President John F. Kennedy was assassinated 55 years ago last Thursday on Nov. 22, 1963, and many Americans are more confused than ever about what took place on that fateful day in Dallas.
That is especially true for those of us — like me — who were born long after JFK’s life was taken prematurely.
I was born four presidents and nearly 15 years later — June 30, 1978 during Jimmy Carter’s administration, to be precise — and only have the history books and word of mouth to rely on.
I heard stories as a little boy from my parents, who were both in high school at the time of the assassination.
My mom has told me the story many times about my grandmother being in the hospital when the assassination took place and the employees, to put it mildly, being very much in shock when it happened. My grandma came out fine and lived until 2002, so there were many years to pass on those stories.
I was a 10-year-old in Mr. Voisard’s fifth-grade class at Braeside School in Highland Park, Ill., for the 25th anniversary of JFK being killed. That was the first time I started to really comprehend theories about what happened.
Many programs were on TV and we discussed it in school.
The one and only theory I remember hearing at that time was Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin and acted alone. I accepted it as fact and did not think twice.
As a sophomore at age 15 at Hoosac School — a boarding school in Hoosick, N.Y. — we had our annual two-day symposium. We would take a break from class, sign up for a course and learn about it. I signed up for the class on JFK’s assassination with Mr. Wright and Mr. Burns.
It was very enlightening, but I came out of there knowing the case may not have been solved. I well remember one student asking if, at the time of the course in February 1994, it was possible the killer was still walking the streets.
We were told that could be the case.
They showed us the picture of Lyndon Baines Johnson being sworn in as the 36th president of the United States with Jackie Kennedy standing right next to him. It was pointed out that LBJ and someone else were winking at each other during that time. It was the first time I heard anyone suspected LBJ was behind the assassination.
We also watched the movie “JFK,” which dealt with events leading up to the assassination and potential cover-ups.
I have heard so many theories through the years.
The Warren Commission that investigated the assassination has come into question.
There have been theories of multiple gunmen.
Some believe Oswald acted alone, others feel he was one of many and there are those who say he took the fall for something he did not do.
Of course, we’ll never know because Jack Ruby killed Oswald two days after Kennedy’s assassination.
A select few of the conspiracy theories I have found online involve the city of New Orleans, the CIA, a shadow government, the military-industrial complex and even the Secret Service.
All this shows, for all the time and effort people have put into finding out what happened with investigations, documentaries, lessons in school and much more, we are still at square one.
That is a shame on so many levels.
I doubt we will ever know the unquestioned truth of what happened to President Kennedy at Dealey Plaza in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, but I do hope we can learn from what has happened and handle crises better in the future.
It will be easier nowadays with people videoing and taking photos of events with their cell phones. Chances are, today, if we missed something that took place the way it did 55 years ago, someone would have that photo or video and it would circulate all over social media in a hurry.
I also believe there is less trust in our leaders today and we’re less likely to just accept someone’s conclusion as fact.
The Watergate scandal, which forced President Nixon to resign more than 10 years after Kennedy’s assassination, helped fuel our skepticism.
A deeper investigation when the crime happened would have prevented all of these questions today.
I would also like to challenge our leaders – local, state and national – to reflect on what took place 55 years ago and realize what happens when we are divided and have personal agendas.
Look at JFK’s assassination as a lesson on how important it is for our leaders to be honest and put others first.
If that happens, JFK’s assassination may remain unsolved, but it will not go in vain.
I’ll close with a JFK quote we should always remember, “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
Josh Troy is the managing editor of The Clarksdale Press Register. He can be reached at 662-627-2201 or email jtroy@pressregister.com.
