Today is November 22, 2025.
If you were alive on November 22, 1963 — and were over, say, 5 years old — you understand how dramatically, and traumatically, America shifted that day.
If you weren’t, there is no way you can comprehend it.
The murder of President Kennedy was a horrific, galvanizing moment in time. It happened 62 years ago today, but I remember it like it was yesterday.
I was in 5th grade. Since September my friends and I had walked to and from school. We gathered on High Point Road, cut through the Staples High School athletic fields and parking lot, sauntered down North Avenue, walked across open farmland, and arrived at Burr Farms Elementary.
We were like the “Stand By Me” boys: talking about kid stuff, reveling in our independence, figuring out each other and the world, in a world that would soon mightily change.
Minutes before school ended that beautiful Friday, the teacher from next door burst into our room. “Kennedy got killed!” she yelled. A girl broke into spontaneous applause. Her father was a leading Republican in town.
Our teacher slapped her face.
Usually, our teacher wished us a happy weekend. That day the bell rang, and we just left. No one knew how to interpret her reaction. We’d never seen a teacher hit a student before.
Then again, we’d never heard of our president being murdered.
As my friends and I gathered for our ritual walk home, we suddenly had Something Big to talk about. For the first time in our lives, we discussed news. We had no details, but already we sensed that the world we knew would never be the same.
That vague feeling was confirmed the moment we walked down the exit road, into the Staples parking lot. School had been out for an hour, but clots of students huddled around cars, listening to radios. Girls sobbed — boys, too. Their arms were wrapped around each other, literally clinging together for support. I’d never seen one teenager cry. Now there were dozens.
At home, I turned on the television. Black-and-white images mirrored the scene at Staples a few minutes earlier. Newscasters struggled to contain their emotions; men and women interviewed in the street could not.
The president was dead. Now it was true. I saw it on TV.
Walter Cronkite on CBS, announcing the death of President Kennedy.
My best friend, Glenn, slept over that night. The television was on constantly. The longer I watched, the more devastated I became.
John F. Kennedy was the first president I knew. My father had taken me to a campaign rally in Bridgeport 3 years earlier. I could not articulate it then, but I admired JFK’s energy, was inspired by his youthfulness, and vowed to grow up and (like him) make a difference.
Now he was dead.
Bill Mauldin captured the grief of a nation.
Saturday was rainy and blustery. I watched more TV. Like most Americans, I was obsessed by this unfolding tragedy. Like them too I had no idea that the impact of that weekend would remain, seared in my brain and heart, more than 6 decades later.
Sunday was the first day I cried. The raw emotions of all the adults around — in the streets of Westport, and on the television screen — finally overwhelmed me. I cried for the dead president, my fallen hero; for his widow and children; for everyone else who looked so sad and vulnerable.
Then — right after noon — Jack Ruby killed Lee Harvey Oswald. Once again I sat transfixed by the TV. I was stunned, and scared.
Monday was a brilliant fall day. President Kennedy was laid to rest under a crisp, cloudless sky. The unforgettably moving ceremony was watched by virtually everyone in the world with access to a television.
To my everlasting regret, I did not see it live. Glenn said we could not sit inside on a day off from school. Rather than risk being called a nerd (or whatever word we used in 1963), I chose playing touch football at Staples over watching history. I was in 5th grade. What did I know?
The coffin, at Arlington National Cemetery.
The next day we went back to school. The Staples parking lot looked exactly as it had before that fateful Friday. Our teacher never said a word about slapping the girl who cheered President Kennedy’s assassination.
Thanksgiving arrived on schedule 2 days later. At our dinner — like every other table in America — the adults tried to steer the conversation away from the awful events that had consumed us for nearly a week.
In the days and months to come — as the country slowly, painfully, pulled itself out of its collective, overwhelming grief — I devoured everything about President Kennedy I could find. I saved Life, Look, Saturday Evening Post. I ordered the Warren Commission report. Like so many others I still have it all, somewhere.
In the years that followed, my admiration for the young, slain president grew, then ebbed. But it never died. He remained my political hero: the first president I ever knew, cared about, was mesmerized by, and mourned.
When President Kennedy was killed, journalist Mary McGrory said, “We’ll never laugh again.” Daniel Patrick Moynihan — who worked for JFK — replied, “Mary, we will laugh again. But we will never be young again.”
Sixty-two years ago this morning, I was a young 5th grader without a care in the world.
Walking home that afternoon, I could never not care again.
