I remember parts of that day vividly. They will forever be etched in my mind. The First Lady's pink suit. Watching her crawl out onto the back of the convertible trying to retrieve part of her husbands head. The doctor when he reported President Kennedy was dead. Watching Vice President Johnson being sworn into office as Jackie Kennedy stood close by...wondering what was going through all of their minds. Watching the news as Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested, then two days later actually watching the t.v. as Oswald was assassinated. It was a very hard time for our nation.
Something changed in our country that day. Something changed in my 14 year old mind as well. The images I saw on t.v and the articles I read in the paper did not make sense to me. I never once believed Oswald acted alone. It was the birth of my life long belief in certain conspiracy theories. When I shared these beliefs with my parents I was in so much trouble. Daddy informed me that he would tell me "what to believe and I would believe it." He was furious with me for questioning the facts, so I shut up and kept my theories to myself. I never once changed my mind.
President Kennedy was a hero of mine. He and his family brought youth and vitality to the White House. The Kennedy's were the reason I listened to the news. I have always wanted to believe when President Kennedy spoke these words, "Ask not what your country can do for you ...ask what you can do for your country" he was talking to the best in all of us. Perhaps those words need to be revisited once again. Love of country should replace love of money and loyalty to a certain party. Our country should not be for sale to any lobbyist's agenda.
Fifty years...hard to believe. If you were young when President Kennedy was assassinated, you are now old. The world we live in is very different from the world of 1963. For me "idealism" began to die that day in November in the city of Dallas, Texas and realism took root.
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