John F. Kennedy....

[fajrdrako]

After reading acampbell's account of what she was doing the day JFK was assassinated made me want to do the same.

As a digression, John F. Kennedy caused my first awareness of politics and the wider world. At the time of his election in 1960 I read an article about it in Highlights for Children and went to my mother, excited about what I was reading. "I was just reading all about our new President," I announced.

She looked at me kindly. "No, dear," she said, and carefully explained that John F. Kennedy was the new president of the United States, which was a different country. Our country was Canada, she explained. We had magazines from the United States, but the leader of our country was the Prime Minister, Mr. John Diefenbaker.

I was fascinated, and impressed.

By the time Kennedy was shot, I was much more sophisticated and knew all about countries and Presidents. I was in grade six, and the class went on a field trip to one of the local newspapers, The Ottawa Journal, to see how a newspaper was made. We must have been near the end of the trip when the news broke. I remember the reporters looking at the messages coming in on ticket-tape strips; the excitement; the way we were quickly ushered home with an explanation of the news. We were speculating wildly on the bus all the way home. Who could have shot him? One kid suggested he might be revived, since they could save people from terrible injuries these days.

I went home, bursting through the door. "Mommy, President Kennedy's been shot!" She stared at me in total astonishment - I'll never forget her expression - and turned on the television. Yes, Kennedy had been shot.

It seems that the more we learn about that, the less we know. I don't think any thinking person who has paid attention can believe that the situation was as simple as it was made out to be; but the United States got through the situation all right, probably covering up unknown and dangerous truths for the sake of the greater good. Which shows more sense than you might expect.

Comments

[acampbell.livejournal.com]

I read an article about it in Highlights for Children

Heh. This was my favorite mag for quite awhile around 1st-2nd grade. Remind me to tell you sometime how it scarred me for life!!

It seems that the more we learn about that, the less we know

That's for sure. I'm constantly amazed now at how naive our viewpoint was, as Catholics. JFK was hardly the saint we thought he was, but his being the first Catholic president gave us a special camaraderie with him. My father was an emotional man with a heart of gold, but I don't recall ever seeing him cry as he did in the few weeks after JFK's death.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Remind me to tell you sometime how it scarred me for life!!

My goodness! I'm eager to hear.

My father was an emotional man with a heart of gold, but I don't recall ever seeing him cry as he did in the few weeks after JFK's death.

I can only imagine. Being in a different country we didn't have the emotional connection that Americans must have had, but even so it was a distressing event for us. An event that had huge impact internationally on many levels. It certainly made it clear to me at whatever age I was - eleven? - how the political/international sphere affects individuals personally - it made politics real.