Nice. Thank you.
When I heard about JFKs assassination I was a junior in college in Lexington KY playing touch football on campus when a girl ran up and said Kennedy had been shot in Dallas. We were all stunned. No one said a word but we all wandered off in different directions to process what we had heard. That weekend was endless b/w tv.
I was four years old and my mom was a week away from giving birth to my youngest brother. I did not comprehend President Kennedy being assassinated but I vividly remember watching Lee Harvey Oswald being shot, and trying to explain what happened to my mom in the next room.
I was 16 and in high school when Kennedy was assassinated and remember everyone being shocked and emotional.
I remember it well. Sat with my grandmother watching the weekend events unfold on TV. I am still fascinated with the whodunit aspect- why did Jack Ruby kill LHO? Years ago, when I lived in the Hartford area, a professor of investigative journalism at UHA, George Michael Evica, wrote a book (And We are All Mortal) and broadcast a weekly radio show on their station called “Assassination Journal.” He dove into the labyrinth of information on every aspect of the killing including a who’s who of the individuals. Another interesting accounting from many sources can be found here: https://www.maryferrell.org/pages/Documents.html
Dan, thanks for a wonderfully written, meaningful piece. It truly captures the feelings of that time.
I was in a second year med school parasitology lab when a classmate went running through the hall yelling the president has been shot. No one went back to their microscopes that day or the next!
I was a senior in high school in Holyoke, Massachusetts on that day. In the hall between fifth and sixth period, a girl I knew asked me, “Is it true?” I asked her “What,” and she said “That the President was shot.” I told her I had not heard anything.
I went to my next period Modern European History class with Mr. John Remlin (interestingly, a native of Westport, CT and a Fairfield University graduate). He entered the class as the bell rang and told us that the President had been shot in Dallas. I don’t remember whether we were dismissed early, but I do recall going to my father’s car and listening to the radio for all the late-breaking news reports as they came in, including the report that he had died.
I immediately remembered back to a few years before when I met him. I was in seventh grade. I went with my parents for a campaign rally at the local War Memorial building. John F. Kennedy was campaigning—for Senate, I believe. I went through the receiving line with my parents, met and shook hands with everyone including Jackie and John, and I recall his saying to me, “Young man, you are out late tonight.” Miss Janet Gorman, a daughter of a Massachusetts State Representative who was in the receiving line with her parents said, “It’s OK, he’s one of my seventh grade Social Studies students.
And, I too witnessed Lee Harvey Oswald being shot by Jack Ruby on live TV.
My uncle was in the Air Force at the time, and I recall a relative phoning that night to tell us his unit and the whole military were put on high alert following the assassination.
Those few days are etched in my memory!
I was too young to remember it, but I feel like I lived through it reading your piece. What a beautiful and moving recollection. thank you Dan
I am simultaneously heartened and saddened by the realization that (except for 06880 and Dan W.) the rest of America seems to have pretty much moved on from commemorating with sadness what the loss of President Kennedy has meant to our country. I will never forget being excused early from school (Kings Highway Elementary) on that sad day and finding my mother had also been excused from work. I broke down and cried. I think the late, great Daniel Patrick Moynihan got it exactly right. I pray that our country at all levels will reflect on this sad occasion and make the internal and external changes necessary to get back on track for being “the last, best hope of civilization.”
We were seniors at Staples. Dismissed early. I drove to my mother’s place of work and everyone there was crying.
JFK was the first President I was really engaged with. I too admired his youth and ambitious outlook for our nation. I was finishing 6th grade gym class when we heard the news. It’s a day never forgotten.
Thank you Dan. So well stated. a wonderful tribute. You brought back so many memories. I was a 23 year old working my first job out of college in Hartford. I was Employed by the Girl Scouts there. We had been in a staff meeting and as we broke up someone heard the news. We all were in shock. One of my duties was to meet with a group of Jr. High School Girls that afternoon. It was one of the first troops with African American and white girls….just that statement says a lot. They were all in shock and I was also. I remember tears and looks of disbelief and shock. I can’t remember anything I said to them except we did dismiss and send them home early. Of course, the weekend progressed. In many ways The death of President Kennedy changed my focus forever. I became very interested in doing what I could to end segregation. and yes, all these years later I remember and am changed.
