JFK Assassination seen from 2010

On 22 Nov 2010 at 4:23 pm, most uncharacteristically, I posted a comment on a website. The website is the blog of Jimmy Johnson, creator of the comic strip Arlo & Janis. Johnson (and subsequent commenters) commented on his experience of 1963 Nov 22. This came out of my fingers under the handle Long Winding Road. I was honored by a reply from Johnson, a memorable response which I'm hoping he does not mind my reprinting below in its entirety.

Yes, JJ, thanks for remembering.

Dad was big in the GOP; pix of him & mom w/Ike & Mamie, w/Dick & Pat; pic of me & my little sister w/ Goldwater at our house, ‘64! GOP house. GOP town. GOP state when Dad was done. Big early memory, ‘60, Dad raging at the TV while han'some Jack deflated haggard Dick.

I'm 11 in ‘63; like religion, kids have our folks’ politics, but we don't really understand why. In our class, Jay was the token Democrat. Coming in from lunch, Jay’s little brother tells me President Kennedy has been shot. Some kind of sick joke…? The teacher sends us home. It's true. Walter tells us he's dead. Whaa? That was our President! Then his assassin is shot down! Whaa? Then Johnson, Nixon twice, Bobby & Martin killed, cities burn, Viet Nam is lost… and we spend 50 years trying to understand, noting every historical coincidence, reading every conspiracy theory, examining every bullet like we'd been appointed to the Warren Commission. And Jackie, forever and ever crawling out on the trunk for pieces of Jack in ever-clearer Zapruder frames…. And to this day: Whaa?

Favorite related hist drama: Quantum Leap 2-parter. But I didn't change anything, says Sam-as-Oswald. Yes, you did, Sam! insists Al, you don't remember, but … [you saw it, right?]

Favorite so stupid it must be true theory: Oswald had missed hitting Gen. Walker in April, firing from 100 feet away. Oswald blamed the Texas Governor for denying him a visa [something like that, citation needed]. That unlikely fabulous shot with the same rifle, that shot which killed JFK and sparked a thousand conspiracy theories? Oswald was actually aiming for Gov Connally -- he hit Jack by mistake!

Then again, “Back & to the left.” -Bill Hicks