Forty-five years ago today, I was sitting in Mr. Merriman’s 9th grade Algebra I class at Fredonia Jr. High School, when Mr. Wilson, our principal, came on the intercom around 1 PM to announce that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. Our gym party for that night was cancelled, and we were told to go home immediately. A banner headline on our local newspaper’s front page confirmed the news that night. I’d never seen a banner headline in the Herald before.
For the next few days, I was transfixed by our back and white television, watching the events surrounding the assassination and funeral…the carriage drawing the president’s flagged-draped coffin, the prancing riderless horse, a solemn drum cadence that repeated itself so often that I can still hear it in my mind. Thump, thump thump, thuuuuump; thump thump, thump, thuuuuump; thump, thump, thump, thuuuuump; thump, thump, thu-thump. I suspect my older readers know exactly what I’m talking about and can hear it, too.
Then there was the assassination of the alleged assassin, which television cameras caught and repeated over and over again on the news.
It was a crazy time, and I recall thinking that other nations, specifically the USSR, might try to take advantage of our country in this confusion. After all, we’d done nuclear bomb drills in 5th grade. Our president was dead. Anything could happen.
--When the newspaper arrived this morning, I thumbed through the pages to see if there was any mention of this historic day…but nothing. Then I got on the internet to check AOL, even though I knew better. No mention of JFK, but Britney Spears is making a comeback. A check of the TV Guide, though, shows that The History Channel has some JFK specials on tonight.
I guess history isn’t news. Most of the people who remember living through the assassination aren’t the ones in charge of the media anymore. They have little to no recollection of what it was like to lose the Commander in Chief and wonder what was going to happen next. Other worries have taken over. The nation’s economy is a mess, the war in the middle east rages on, and Britney is trying to lose weight.
Time has thumped on.
4 comments:
I was in Home Ec. when the announcement came. I try eveytime I see my DIL law to instill a sense history. She didn't even understand how her candidate's position on gun control was causing a run on firarms here this weekend. I reminded her that Joe Biden is Mr. Gun Control originale. She was like, "Huh?" There is no sense of history anymore because it is not taught in the schools. We might look bad. What are the social implications, skip the facts. Makes me sick. You have to teach history in your own home to your own family or it will die with our generation. It's like they are done with Vietnam, too embarrassing. Kennedy, all they know is Ted and no one at all remember poor Mary Jo Kopeckni. We are in danger of losing all sense of context. If we don't learn from the past, how can we hope to deal maturely with our future? I share your sorrow.
They did have a PBS documentary on JFK ealier in the week. I watched in awe of everything that went on during that time. I also wondered where I was in History class, because I never remember it being pointed out that Oswald was only the alleged shooter! I guess, as stories go, the whole story is never told exactly the same again...
THE SHOW I'D PLANNED TO WATCH ON THE HISTORY CHANNEL LAST NIGHT AT 8 PM WASN'T ON!!! WAS I EVER TICKED! --JAIME, I GUESS I JUST REFERRED TO OSWALD AS THE ALLEGED ASSASSIN BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE WAS AT THE TIME HE WAS SHOT...HE'D NOT BEEN BROUGHT TO TRIAL YET. I THINK HE WAS KILLED A DAY OR SO BEFORE JFK'S FUNERAL. --IF YOU EVER GO TO DALLAS, BE SURE TO VISIT THE TEXAS SCHOOL DEPOSITORY MUSEUM FROM WHERE JFK WAS SHOT. IT'S QUITE INTERESTING, IF YOU'RE A HISTORY BUFF.
Well, "alleged" was a big part of the documentary I watched, too! I was just in amazement. I'd been thinking all along there was no doubt it was him, while in actuality, so many people swear it was a conspiracy! Let's just pray it doesn't happen to any more presidents!
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