After graduation from Staples high school, I went to SMU in Dallas. I will never forget that Friday when Kennedy was killed in Dallas. Dallas was a very conservative city. I remember leaflets falling from planes that showed a picture of him from the front and the side saying “wanted for treason“. Most all activities were canceled for that Friday night but my boyfriend‘s fraternity did not cancel their party. I was serious at him and did not go out with him for a while. The murder of Kennedy and the ensuing events were the most horrific and influential events in my life. It’s set the tone for the other murders in that decade and has set the tone for what I consider the regressive policies in the United States today. Kennedy was not perfect, but he represented youth and Hope and great ideas. “They“ killed him because he was going to do things that would upset the status quo. Thank you for hearing me out. Lucy weberling. Skiatook. Oklahoma
Thanks for the memory, Dan. I was a senior in high school on Long Island at the time and became transfixed on the TV coverage, from the arrest and killing of Oswald through the funeral. I wound up reading a host of books espousing different conspiracy theories. Unfortunately, it marked the beginning of the decade that featured Viet Nam and the subsequent murders of other prominent people like RFK and MLK. Makes you wonder how the 60’s would have unfolded but for an assassin’s bullet.
Very moving personal narrative of a dark time in our history.
I just had a baby and had another child that was 2 years old. My husband was a Westport firefighter and I was ironing his uniform when it came over the TV. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing on TV, I thought to myself, this isn’t possible, but it was. The whole country stopped and watch TV for the next four or five days and although we were watching it and seeing it in real time it still was unbelievable.. It changed the whole course of our country. I still wonder how different our Country would of been had this not happened.
Helen, I’m sure you knew Joe Ziobro.
Dan, what a gorgeous essay. Plaintive and clear, it captures a coming-of-age moment for both a boy and a country. Your piece deserves a wide readership.
—Valerie, former executive director of Westport Writers Workshop.
I was with my boyfriend at a movie in Leicester square, London.
When we came out of the cinema and headed to the tube station a newsboy was selling a special late edition and yelling
“Kennedy shot … read all about it”. The shock was real. The Kennedys seemed so glamorous compared with our stuffy politicians. The experience remains high on my list of “where were you when “ memories.
Thank you, Dan. 💜
Very well done, highly evocative remembrance.
I was a freshman at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., after having graduated from Staples earlier in the year. I believe Lucy was a classmate.
I was in Latin class (Mrs. Kearns would have been proud!) when the professor broke the news. One student blurted out something inane about a president dying in office every 20 years or so. He should have been slapped, or worse.
The class was immediately dismissed, and I walked my fellow student/girlfriend back to her car in the commuter parking lot. I remember asking her if she was OK; I don’t think I was. She then drove home to Brookline, only a few streets away from Beals Street, JFK’s birthplace.
Saturday morning’s “Boston Globe,” Kennedy’s hometown daily, was, by far, the saddest newspaper I have ever read. I wish, in a way, I still had it. I think almost every story in every section related to Kennedy. In what had to have been a Herculean effort, even most of the ads had been reworded and black-bordered to mourn JFK.
Saturday night, my girlfriend, later my wife, and I had tickets for a play at the Charles Street Playhouse in downtown Boston. It might have been our first big date. The show must go on, and it did. But so did the tears, both onstage and in the audience.
I saw the World Trade Center buildings burn on 9/11. That was the worst. But 11/22/63 wasn’t far behind, changing the world and all of us.
Keith Hagel
Staples ‘63
Beautiful essay, Dan. Thank you. Over the years, I occasionally reflected with friends, “Where were you when you learned that JFK was shot?” (I was in a lecture hall where my college physics professor was demonstrating on a giant wall of blackboards the equations by which Einstein’s theory of relativity came about. He never got to the reduction, e=mc2, when the door opened and he was interrupted by someone who whispered in his ear. The professor turned to the large class and said, “The President has been shot. Class is dismissed.”) What was common to all was shock. How each of us dealt with it in the ensuing hours, days, and years contributed to informing the rest of our lives.
I wish when I commented earlier I would have included that I was Staples class of 1958. I think several comments are from those just a few years after my class. Charlie was already working in New York City and we have saved his copies of the New York Times. I had and we saved copies of the Herald Tribune. I wish I knew how to better preserve the paper. It was truly a day that resonated and changed many of us.
Truly a wonderful piece. Thank you Dan
Thank you Dan, it’s the memory our generation will never forget
Mighty good piece; thank you. There were some cheers and laughter at my school, too (8th grade) when we heard the announcement over the PA system, but I think that was only before the news started to sink in. It’s hard not to take the easy, sarcasm route, especially when you’re a kid. Reacting sincerely to heavy Incoming is the job of a lifetime.
