My parents were Democrats unlike my other relatives. Five years after my father died, my brave mother avoided conflicts about politics she had so much on her plate. I was 13.
Those days are seared in my mind. My mother was an avid fan of the John Birchers. My dad was generally quiet about politics. When one of their friends, our neighbor, wanted to rile Mom up she would say Dad look like JFK. I don’t think she ever failed.
People who say we are more divided than “ever” missed the *red scare*. People sent J Edgar Hoover letters suggesting who in their community should be investigated & their “evidence”. Later, there was the Weatherman organization. In 1969 a faction of it invaded classrooms, gagged & tied up teachers and then gave ‘lectures’ to recruit members. Another faction went on an intermittent bombing spree from 1970 to about 1978 despite 3 founders blowing up in 1970 in one of their bomb factories.
The whole 1950-65 red scare embedded in the Republican party was what divided families and churchgoers. It is like we have regressed under Trump-and his buddies. We must vote them out!
Diane thanks for sharing these thoughts. I guess we must be nearly contemporaries. What you have written chimes with my own (similar) experience - from an Anglo-American perspective. Take a peek at my own substack posting: "Kennedy's been shot". (https://richardbarr.substack.com/p/kennedys-been-shot)
Richard! I just finished your amazing story! The letters you included must bring you comfort. Your details about your family’s campaigning - precious! We need young people today to be as engaged as you and your family in caring about good leaders! Thanks for sharing! If I had read your story first, I would have tagged yours in mine!
I feel the same about the Kennedy years. My story is much the same with Republican relatives. The difference is my dad was a Democrat and his mother's family was Catholic. She insisted I was baptized as an infant.
They were also German immigrants so Hitler aspect of current events is troubling.
We should all be troubled, but I’m not sure the masses get it as they work hard or go to school. Busyness is a distraction from awareness. It seems like the world is focused on their cell phones instead of surroundings. Dangerous times..
Thank you Diane, I was 14 when Kennedy was assassinated & what I remember most was the solidarity among Republicans & Democrats decrying the senselessness of Kennedy’s assassination. My parents were both Republican but my Mom being Catholic, voted Democrat for the first time in her life & was devastated when he was assassinated. It was a heartbreaking time to be a citizen of this country...possibly like Lincoln’s assassination.
Honestly I grew up in a fundamental church and I don’t recognize these so called Christians putting a corrupt man in the position of a Messiah. They claimed persecution but now they want to control everything, not very Jesus like.
Your gran reminds me of every R I knew growing up who said the only good Democrat was a dead Democrat. I still see that nastiness and self involved R today. I’m proud to vote for the helpers as Fred Rogers would say.
Diane K24: Very moving and engaging narrative, as '48 I was a contemporary of the events, with my own Parents believing that the fraudulent election of JFK ("the Dead walked in Cook County, Illinois") issued in the for-sure Communist takeover of the U.S.
While the 15-year-old Armando on 22 November 1963 was bereft of a handsome, young uncle figure, with his two adorable kids, and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy who FILLED the adolescent's heart with love and admiration, my folks were worried that the majority middle-to-liberal population would blame THEM (meaning John Birchers -- precursors to Q-Anon).
And Kennedy had the perception to observe, as you point out,
“There is nothing in the record of the past two years when both Houses of Congress have been controlled by the Republican Party which can lead any person to believe that those promises will be fulfilled in the future. They follow the Hitler line - no matter how big the lie; repeat it often enough and the masses will regard it as truth.”
The words made me do a double-take. Yes, JFK said in 1963 what 60-years-later is the central practice of the Republican Party.
RESIST before and AFTER. Even if Trump loses and were to exit the stage, the problem is huge: About one-quarter of our nation are fundamentalist-cultists who are determined to impose their will.
Look, for example, at the lawlessness of Governor Glenn Abott with his National Guard blocking U.S. Border Control who were desperate to save a drowning Mom and her child, with the Texas troops saying, "Er . . . we didn't see any emergency . . . Uh . . . was there an emergency here??"
Or the cruelty of state sanctions upon Ms. Kate Cox who was denied basic medical care; or in Indiana where they tried, in the case of the violated 10- to 12-year-old girl pregnant by ABUSE, not to help and counsel the poor girl VICTIM, but to PROSECUTE HER CAREGIVERS!
We live under de-facto tyranny that we must OPPOSE.
Thanks for your comment, Armand, I have been there, and done that, and spoken at the TX Capitol on behalf of freedom and democracy. I have lived under dictatorships of the right and of the left. Thanks for supporting freedom and democracy.
Those days are seared in my mind. My mother was an avid fan of the John Birchers. My dad was generally quiet about politics. When one of their friends, our neighbor, wanted to rile Mom up she would say Dad look like JFK. I don’t think she ever failed.
People who say we are more divided than “ever” missed the *red scare*. People sent J Edgar Hoover letters suggesting who in their community should be investigated & their “evidence”. Later, there was the Weatherman organization. In 1969 a faction of it invaded classrooms, gagged & tied up teachers and then gave ‘lectures’ to recruit members. Another faction went on an intermittent bombing spree from 1970 to about 1978 despite 3 founders blowing up in 1970 in one of their bomb factories.
The whole 1950-65 red scare embedded in the Republican party was what divided families and churchgoers. It is like we have regressed under Trump-and his buddies. We must vote them out!
