A SHORT HISTORY OF RIGHT WING DESTRUCTION PART 18

The world breathed a sigh of collective relief after resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis.  JFK and Khrushchev agreed to install a "hot line" so they could reach other immediately in the event of a crisis.

As the country moved into 1963, things appeared to be going in the right direction.  There was a lot of work to be done.  We needed to find a way to resolve problems in Vietnam.  We needed to find a way to address poverty in the United States.  We needed meaningful and workable civil rights legislation.

Just weeks before his assassination, JFK gave a speech at American University laying out the stark reality of the nuclear world we live in.  His speech impressed the leaders in the Soviet Union because it wasn't the usual bellicosity, but a realization that people the world over are pretty much the same.  Most of us want to live our lives happily, enjoying our families and friends, performing work that matters to us, and making contributions to our communities, our country, and our planet.

The year 1964 was an election year and JFK had to start thinking about the next presidential campaign.  Texas was going to be an important part of that election.  Splits in the Democratic Party in Texas were a concern and JFK decided on a trip to Texas to do some fence mending and lay the basis for the 1964 campaign.

The rabid right wing in Texas hated JFK.  On the day of his assassination handbills were in circulation stating that JFK was wanted for treason.  After the news of his death, some people actually cheered.

It is impossible to know how history diverged on November 22, 1963.  But JFK's death was a victory for the right wing in the United States and a tragedy for the rest of us.

More to come