Third grade at Saugatuck. They told the 4th 5th and 6th graders so they told us as we walked home from school. Bobby Buffington told me. I ran home and burst through the door and my Mom was in the laundry room. One look at her face. I see her (and Bobby) like it was yesterday. I know I have asked my older siblings but I cannot remember their stories. Too tough a conversation to ask again.
Powerful story, moments like this remind us how much the country was shaken. Though I wasn’t alive when JFK was assassinated, I was in the village during 9/11, its those moment you’ll never forget. I was watching the Oliver Stone’s movie ‘JFK’ last night and it made me think about how important real transparency is. And we should definitely hold everyone from the CIA and AIPAC accountable for their part in the assassination.
Ok, I’ll bite. Why don’t you explain to everyone your conspiracy theory of how the CIA and AIPAC were responsible for JFK’s assassination.
Hi Matt: There are many interesting theories- read my comment, if you’re interested. Happy Thanksgiving!
Lee Harvey Oswald claimed he was being used as a “patsy” for the assassination and that there was a greater conspiracy
Before LHO could testify, he was assassinated by Jack Rubenstein, a fervent zionist gangster who was smuggling weapons to Israel. His motives were questioned by his rabbi while in prison and his response was that he “did it for the Jewish people”.
Before the assassination, LHO was being spied upon by CIA counter-intelligence agent Reuben Efron, who apparently didn’t warn anyone that LHO was dangerous. Efron moved to Israel some time after JFK’s assassination.
Reuben Efron worked for a man named James Angleton who was the CIA’s chief counterintelligence director. Angleton is credited as being responsible for brokering the alliance between Israel and America. Angleton is recognized as a hero in Israel and has a memorial there. Many suspect he was operating as a Mossad informant. And forcing AIPAC to register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) wasn’t the only potential motivation for Israel wanting JFK removed. JFK was also attempting to crack down on Israel’s secret illegal nuclear proliferation program. JFK knew Israel was developing nuclear weapons and was attempting to shut it down. He routinely tried to bust Israel’s nuclear refinement operation through surprise inspections. But informants within the CIA (take a good guess who it was) were warning Israel in advance so that the Israelis would have time to disguise the nuclear facility and remove any enriched nuclear material before inspectors could arrive. Israel’s nuclear program has been vital for it’s survival. The one-sided nuclear leverage against the rest of the Middle-East has allowed them to act without fear of serious retaliation, so JFK being in office was literally an existential crisis for israel
Thanks for sharing. Lots of circumstantial bits but zero hard evidence of the CIA or AIPAC’s responsibility. Sounds like could be good material for a Nick Fuentes podcast though.
Also I find it interesting that you have no concerns pedaling conspiracy theories involving Israel (this, USS Liberty incident) but when it comes to something like Trump’s responsibility for January 6, you’re quick to uphold our legal/political system as the source of truth (“there’s been no legal ruling that Trump ‘led an insurrection.’ It’s a matter still under legal and political debate”).
Before I go on any further, I am not suicidal.
This goes deeper and explaining it in a comment would not do justice. I was referring to declassified JFK files and reporting about how many groups had interests in Kennedy’s policies. Especially the CIA and George de Mohrenschildt, who was a known CIA handler who was in direct communication with George H. W. Bush (CIA Director) who had many meetings and contact with LHO even prior to 62. Mainly, JFK wanted to force the AZC to register as a foreign lobby and he also wanted to block Israel from obtaining nuclear weapons. If anybody had a reason to kill him it was them. Anybody who ever pointed this out was branded as anti-semitic and cancelled. Some advice, throwing out a ‘Nick Fuentes podcast’ line isn’t an argument. It’s just a way to dismiss the conversation without engaging with anything I actually said. If you have a counterpoint based on evidence, make it. If not, labeling anyone who brings up uncomfortable history as some fringe figure is a pretty quick way to signal you’re not debating in good faith.
On the Israel point: As an American why should I give a shit about Israel? Israel and AIPAC influences our politicians/government into giving money and fighting wars on their behalf while engaged in cover up and propaganda in the West. Americans should be able to discuss any foreign government’s influence on U.S. policy. Criticizing a government or a lobbying group isn’t the same as attacking a people, and I hold that standard across the board. And the reason I bring up the USS Liberty is because it was an unprovoked attack that killed American sailors. And whenever I mention the people responsible for the attack, you get uncomfortable. It makes me wonder why you’re so quick to brush that part aside instead of addressing it directly. Its personal and I’ll see to it that we never forget because my grandfather was told to stay quiet about what happened and never received an apology or meaningful compensation for his injuries. If you want to defend “greatest ally” tell that to him and see if he agrees.
