45 Years Ago Today
I was six, almost seven when, while waiting for the bus to take me home from first grade, the loudspeaker announced that President Kennedy had been killed in Dallas.
I knew it was bad. Being six though, I didn't gather the profound nature of it. After the announcement, we were told to stand for the national anthem. My teacher, the ever wonderful and beautiful Miss Brinson (who was all of 22, and if alive all these years later must be 67) stood next to me. She seemed like a giant next to my six year old body. But this this woman who everyone in my class loved (she brought Beatle records to class!) was shivering giant tears, uncontrollably.
Perhaps what I didn't realize two minutes before, I now knew. That a great man, a beloved man, had been murdered in the street. And those who knew of him, believers or not, could not help but cry copiously. I looked up at Miss Brinson as the anthem played, and as she cried, I began to as well. I was afraid. The young woman who was my strength and guide had lost hers.
I don't think we ever found our way back.
Joe Postove
I knew it was bad. Being six though, I didn't gather the profound nature of it. After the announcement, we were told to stand for the national anthem. My teacher, the ever wonderful and beautiful Miss Brinson (who was all of 22, and if alive all these years later must be 67) stood next to me. She seemed like a giant next to my six year old body. But this this woman who everyone in my class loved (she brought Beatle records to class!) was shivering giant tears, uncontrollably.
Perhaps what I didn't realize two minutes before, I now knew. That a great man, a beloved man, had been murdered in the street. And those who knew of him, believers or not, could not help but cry copiously. I looked up at Miss Brinson as the anthem played, and as she cried, I began to as well. I was afraid. The young woman who was my strength and guide had lost hers.
I don't think we ever found our way back.
Joe Postove
posted by Mr. Liberty at 9:08 AM
2 Comments:
I wish I thought that it was anything like that simple.
It is, of course, a horrible thing when a leader of a democratic country, who could easily be replaced nonviolently, is murdered. But Kennedy was far from a libertarian or a saint or even very competent, at least when it came to foreign policy matters.
So I really really doubt that his murder was some sort of definitive turning point in American history. If you want definitive turning points you might look to the reaction to the deterioration of the French Revolution, the incredibly corrupt Presidency of James Monroe, the insanity of Andrew Jackson and Teddy Roosevelt, the Civil War, WWI, WWII, etc.
Frankly, Kennedy was highly unpopular at the time of his murder and was, consequently, likely to become an ex-President in any case. So the fact that the country lost his "leadership," such as it was, several months early probably had little or no effect in itself. Of course, it did set up LBJ for a victory that he might otherwise have been denied had Kennedy voluntarily withdrawn, but that was simply yet another triumph of a mindless emotional reaction over rationality.
And so it goes.....
Very vivid memory there, Joe.
Hope you are doing well, and the library lady is treating you well.
~phil
Post a Comment
<< Home