[News] JFK 60 years on

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

This Wednesday it’ll be 60 years since, as a 9 year old, I was playing with a friend, whose birthday it was that day, when his dad told us JFK had been assassinated.

I remember being shocked and upset. As a kid the threat of a nuclear holocaust was so real. The Cuban missile crisis, hearing air raid sirens from the fire station at Preston Circus and my main source of news, Giles cartoons, showing grey rainy days with the threat of impending annihilation.

I don’t want to get into a political binfest, but apart from his apparent womanising failings, JFK was a champion of human rights and an incredibly passionate and intelligent advocate for a better world.

LBJ was a consummate failure and I can’t think of a President, since, with fraction of JFK’s integrity.

Trump & Biden? How has it ever come to this?

 

[Flounce]

Agreed and letting his brother go after the Mafia, who helped elect him was his undoing…

 

[Colonel Mustard]

One of my earliest memories of the world beyond my parents' house. I was 5 years old. It was early evening. We'd had our tea and I was playing with my brother and sisters. Then something happened on the TV. Some sort of announcement. My parents were standing in the middle of the room, staring silently at the TV. My mother had her hands up, at the side of her head, as if in shock. I’d no idea what was going on but I knew it must be serious.

 

[Questions]

Edit

 

[Questions]

One of my earliest memories of the world beyond my parents' house. I was 5 years old. It was early evening. We'd had our tea and I was playing with my brother and sisters. Then something happened on the TV. Some sort of announcement. My parents were standing in the middle of the room, staring silently at the TV. My mother had her hands up, at the side of her head, as if in shock. I’d no idea what was going on but I knew it must be serious.

And was it ?

 

[ManOfSussex]

Worth watching if you haven't seen it before.

 

[Jam The Man]

As a 15 year old in 1991 I saw the movie JFK and (regardless of people’s views about the accuracy of the movie) it triggered a life long interest in me, and certainly accounts for my most studied moment in history. I’ve lost count of the amount of books I’ve read / documentaries I’ve seen about the Kennedy family, conspiracy theories and rebuttals etc.

I just find it fascinating and no other historical location that I’ve been to around the world in my 48 years has matched the emotions I felt in 2005, when I was able to go to the Sixth FloorMuseum / Dealey Plaza / Grassy Knoll. It’s really quite something.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

I was at scouts at the Ralli Hall when the caretaker popped his head round the door and gave us the sad news. Shame he never got the chance to fulfil his potential.

 

[mr sheen]

I was at scouts at the Ralli Hall when the caretaker popped his head round the door and gave us the sad news. Shame he never got the chance to fulfil his potential.

Caretaker at the Scout Hall isn't that bad going

 

[Thunder Bolt]

After the Cuban missile crisis, it was a huge shock because nobody knew if it was the Russians, mafia or a nutter. Then the assassinator was himself shot, which caused more doubts and worries.

 

[drew]

I was 13 months old so remember bugger all about it.

Still, have seen lots of documentaries since and it is a fascinating subject.

Waiting for Sydney to post that it was all fake and JFK is alive and well living on island in the Indian ocean somewhere (albeit that he is 106!).

 

[tronnogull]

I was at scouts at the Ralli Hall when the caretaker popped his head round the door and gave us the sad news. Shame he never got the chance to fulfil his potential.

1st Hove !

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Edit: this is f***ing brilliant.

 

[METALMICKY]

Love this!

 

[Colonel Mustard]

As a 15 year old in 1991 I saw the movie JFK and (regardless of people’s views about the accuracy of the movie) it triggered a life long interest in me, and certainly accounts for my most studied moment in history. I’ve lost count of the amount of books I’ve read / documentaries I’ve seen about the Kennedy family, conspiracy theories and rebuttals etc.

I just find it fascinating and no other historical location that I’ve been to around the world in my 48 years has matched the emotions I felt in 2005, when I was able to go to the Sixth FloorMuseum / Dealey Plaza / Grassy Knoll. It’s really quite something.

Genuine question to someone who has taken a deep interest in the topic -- what's your view on who killed JFK?

I won't pretend that I've taken a massive interest but like most people, I'm well aware of the theories, and I've read a bit about it over the years. I'm not a conspiracy theorist by nature, and (despite odd bits of mldly circumstantial evidence), I have to believe that it was an individual act by Oswald.

More generally, I totally agree that it' can be incredibly emotional and (if it doesn't sound crass) thrilling to visit modern history venues. For me, the 9/11 memorial in New York was a deeply affecting experience, as was Auschwitz. On a more pedestrian level, a walking tour of West Belfast with an ex-H Block prisoner was pretty amazing too.

 

[Jam The Man]

Genuine question to someone who has taken a deep interest in the topic -- what's your view on who killed JFK?

I won't pretend that I've taken a massive interest but like most people, I'm well aware of the theories, and I've read a bit about it over the years. I'm not a conspiracy theorist by nature, and (despite odd bits of mldly circumstantial evidence), I have to believe that it was an individual act by Oswald.

More generally, I totally agree that it' can be incredibly emotional and (if it doesn't sound crass) thrilling to visit modern history venues. For me, the 9/11 memorial in New York was a deeply affecting experience, as was Auschwitz. On a more pedestrian level, a walking tour of West Belfast with an ex-H Block prisoner was pretty amazing too.

Personally I think it’s highly likely that LHO was involved, but that it’s even more likely that he carried it out under instruction and therefore acted with others.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Pretty ruthless individual IMO.

Thanks to @The Antikythera Mechanism for starting this thread as I still find the whole thing fascinating.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

1st Hove !

Correct! Was in cubs and scouts there from around 1960 to 1965. Amazing just how many good experiences and life skills I picked up from being in what is perceived by many to be an uncool institution.

 

[kojak]

His wife standing there in her blood splattered clothes while Johnson got swore in
Incredible

 

[Gwylan]

LBJ was a consummate failure and I can’t think of a President, since, with fraction of JFK’s integrity.

Was LBJ a consummate failure? He pushed through a heap of civil rights legislation and made changes to healthcare and eduction. He did get bogged down in Vietnam though. I'd say he had a mixed record. And if you're talking about integrity, I'd say Jimmy Carter is probably one of the most moral and upright people to have ever been president. You can certainly argue that he was an ineffecitve president but I don't think even the Republicans would have questioned his integrity.

I didn't hear about JFK's assassination until the following morning and wasn't sure who he was. I was more looking forward to a new series starting on TV that evening. It was called Dr Who ... whatever happened to it?