As for January 6, my point was that I try to separate what’s been legally established from what’s still being argued in political commentary. If a court rules something, I’ll acknowledge it. Until then, the process is ongoing. If you want to have a real conversation about political violence instead of trying to play ‘gotcha,’ I’m more than ready for that. And if you’re comfortable prioritizing a foreign government’s interests over Americans and the safety of American service members, then say that plainly instead of dancing around it.
Facts:
– There have been multiple investigations of the JFK assassination over the years, plus multiple document declassifications, and none of them have found clear evidence that the CIA or AIPAC was involved.
– Similar thing with USS Liberty: at least 5 investigations and no conclusive evidence that Israel fired intentionally.
– You dispute the official U.S. government account of the USS Liberty. And now you’re on the record saying that AIPAC had “a part in” JFK’s assassination and should be held accountable. On what solid evidence is this based on? A few circumstantial points leading you to claim “if anybody had a reason to kill him it was them.” Sounds airtight to me.
So when it fits your anti-Israel narrative, you’re fine to latch onto conspiracy theories as truth, even if they haven’t been “legally established.” But when it comes to things that don’t fit your narrative like January 6, we need to focus on what’s been legally established. That’s called hypocrisy. And it makes it you pretty hard to take seriously. You try to come across sounding even-handed and reasonable, but in reality you’ve revealed yourself to be pedaling a lot of the same alt-right bullshit that – you guessed it – Nick Fuentes is pedaling.
As an American, you should give a shit about Israel because their presence in the middle east has helped neutralize anti-American adversaries like Iran and their proxies. That’s not prioritizing a foreign government – that’s prioritizing American interests. I suspect you disagree with me on that point, but to use your words – “let’s have a real conversation about that” rather than falsely claiming that anyone who supports Israel is necessarily prioritizing a foreign government’s interests over Americans.
I am glad you’re not suicidal – that means we get to keep doing this 😉
Matt, you’re presenting your list as if it settles the debate, but even your own points acknowledge that none of these investigations were able to produce a definitive explanation for everything that happened. A lack of a final conclusion isn’t proof of innocence any more than it is proof of guilt. It just means the historical record is complicated, and people keep examining it for a reason.
The declassified files don’t wrap everything up with a bow, but they absolutely show that multiple actors (including the CIA) were watching Oswald, interacting with people in his circle, and discussing Kennedy’s policies behind the scenes. Pretending those things aren’t in the documents doesn’t make them disappear. AIPAC’s political pressure around the Dimona issue was well-documented at the time too. Noticing that different groups had motives in the early 60s isn’t the same as declaring a solved case. It’s acknowledging what the record actually shows.
On the USS Liberty: 5 investigations doesn’t erase the contradictions in the testimonies of the pilots or the fact that survivors accounts were pushed aside for geopolitical reasons during the Cold War. My grandfather lived through that. He wasn’t relying on online theories or message boards. He lived with burns and injuries for the rest of his life. Brushing that aside because it complicates a narrative doesn’t make you objective.
As for your claim about hypocrisy: I’m being consistent. When something has a final legal ruling, I accept it. When something doesn’t, I treat it as open to interpretation. January 6 has ongoing court processes, appeals, and legal questions still being argued. That’s not evasive. It’s just acknowledging the difference between established law and political commentary.
Throwing around ‘alt-right’ and ‘Nick Fuentes’ every time someone questions a favored narrative isn’t analysis, it’s a shutdown tactic. You haven’t addressed a single specific claim I’ve made. You’ve only labeled it. That says more about your comfort level than my argument.
And on your point about Israel: supporting an ally is one thing. Acting like questioning government actions is equivalent to hating a country or its people is something else entirely. I’m talking about policy, lobbying power, and historical events NOT identity. If you want a real discussion about strategic interests, I’m here for it. But that’s different from pretending every criticism is some kind of loyalty test.
