From Camelot to today's "What Might Have Been"?

[Stinky The Clown]

(Morning musings from a weary old man, caused by thinking of The Lion, now resting comfortably in Boston)

Camelot ended in Dallas in 1963. On any "Day before Dallas", the country, save for a few, was filled with incredible hope. Those few prevailed. Gunshots rang out in Dealy Plaza and a paradigm was shifted.

Bobby was our next hope. Along with Martin.

What might have been?

We'll never know.

More shots rang out. In a hotel kitchen and across from a motel balcony.

Lone assassins, were were told. Three of them.

What might have been had Bobby assumed the mantle and taken the oath the following January? His brother set the goal posts very high. His colleague, Martin, was just coming into the full maturity of his selfhood, with incredible visions and dreams he wished to share.

Would Viet Nam have been anything more than geographic trivia? Would whole city cores have self immolated?

Would this cycle's races have been the first involving a black man?

Teddy was left with the mantle, tattered and torn. But in many ways, he has become the greatest of them all. The Lion. Arguably responsible for more truly good legislation than the rest of his family, including children, combined.

John inspired us.

Bobby energized us.

Martin gave us the hope to dream.

Teddy gave us law.

But what might have been had not shots rung out in Dallas and Los Angeles and Memphis?

What might have been?

What might we not have suffered?

"The Good They Die Young" sang Dion.

But how to explain The Lion?

Still at it.

[bicentennial_baby]

1. Very nice

:)

I knew he was going to be ok once I heard that he spent the night watching the Sox double header and eating take out from Legal Seafood. :D

[jwirr]

2. Beautiful and what many of us of that era feel.

[liberal N proud]

3. We will never know how great

this nation could have become.
We can only hope for restoration

[LWolf]

4. I feel defeated all over again.

I concur with your thoughts, with this exception:

The Lion is responsible for championing one really bad piece of legislation that is still hurting us. NCLB.

I'd like him to be part of bringing that one to an end, so it's not tacked on to his legacy.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. That's a touchy one .......

...... clearly Kennedy's intent was honorable. His mistake was in trusting Fuckface to do some good with it.

But yeah ..... the whole thing has been so irrevocably damaged the best thing to do is to overturn it on our watch. And maybe reinstate a clean version of it and call it The Kennedy Education Act, or some such.

[LWolf]

6. I would love to see that happen. nt

[defendandprotect]

7. Political violence much ignored by corporate-media . .