The JFK obsession: 40 years and still going strong

Oak Lawn (IL) Reporter ^ | 11/20/03 | Michael M. Bates

[mikeb704]

Where were you when you learned John F. Kennedy was murdered? If your answer is something along the lines of fifth-grade civics class in the 80s, it’s probable your feelings are much different than those of us who experienced the event firsthand.

Why the lingering fascination with the 35th president of the United States? Certainly some of it is attributable to the myriad conspiracy theories.

Take your pick. The Central Intelligence Agency killed him. Or the Mafia. Or rich Texas oilmen. Or Castro. Or the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Or the Soviets. Or Lyndon Johnson. Or fill in the blank.

It’s unlikely the question will ever be settled. The only smoking gun belonged to Lee Harvey Oswald, and he’s not talking.

Then we have the Camelot image. Jacqueline Kennedy knew the importance of shaping the JFK legend and immediately went to work. She wasn’t going to wait for the "bitter old men," as she called them, who write history to determine her husband’s accomplishments.

Many Americans looked at Kennedy as a hero even before he was elected president. I was in grade school. The nun told us that we should urge our parents to vote for Kennedy. This was because he was a devout Catholic, a good family man, and had a wonderful smile. Well, the good sister was right about the smile anyway.

At the time, I’d not yet developed into the skeptical curmudgeon I’ve become. I was then only an apprentice skeptical curmudgeon. So I took the nun’s guidance and got involved in my first political campaign.

Dutifully stuffing Kennedy literature in neighbors’ mailboxes, I did my part to move us forward, with vigor of course, to the New Frontier. We had so many Kennedy signs in our yard and posters in our windows that on election day voters stopped in thinking it was a polling place.

The man was undeniably charming and witty. Fit and tan, he gave the impression of radiant good health, an impression far from reality. Kennedy cultivated the press and flattered reporters as needed. The initiative paid off handsomely in terms of positive media coverage.

As it turned out, JFK was at best a middling chief executive. There was the Bay of Pigs fiasco. The Berlin Wall was put up after Soviet premier Khrushchev had taken the measure of the young president. The dictator said he pitied the American people for having so ineffectual a leader.

The Cuban missile crisis is sometimes viewed as a major Kennedy achievement. Yet to resolve it JFK promised to not invade the first Communist state in the Western Hemisphere. Part of the Kennedy legacy is Fidel Castro still in power.

The day Kennedy was inaugurated, there were a few hundred American soldiers in a far off place called Vietnam. By the time he died, there were almost 20,000, with more on orders to go there.

Domestic successes were few and far between. JFK led a staggeringly shallow life and rumors suggested he might not be as virtuous as originally thought.

On November 22, 1963, none of that made a difference. The president – our president – had been murdered. The first reaction was disbelief. Things like that didn’t happen in the United States.

Then came the sorrow. We grieved together. Men and women, blacks and whites, Christians and Jews, Republicans and Democrats, the old and the young, everybody.

It was so incredibly sad. Think of Jackie, for heaven’s sake. And the children. How would they ever find the strength to make it through the next few days?

The assassination was a national nightmare. Many cried themselves to sleep that night.

The long Friday afternoon turned into an even longer weekend. Then, finally, the funeral was held. If ever a woman conducted herself with a composed dignity, grace and courage, Mrs. John F. Kennedy did that day. She set an example for the rest of us.

Many baby boomers, some of them now years older than JFK was when he died, shared that experience. They’re the people who turn out newspaper stories and TV programs and magazine articles about John F. Kennedy and what might have been.

That we’ll never know. We look at the black and white images of the 35th president and think of the unfulfilled promise, the destiny unrealized. We share a common memory of those dark November days of so many years ago and reflect on how we, and the world, were changed.

Maybe when we’re all finally gone the obsession will diminish. Maybe.

[texasbluebell]

Wonder how all the experts would explain something that I had never heard till last night during the History channel program.

Just exactly who is going to explain away the bullethole that went through the front windshield, from front to back as shown by the damage it made. This hole was seen by credible people, knowledgeable about bullets and guns.

The windshield was destroyed over the weekend after the shooting, but had been mentioned in records made by someone at the time he viewed it.

The car was taken to Detroit, flown there, and the windshield was replaced, this was seen by a man who supervised the 2 men who replaced it and destroyed it.

The fix was in very early. Others can believe what they want. I'm ready for the truth to come out.

[MAWG]

No, she is bright and well educated. The Warren Commision had Connallys clothes first. When they were done, they sent them back to her. That was when she sent the shirt to the cleaners and asked that the blood be removed . The shirt amd the rest are still in her possesion.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Yeah, Addison's Disease makes you real "virile."

Read up on it and see for yourself.

[Mr. C]

Kennedy's biggest problem was that he was in a perpetual rush to be President...with all the health problems he had coming out now I am not surprised. He really was way too inexperienced when he ran for President, I believe that had he waited another 8 years, gained some more practical experience in the Government he probably would have made a good (not great) President.

Then again that's just my opinion. As for this assasination "issue", let's face it, every so often the Lib's come up with some new information or new angle to claim "CONSPIRACY!". Last night on the history channel I guess they added on to the "Men Who Killed Kennedy" series by now emphasizing the mysteriously vanishing "Bullet Hole", which naturally, originated from the front of the motorcade, in the windshield. Whatever....I'm just bored to tears from it all...