And if your goal is an honest debate, stop trying to turn it into a character indictment. Stick to the facts and we can keep going. But on the Israel issue, I don’t need to say more. I let their actions, history, and policy speak for themselves like my grandfather’s experience, and the record show where priorities truly lay and sentiments indicate that they have no place in the US. I don’t hate anyone, but they and their supporters have hardened their hearts, seeking only to build themselves a paradise on earth that aligns with their perverted beliefs of superiority. Facts and accountability speak louder than platitudes, and that’s what I’m doing
Let’s not gloss over your original accusation: you didn’t just contend the JFK assassination was an open question, you accused the CIA and AIPAC of actually having a role in the assassination. So the onus is on you to provide hard evidence to support this, which you have done zero of. However, I understand that in your worldview it’s clearly not enough for Israel and its supporters to be considered “not guilty”: when it comes to Israel, it and its supporters are guilty until proven innocent. So here are a few other points to consider:
– Dimora was a policy dispute, but not an existential crisis for Israel. Israel may have resisted full access to Dimora but still allowed U.S. visits. There is no documentation evidencing a breakdown severe enough to inspire assassination.
– The dispute actually de-escalated in the months leading up to Kennedy’s assassination, as U.S. inspections continued.
– Jack Ruby: you’re cherry-picking a single comment he made and turning it into something bigger. He also said he felt intense rage and grief at JFK’s killing and wanted to spare Jackie Kennedy from having to endure a trial. He was also deemed emotionally unstable by psychiatrists who interviewed him.
– James Angleton: Facilitated intelligence cooperation between the CIA and Israeli agencies, as would be expected between close allies. This was especially important to Israel in its formative years. So of course Israel viewed him as enough of a friend to memorialize him.
– The cold war was a period where Kennedy applied wide-ranging non-proliferation diplomacy to many countries, pressuring France, Pakistan and others on weapons development. But somehow only Israel would be driven to assassinate a sitting U.S. president?
Also funny the accusation on loyalty test: That’s exactly what you accused me of when implying that a supporter of Israel must be prioritizing a foreign government over U.S. interests.
Supporters of Israel might say that the Jewish people have been subjugated and oppressed virtually wherever they’ve gone throughout history, and thus they need to vehemently defend their land (to which they have an historic claim) against multiple factions that don’t think they should be entitled to a country of their own, of ANY size or ANY nature. But you’ll choose to brush this aside, instead arguing that these people have “hardened their hearts, seeking only to build themselves a paradise on earth that aligns with their perverted beliefs of superiority.” I think that says it all, really.
You keep trying to reframe what I said so you don’t have to deal with the substance. I never claimed to have a signed confession from the CIA or AIPAC. I pointed out that there are unresolved questions, documented political pressure, and historical patterns worth examining. You’re the one pretending that if something isn’t wrapped up in a neat government report, it’s automatically nonsense.
The irony is you accuse me of presuming guilt while you presume innocence (absolutely and without question) as long as the actors involved are ones you feel obligated to defend. That’s not critical thinking. That’s loyalty disguised as logic.
You list talking points like they’re definitive:
‘Dimona wasn’t an existential crisis’. For Israel, nuclear capability has always been framed as existential. You can’t claim it matters enormously for their security, then say it would never motivate drastic action.
‘The dispute de-escalated’. Pressure doesn’t disappear because a few inspections happened. Policymakers, especially during the Cold War, continued pushing until they got compliance.
‘Jack Ruby was unstable’. No one denied that. But instability doesn’t erase connections, and you know that.
‘Angleton was just cooperating’ He was cooperating to a degree that even other CIA officials later called concerning. Israel building a memorial for him isn’t proof of guilt, but it absolutely indicates closeness worth noting.
Nothing you wrote disproves anything I said. It just shows you’re willing to hand-wave anything that complicates the narrative you prefer.
And the loyalty point? You brought that on yourself. You keep arguing that U.S. interests and Israeli interests automatically align, and when anyone questions that, you treat it like a personal attack. That’s not how foreign policy works. Allies can act against our interests. Allies have harmed us before. The USS Liberty is a perfect example – one you’ve dismissed repeatedly, even though my own grandfather lived with the consequences for the rest of his life. That alone tells me where your priorities are.
You close by lecturing me on historical suffering as if that excuses the actions of a government today. My criticism is directed at state policy, lobbying influence, and the way those priorities clash with American interests. You keep trying to turn that into an attack on a people because it’s easier than engaging with what I’m actually saying.
So here’s the bottom line:
I’m questioning institutions, governments, and power structures. You’re defending them reflexively and pretending that makes you objective.