Nothing ever really changes in American politics...you should see what contemporary critics said about "Mad Tom" Jefferson and George Washington.
"The terms used to describe me are worse than those applied to Nero," Washington wrote to Jefferson.
Mudslinging has always been used to denigrate opponents I guess in all countries!
I'm sure they did it in ancient Rome.
The "number of the Beast" came from anti-Roman graffiti denouncing the Roman Empire:
LCDXVI is all Roman numerals in order.
I learned that from an archeologist who is also a Classical Scholar...she is very familiar with the realities of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece.
Those civilizations were a lot like ours. Except they seem to have been more open about sex.
Diane thanks for sharing these thoughts. I guess we must be nearly contemporaries. What you have written chimes with my own (similar) experience - from an Anglo-American perspective. Take a peek at my own substack posting: "Kennedy's been shot". (https://richardbarr.substack.com/p/kennedys-been-shot)
Richard! I just finished your amazing story! The letters you included must bring you comfort. Your details about your family’s campaigning - precious! We need young people today to be as engaged as you and your family in caring about good leaders! Thanks for sharing! If I had read your story first, I would have tagged yours in mine!
I feel the same about the Kennedy years. My story is much the same with Republican relatives. The difference is my dad was a Democrat and his mother's family was Catholic. She insisted I was baptized as an infant.
They were also German immigrants so Hitler aspect of current events is troubling.
We should all be troubled, but I’m not sure the masses get it as they work hard or go to school. Busyness is a distraction from awareness. It seems like the world is focused on their cell phones instead of surroundings. Dangerous times..
Agree
Lost in social media or gaming
Let's get clear about the election
ReTrublican platform
Economy is a dog whistle for it's ok to make tons of money however,
But Dems won't let you.
Immigration is dog whistle for we don't allow non-whites into our club
Yes Kkk, John Birchers, now, proud boys, 3%ers, Oath Keepers are an unholy alliance and it’s hard to see this ever being put back into Pandora’s box.
Gloria, the world and the country has seen worse times. All the extremists that we fear are mortal as we are. Peace to you.
Thank you Diane, I was 14 when Kennedy was assassinated & what I remember most was the solidarity among Republicans & Democrats decrying the senselessness of Kennedy’s assassination. My parents were both Republican but my Mom being Catholic, voted Democrat for the first time in her life & was devastated when he was assassinated. It was a heartbreaking time to be a citizen of this country...possibly like Lincoln’s assassination.
Yes, solidarity is right. That’s when people were moral instead of just saying they were Christian.
Honestly I grew up in a fundamental church and I don’t recognize these so called Christians putting a corrupt man in the position of a Messiah. They claimed persecution but now they want to control everything, not very Jesus like.
Your gran reminds me of every R I knew growing up who said the only good Democrat was a dead Democrat. I still see that nastiness and self involved R today. I’m proud to vote for the helpers as Fred Rogers would say.
I’ve heard the expression used for Democrats, blacks and indigenous people by country, “unlettered” Republicans.
Diane K24: Very moving and engaging narrative, as '48 I was a contemporary of the events, with my own Parents believing that the fraudulent election of JFK ("the Dead walked in Cook County, Illinois") issued in the for-sure Communist takeover of the U.S.
While the 15-year-old Armando on 22 November 1963 was bereft of a handsome, young uncle figure, with his two adorable kids, and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy who FILLED the adolescent's heart with love and admiration, my folks were worried that the majority middle-to-liberal population would blame THEM (meaning John Birchers -- precursors to Q-Anon).
And Kennedy had the perception to observe, as you point out,
“There is nothing in the record of the past two years when both Houses of Congress have been controlled by the Republican Party which can lead any person to believe that those promises will be fulfilled in the future. They follow the Hitler line - no matter how big the lie; repeat it often enough and the masses will regard it as truth.”
The words made me do a double-take. Yes, JFK said in 1963 what 60-years-later is the central practice of the Republican Party.
Thank you so much, Ms. Diane, for sharing!
Thanks for sharing, Armand!
Those were my times and stories as well. So nice to have contemporaries with passion for Democracy here!
Thanks, Judith! Indeed!
We have no choice— R E S I S T those that will destroy democracy. Thanks for your post.
RESIST before and AFTER. Even if Trump loses and were to exit the stage, the problem is huge: About one-quarter of our nation are fundamentalist-cultists who are determined to impose their will.
Look, for example, at the lawlessness of Governor Glenn Abott with his National Guard blocking U.S. Border Control who were desperate to save a drowning Mom and her child, with the Texas troops saying, "Er . . . we didn't see any emergency . . . Uh . . . was there an emergency here??"
Or the cruelty of state sanctions upon Ms. Kate Cox who was denied basic medical care; or in Indiana where they tried, in the case of the violated 10- to 12-year-old girl pregnant by ABUSE, not to help and counsel the poor girl VICTIM, but to PROSECUTE HER CAREGIVERS!
We live under de-facto tyranny that we must OPPOSE.
Thanks for your comment, Armand, I have been there, and done that, and spoken at the TX Capitol on behalf of freedom and democracy. I have lived under dictatorships of the right and of the left. Thanks for supporting freedom and democracy.
Governor “Greg” Abott of Texas, correction.
Oops! Thanks! Appreciate that.
You’re welcome!