November 22, 1963

Everyone says they know where they were and what they were doing when JFK was assassinated and I’m no exception. Dad and I were building a house and were installing ceiling tile on that particular day. The new homeowner and his brother were also there, cleaning up construction trash from around the house. As usual, we were all listening to music on Minot's ABC affiliate at the time, KCJB, when the bulletin came on. As you can hear from the video, the first report said only that shots were fired, but we never suspected the president had been hit, and even made light comments about how serious the Republicans were taking his visit to Dallas. The political tension had been constantly reported for days in advance of the visit, and while protests were expected, there was never a public concern about possible violence.

When they finally reported, first that the president had been hit, and soon after that he was dead, I can still see the shocked look on everyone’s face. We all stopped working for the rest of the day and sat around the radio as the news came in a constant stream. The emptiness I felt in response to such an evil deed is something else I’ll never forget. I couldn’t have concentrated on work for anything.

The country was a much different place in 1963. While my beliefs have always been mostly conservative, I was still a Democrat. But the people we were working for were Republicans and they were as crushed as we were. It was OUR president that had been killed, not a Democrat president. We often debated political issues, but we were all Americans and while our words might have been zealous, respect was always maintained.

Today, I look at the unwarranted bitterness and hatred shown George W. Bush, and I fear for the survival of the union. John Kennedy would have also been appalled by the state of politics and the attitude of people today. How soon our citizens have forgotten those inspiring words he spoke at his inauguration: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”.

While I will passionately criticize and debate the politics of our new president, and fight for his defeat, I will try to do so with respect for both the office and the person. It’s time to put some civility back in our disputes.