My 5 comments are up, but I’ll leave you with this; if pointing out facts and noticing patterns makes you uncomfortable, maybe it’s because they’re worth thinking about. And comparing anyone who challenges you to Nick Fuentes or some far-right boogeyman. Break out of that habit. I agree with Chris, who said, “I hope that those who want to criticize said policies can also do so without having their character besmirched.” That’s exactly the point. Crying antisemitism every time someone questions a policy or a government decision doesn’t make your case stronger. It’s a way to avoid the argument, not answer it.
You have an extremely short memory. Here’s what you actually said:
“we should definitely hold everyone from the CIA and AIPAC accountable for their part in the assassination.”
That’s not just “raising unresolved questions,” it’s a clear accusation that both the CIA and AIPAC are in some way responsible for JFK’s assassination. Now you’re backpedaling – but nevertheless, to set the record straight on a bit more of your (original) bullshit:
– “LHO claimed he was being used as a ‘patsy’ for the assassination”: Even if you make the massive leap to take him at his word, the more rational explanation would be that he was the patsy of the Soviets, not the Israelis given his Marxist, pro-Castro views and defection to the USSR. He had no ties to Israel whatsoever.
– The accusation that Jack Ruby was smuggling weapons to Israel is complete bullshit. He had no ties whatsoever to AIPAC, Israel, the CIA, etc. He was a mentally unstable night-club owner with low-level ties to organized crime and had only been to Israel once.
– Reuben Efron wasn’t spying on LHO – he was a linguist and translator involved in reading foreign publications, especially Soviet material. He wasn’t an operational CIA officer and not part of covert action programs. He was simply the analyst who translated a piece of intercepted Russian-language mail that reached LHO.
– No evidence that CIA informants were “warning Israel in advance” of inspections. That wasn’t even relevant, as the U.S. was already providing advance notice per Israel’s request.
– Also no evidence that JFK was trying to “shut down” Israel’s nuclear program.
He was trying to monitor it, verify its peaceful nature and discourage weaponization – exactly the same approach he took toward India, Pakistan, France, and others. But you choose to single out Israel for your conspiracy theory.
You needed the lecture on historical suffering. Governments, and in particular the Israeli government, has a responsibility to its people to take decisive action to ensure that its people’s historical suffering remains historical. That obligation does not magically end once some mythical statute of limitations has been hit. Like all governments, Israel is not perfect, has made mistakes and sometimes does things that run counter to American interests. But the obligation remains.
Your short memory kicks in again when claiming not to have attacked a people. If accusing Israelis of “building themselves a paradise on earth that aligns with their perverted beliefs of superiority” isn’t attacking a people, I don’t know what is.
When it comes to the Nick Fuentes comparison, I’ll again use your words: You brought that on yourself. You chose to use this local forum to espouse not one but two anti-Israel conspiracy theories that have been firmly debunked by multiple official commissions and rejected by virtually any credible professional historian. While I’ll acknowledge that Fuentes goes way beyond just anti-Israel conspiracy theories and I’m not accusing you of espousing any of this, the anti-Israel bit is clearly part of his schtick and your comments fit firmly within that realm.
Lastly, I’ll note that while you’ve the term anti-semitic twice and unjustly accused me of “crying anti-semitism,” I haven’t uttered it once. And in fact, I don’t believe you’re anti-semitic because I believe it’s not inherently anti-semitic to be anti-Israel. And that’s what I believe you are: anti-Israel. I think your grandfather’s unfortunate experience likely colored your view of Israel from an early age, and since then you’ve been fishing for anything to support your pre-determined conclusion. It’s not justified or right, but completely understandable given what your grandfather went through.
All that said, I won’t hesitate to call you out for throwing out any other bogus conspiracy theories in the future. This isn’t high school Lincoln-Douglass debate and you don’t get to set the terms. I can take having my loyalties to this country questioned; if you can’t take justified comparisons to Nick Fuentes or any other fringe figure, then it might be time to look for a new blog to spread your bogus conspiracy theories on.
Happy Thanksgiving.
The IDF couldn’t even neutralize the 10/7 attack, they have certainly not done anything to protect American interests.
This is leaning hard into the myth of Israel being the US’s closest ally. No, the US is Israel’s closest ally. There is a big difference. (Let’s not start a conversation about Jonathan Pollard.)
You can say that people are “falsely claiming that anyone who supports Israel is necessarily prioritizing a foreign government’s interests over Americans” but how many people who have criticized the atrocities in Gaza have been called “antisemitic” and “pro Hamas” in the 06880 comment sections? (I’m not holding you responsible for those comments, but I have certainly been subjected to them.)