[Mr. Bird]

Interesting. Illustrates the twisting of the truth to fit the conspiracy stuff. The show (on the History Channel, I believe) made it clear that evidence was lost because of her sending the clothes out for cleaning.

In the show's defense, they may have been lamenting the loss of evidence for current examination.

[hosepipe]

The Kennedys were and still are Massachusetts Hillbillys on Granny Clampetts joy juice.... with JFK being the double ought spy... and a conversation with some JFK trained, Bay of Pigs survivors in Miami would round out an interesting afternoon ...

JFK was the model for Bubba Clinton without all the pretenses of a loyal american democrat. Did I say pretenses ?, Ah! yes...

[SomeCallMeTim]

I don't know what to believe... but, one thing only has always bothered me... Seeing the man's exploding BACKWARDS onto the trunk of the car.

Now, I've heard the explanations of "nerve reactions, etc..". But, I'm from Texas. I've shot plenty of animals over the years and I've never yet seen the blood coming flying back towards me.

I also have read and heard a great deal about LBJ over the years. Nothing I've ever heard would give me ANY reason to think that he WOULDN'T be involved.

But, for me, that little Z-film keeps the conspiracy theories alive.

[SomeCallMeTim]

Sorry.... the "HEAD" was missing.... no pun intended, just having 'puter problems...

[sonofatpatcher2]

I was in Dallas that day, a Junior at Lake Highlands High School. I got out of class to go down and see Kennedy, but I washed my car for a date that night instead. I was just drying it off when KLIF broke in with "Three shots were reported to have been fired in the Kennedy motorcade."

"That was a dumb ass thing to do," I said outloud.

My Grandmother just then openned the garage door and said, "Kennedy's been shot!"

I went inside and watched Uncle Walter deliver the news.

The following week I moved with my family to Gunnison, Colorado, where my Dad was the Project Manager of the Blue Messa Dam Project. I spent a very mean year there.

Before I meet my maker, I would dearly love to know the truth.

BTW I watched the History Channel last night and the info about the House Select Committee's cover up of the conflicts in Kennedy's head wound just reinforced my belief there is more than Oswald's single action or Spector's magic 'Single Bullet' bullhockey. I found the new information in the "Love Affair" segment very compelling. The woman seemed dead on in her story even with her comments about "Doctor" David Ferry (Sp?) and Jack Ruby being an old friend of Oswald. It seems she truly believes what she is telling.

The "Mystery" fingerprint from the Sniper's Nest belonging to one of LBJ's lackies was new to me along with the comments about LBJ's involvement. I've no doubt about Lyndon being a ruthless, crooked politician, but I guess my Texas roots just hoped he was not that crooked.

Now, Hill or Bill being involved I'd buy in a New York minute. It would be just up their "Arkincide" alley.

[steppenwolffe]

One freeper posted evidence/hypothesis it was JFK's own incompetent secret service who unwittingly fired the suspected bullet.

[Maria S]

"...she appears to have been a vapid armpiece. "

You need to remember that Jacqueline Kennedy was so different from the previous few first ladies...Eleanor Roosevelt was, let's face it, really homely. Very intelligent (although she was very overshadowed by her husband) and very into her own thing of traveling the world on her missions. Then Bess Truman, not very glamorous herself, and Mamie Eisenhower with her quaint little flowery hats and fur stole. Jackie Kennedy was much younger than these women had been, was well-educated and was a reporter (nobody renowned, of course!)when she met John Kennedy, spoke fluent French, and was an independent woman who knew how to handle herself in public. Yes, she was very attractive, and her dress trends and hairstyles were what a lot of other women wanted...but she was smart enough to be able to fit into the Kennedy family, charm 'old man Kennedy', and she did show huge dignity and grace under pressure in November, 1963. JFK's funeral was based on that of Abraham Lincoln at her request; she DID know how to make the most of tragedy!

[ntnychik]

Everyone was stupid in the aftermath of JFK's death. Re-enactors wore Connolly's jacket to try to establish trajectory. The blood may have been cleaned away, but the hole remained.

[ntnychik]

The motorcycle cop behind the President's limousine got a good splattering that day.

[Lib-Lickers 2]

that dude then made it to the top of the WTTs on 911,,,he gets around,,,,,,

[Nemo2368]

The History Channel is finally putting all the pieces together. I always thought Johnson was in on it and now I am sure. It should be a "must see" for everyone...especially those of us who lived through it. Looks like Bush the first might have been in on it too..
By the way...its not a "JFK obsession"...its a genuine knowledge in the guts of most all of us that we never heard the real truth..that our nation was stolen that day in Dallas and nothing has been the same since.

[MAWG]

" stolen.... nothing has been the same since........ "
< p> BINGO. Frankly , I dont give a shit about JFK but, I do care about this country.

[upcountryhorseman]

This was probably the trajectory of the bullet that
was fired from a manhole in front of the vehicle.

[Tired_of_the_Lies]

bookmark

[N. Theknow]

JFK wasn't very popular in the South where I grew up. Most everyone there was of the mind, " Good riddance to bad rubbish."

As one old gent put it after the assassination, "Beginning with FDR, in a little over twenty years, the Democratic Party has made us a welfare state, banana republic that would rather quit a fight than try to win it."

[mikeb704]

or kobe bryant

Yes. Don't know about others, but I watch quite a lot less Fox News than I used to.