53 years later

[Gaybutton]

Today, November 22, 2016 marks 53 years since the John F. Kennedy assassination. It's hard to believe so many years have already gone by. If JFK were alive today, he would be 99 years old.

Nearly everybody old enough can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they first heard the news. I was in school. The principal came over the intercom and announced that Kennedy was dead, that he had been shot and killed. She said she is dismissing school in 10 minutes and wants everyone to go directly home.

As you can imagine, we were all in a state of utter shock. The poor teacher had to deal with it. All he could think of to say was there isn't anything we can do about it and just go home, like the principal says. One of the girls asked, "Are we at war?" We all were not only shocked, but also somewhat frightened. It had only been one year since the Cuban missile crisis. The girl asked an appropriate question. Nobody at that point had any idea what had happened.

I also remember vividly two days later. My mother was in the kitchen, probably preparing something for Thanksgiving. My father and I were in another room, glued to the TV. We were watching when Jack Ruby stepped out of the crowd and shot Oswald. My father cried out, "Oh my god! Somebody just shot Oswald." From the kitchen came my mother's voice. "Good!"

What about you? If you're old enough to remember, where were you and what were you doing?

And Geezer - not that you're particularly old, but where were you and what were you doing when you heard Lincoln had been shot . . . ?

[travelerjim]

And I wonder where Gaybutton was when George Washington crossed the Delaware ???

[Gaybutton]

And I wonder where Gaybutton was when George Washington crossed the Delaware ???

I was one of the guys rowing the boat . . .

[Alex]

If JFK were alive today, he would be 99 years old.

That's probably the only lasting benefit of dying young, people's perception of you will never change from being youthful (forever). James Dean and River Phoenix also come to mind.

I wasn't around yet when JFK was assassinated and I'm not sure if I can fully understand the state of collective shock that followed. Maybe 9/11 was similar in that regard, which I did experience.

When I visited Dallas for the first time, my "tour guide" showed me the spot where JFK was shot and remarked almost in passing that this was the only way JFK could become a great president. My first exposure to Texan humor, it just didn't amuse me at all...

[Smiles]

I was in my high school in a Chemistry lab in Brampton, Ontario (Canada). It was late morning ... the loud speaker came on and the Principal announced the news of the assassination in Texas.
I can remember it ~ and see the lab room itself, still ~ like yesterday (the one and only other time was 9/11), and there was a definite total surprise and a sadness in the room. And a lot of loud chattering I recall.

[lvdkeyes]

I was in the USAF stationed in England. I was at the bast movie theater watching Diamond Head. They stopped the movie to tell us what happened. I have never seen the end of that movie.

[Captain Kirk]

T'was the year I was born so I'd have been blissfully unaware at the time, just something we'd learn about in school. Something catastrophic happened to Scotland 3 years after that but that's not an event we talk about. One thing for sure is that we didn't watch it on tv.

[lvdkeyes]

T'was the year I was born so I'd have been blissfully unaware at the time, just something we'd learn about in school. Something catastrophic happened to Scotland 3 years after that but that's not an event we talk about. One thing for sure is that we didn't watch it on tv.

What was the event?

[Gaybutton]

I am convinced there was no conspiracy in the assassination of Kennedy. I believe it was Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone.

However, I recently read that despite the evidence, 72% of Americans still believe there was a conspiracy - that Oswald did not act alone or he was set up and really didn't do it at all.

What do you gents think?

[Alex]

What do you gents think?

I think we will never know. I'm unconvinced either way.