Finally, why is it that there can’t be 06880 posts about local antisemitic efforts without the comment threads being hijacked by people advocating pro-Zionist (and pro-Netanyahu) positions? I find it disgraceful because it takes a legitimate local concern and uses it to attempt to manipulate support for issues that have little to do with Westport.
I do not begrudge advocates of Netanyahu’s policies the right to advocate for them. But I hope that those who want to criticize said policies can also do so without having their character besmirched.
Uh oh, you said the magic word. CIA hated Kennedy as the Dulles clique wanted war with Russia, Ben Gurion hated him because he wanted them , AIPAC, to register as a foreign agent. Anyone who thinks LHO worked alone is delusional as he had a CIA handler for years. The propaganda the US public endures is unmatched.
Thank you for this, Dan. You captured a sad and moving watershed moment. I’m roughly the same age as you, and had a very similar experience.
The funeral procession was tough. The riderless horse, the caisson, John-John saluting…
I was an Airborne-Ranger Infantry Platoon Leader, 3rd Infantry Division, drinking with my buddies in the Officers Club near Wurtzburg, Germany.
The Officer of the Day strode into the bar wearing his hat [“covered”]. He was therefore packing a loaded .45-caliber Colt automatic (wearing a hat in an officers club, unless armed, is such an etiquette breach that the offender must buy the bar a round).
He pointed at the bartender: “Close the bar.”
He turned to us: “Red Alert.”
This lieutenant was our drinking buddy, so we thought it was a joke and started laughing.
He looked us dead on: “I’m not kidding…
THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SHOT! THIS BAR IS CLOSED! RED ALERT!”
At the motor pool, my four APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers) already had “Live ammo on board, SIR!” and we roared into the forest to begin our advance to pre-selected defensive positions near the East German border.
We sweated ‘till dawn awaiting the probable Russian attack; doubtful we could hold, even if we used our (then TOP SECRET) battlefield nuclear weapons…yeah, we were ready…you were safe.
Tom Feeley
Well said Dan. I remember walking across the parking lot at Burr Farms, not really comprehending it.
And the rally in Bridgeport. My dad took my older sisters. I have photos from that event, as you put it, “somewhere.”
Thank you for posting.
Jean, I’d love to see the photos. And a comment to Tim. As I recall, Texas in the early 1960s was solid blue. For example, The Rayburn Building in DC named after Sam Rayburn who served decades and was Speaker. LBJ was first elected in the 1930s. As a matter of fact, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi were Democratic states.
Hi Jack! We were moved to the Houston Texas area in early 1971. Texas was solid blue. Our neighbor, a lot older than we were was a native of Massachusetts. He was a GSE at the time. He told us that Texas is solid Blue. He told us a good thing to do was to vote for the best Democrat candidate in the primary election because they were most likely going to win and then if we wanted change vote republican in the election! Things have changed!
Oops.. not Tim, Tom
I was with my baby, waiting for my older son to come home from school, when my then-husband. called with the news. A few minutes later, the older boy walked in, and said, “Mommy, why are you crying?”
I was a sophomore in high school in Kentucky, and that evening our football team was going to play for the state championship. There was a pep rally in the gym when the news came through, and of course the game was postponed.
That weekend was surreal. The amateur theater group at our church canceled the performance but held the cast party where everyone was somber. I remember asking an adult “what’s going to happen” and being assure that everything was going to be all right. Then on Sunday Oswald was shot, which no one could understand how it happened.
On Monday was the funeral, with the cortege led by a riderless horse who had reversed boots in his stirrups, and John-John and Caroline standing with Jackie. It was incredibly sad.
i was also in fifth grade at North Street School in Greenwich. I remember the Public Announcement made by our principal, and then we were dismissed for the day. I walked home that Friday to find my mother in tears by our kitchen black and white tv. All weekend we followed the news and on Sunday we saw Jack Ruby kill Oswald as he was being transferred from the Police Headquarters to the County jail. We watched the funeral on Monday, staying home from school. it is hard to explain how devastated everyone was. Kennedy was young, full of energy, and a brilliant speaker. We were hopeful. Then he was taken from earth with his brains on the car and on his wife, then Oswald was shot by a night club owner. Dramatic and searing memory forever.
I got off the bus from Hillspoint school at the top of Rayfield Rd., Paul Hoffman’s dad was at the bus stop to pick us up and take us home. He said please get my car. The president has been shot.