In a few day, the country will be remembering the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. There are books, television and radio shows about that fateful day. I frankly am not interested in reading, watching or listening to any of them. That day is etched in my memory as one of the worst days in my life and I don't care to re-live it. It would be like saying, "I want to go back to the day I had my first major surgery." No thank you.
I was privileged to see then candidate Kennedy in the fall of 1960 when he was running for president. He appeared at the Modesto train terminal during a whistle stop tour of the Central Valley of California. I had a close friend who invited me to go down to see Kennedy. I was a Nixon supporter, but went out of curiosity and have never regretted it. Kennedy waded into the crowd and shook a number of hands. I suppose I could have pressed in to shake his hand but just wasn't interested.
Three years later, I was saddened by the tragedy. Kennedy was young and had great charisma. I wouldn't wish what happened to him on any one. I have often wondered what our country would have been like had the assassination never taken place.
I happend to see Robert Kennedy at a Brigham Young University assembly just a few days before he was assassinated. It was another tragic, sorrowful event.
I never had the opportunity to see Martin Luther King in person, but when he was assassinated I kept thinking our country might actually be ruled by assassinations. Fortunately, that has not been the case.
Politicians and public figures come and go. I am grateful that they are protected from the whims of those who might wish to take their lives. I honor those who serve in the public eye. Whether I agree with them or not, I like to see our system in action and not perverted by assassins.
