait for his caravan. He stopped and I got to shake his hand. I will never for get JFK nor the horrible day on which he was taken from us. I can't help but wonder what he would think of our present day "non-governing, non-effective government and the shutdown". I grew up believing in leadership and that our elected officials were men and (although few at that time0 women were role models. I can no longer say that, with the exception of few. I still hold tight to my ideals. This is one area Jane, in which I RESPECTFULLY, disagree. I admired JFK, even with his faults. I DO remember and I want to remember and I want the youth of today to be exposed to his eloquence and the strength and wisdom he used in making difficult decisions such as the Cuba Missile Crisis. I wish more of our leaders had his brilliance and studied decision making skills. I will watch, I will remember, I will be thankful, and most likely, I will cry for the loss of his leadership to our country.
Posted by: Kathleen Huebner | 10/11/2013 at 11:40 AM