Personal analogy…
Talk about an impressionable little boy. The most vivid memories I have of my early childhood involve the Kennedys. When JFK gave his inauguration speech the nation, or at least Beards Elementary School in Beardstown, Illinois, came to a standstill. The speech was played through the school’s intercom system and our teacher wouldn’t tolerate any reindeer games.
We were holding weekly nuclear bomb tests in school — the bell would ring and we would cover our eyes, bend down in our seats and put our head between legs and wait for the all clear signal. Back in those days parents participated in the education of their children. My dad always said that the reason we were taught to bend over and put our head between our legs was so we could kiss our asses goodbye. The teacher need not worry about me not paying attention. I was all ears. I listened to every word.
But the speech made me feel special like I was part of some big American Dream and that as citizens of this great nation we had an obligation to do good deeds and be the torch of liberty for all mankind.
Less than three short years later I was racing down the stairs at school to recess. It was my brother Mike’s birthday (he was later killed in Dallas). On either the second or third stair down from the platform between floor levels my friend, Alfred Hagerty, told me the President had been shot.
“Only in the arm,” I said (begged). “Only in the arm!” Read more →






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