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You are entitled to your opinion, but the assassination of Kennedy was an apolitical event in terms of the national reaction. That may be hard to believe given the highly charged partisan nature of our politics now. No matter whether you thought highly of him or not, it was a significant national eventthat evokes many memories. Do you really think that you will remember 40 years from now where and what you were doing when the tape of Clinton's "the meaning of is" interrogatory came out?

You are confusing the newsworthiness or significance of an event with your personal feelings about JFK. Only time will affect the media coverage, but I will bet that the 50th Anniversary will be an even bigger event than the 40th. It will then fade gradually from our national memory.

Do you really think that you will remember 40 years from now where and what you were doing when the tape of Clinton's "the meaning of is" interrogatory came out?

If I'm still alive 40 years from now, yes.

You are confusing the newsworthiness or significance of an event with your personal feelings about JFK.

Wrong, both in your presumption of what is in my mind, and in the intent of what I have been saying to you. I did not say the murder of a sitting president of the United States was insignificant. Quite the opposite. Rather, my point is that the man, JFK, does not deserve the status he has been given by the mere fact of his assassination.

I also said that it is a cliche that "those old enough to remember the assassination remember where they were and what they were doing." This is not so remarkable, nor is it a phenomenon associated only with exceptional historical events.

All human beings whose brains are not damaged such that their memory is impaired, remember the details of the most significant events in their lives. For example, I was in the stands when Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown. Although it was June 1973, I still remember the details of that day as if I just lived it. I remember in great detail the morning I put my most beloved dog to sleep, April 3, 1990. Even though he died in January 1970, I remember with great detail what happened the day my father died. And so on.

Whenever the Kennedy assassination comes up someone is sure to drag out the old saw about how most people remember where they were and what they were doing. What would be remarkable is if most people didn't remember.