A Dark Day Remembered 50 Years Later

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." — John F. Kennedy


On this day 50 years ago, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. He wasn't the first U.S. President to be assassinated, but he was the last one to this point. And 50 years later, the fascination with the man, his legacy, what might have been, and his death remains strong.

We have been inundated with specials, discussions, remembrances, and the like this week. Our local movie theater, Cinemark, replayed the film "JFK" on the big screen Sunday and Wednesday. Books have been released and the Internet is flooded with information about the man and the infamous day in Dallas.

It struck me a couple weeks ago, when watching the film "Malcolm X," that we have come a long way in this country. I don't mean in terms of race relations — which still remains an issue — but rather with the way our society functions. In the turbulent 1960s, President Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X were all assassinated. Kennedy's brother, Robert, was also assassinated. People tried to assassinate Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan.

I was born in May of 1981 — more than a month after John Hinkley took shots at Ronald Reagan. I think for people my age there is a disconnect between what we understand of America in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, and the emotional relevance it has for people who lived through it. Listening to these specials and remembrances, seeing movies about the time, and reading about the era, it's easy to see America was a different place, a place my generation hasn't experienced.

What's fascinating about the remembrance of what happened is people debating how the world would be different if Kennedy had lived. This is a common occurrence for those who die too soon — wondering what might have been.

Ironically, while it's the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's death, it's also the 100th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg and, this month, the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, delivered by Abraham Lincoln. Like Kennedy, Lincoln is revered and many wonder what would have been had he not been assassinated.

Sometimes you also have to wonder how the legacies of these men was altered by the fact they had big, bold ideas that they never realized because they were killed. What if, instead, they'd tried and failed? What if they'd tried and succeeded? These are questions we'll never answer.

That's the fun, fascinating, and tricky part of history. Someone on one of the specials today suggested this might be the last big push on the Kennedy assassination, suggesting that in the next 20 years most of those affected and consumed by it will be gone, and the next generation won't care. History has shown that's a possibility, but I hope not. It's important to remember who we are, where we've been, and what we've gone through. Our past informs our future, so best not to forget.