Drove from Texarkana to Dallas yesterday, reaching here just after lunch. After a few battles with the one-way system I found somewhere to park, and made my way towards the Dealy Plaza area, where John Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963. Saw the JFK memorial, the Plaza itself, and the notorious Grassy Knoll (from where it has been alleged that a fourth bullet was shot). The School Depository building (from the sixth floor of which Lee Harvey Oswald shot three bullets) is now a JFK museum, which I went round. It was very well presented.
JFK's shooting was the first political event which I remember (I was six at the time). The combination of his personal charisma and his idealism excited the world in a way no politician has managed since; unlike, say, Tony Blair, he was not a self-publicist but a genuine idealist committed to addressing the difficult issues in the US. He instituted programs on Healthcare, Workers Rights, and promoting economic growth. He also implemented Human Rights legislation and gave his support to the Civil Rights movement. It's the loss of that hope and optimism which I think many of us mourn for when we think of JFK; he was a million miles away from the free-market barbarity of Reagan/Thatcher/Bush/Blair. The music of the respective times reflects that well - the big icons at that time were Elvis, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Dylan. Compare their freshness, innovation, and creativity with the drivel we have to ensure today in the Simon Cowell era.
The film of the aftermath and the funeral brought home the incredible courage and dignity of Jackie Kennedy. We see her scrambling over the back of the car when John was shot, and then attending three separate funeral events, culminating with the state burial in Wilmington, Washington. She looks so devastated and yet so strong - having to carry that grief in public so soon after such an event must have been such an enormous strain.
As for what really happened, the jury is still out...maybe the photos of Oswald were faked. Was JFK shot from behind or from the front ? Could Oswald really have fired three bullets so accurately from that sixth-floor window ? Was there a fourth bullet fired ? All that seems certain is that there are still serious flaws and contradictions in all the official investigations which have been conducted since.
After that I checked into the Springhill Suites, which is extortionate but at least is within the city. I went out to a bar and had some Texan Beer, which was black and tasted a bit like Murphys. Watched the Chicago Bears give Minnesota a good roasting. The rules of American Football still puzzle me - at one point play was stopped and I asked myself "now why did the ref blow for offside ?". It became a bit clearer as the game progressed, but I will need to read up on it when I get back.
After an unsettled night I am writing this just after breakfast. It is 8:15 AM here. Today I drive down to Austin, where I will be staying for three nights. It's a legendary music town, so I'm expecting great things ! It will be hot, though..it was over 90 degrees here yesterday.
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