Dallas - A Place of Death

50 years ago today, JFK was gunned down in Dallas, Texas.  A relatively young Democratic, Irish/Catholic President.  My family was Democratic, Irish/Catholic (with a little Lutheran/German and Polish/Catholic mixed in).  We identified strongly with our Irish/Catholic heritage.

So this was a big blow in our family.  And I think the reverberations from those shots are still ringing out these many years later, really.  How many hours did we spend around the dinner table debating the who, what and why of that mind-bending event?  Countless hours.

I do think that assassination changed something fundamental inside of us. It affected the whole family. It's hard to say what exactly changed, but there was a new well of sadness, and maybe an edge of cynicism, that just sort of settled around us and colored our view of America and the world.

I grew up thinking Dallas, Texas was a very, very evil place. It's kind of irrational to write off a City. But it's true. I've never looked kindly on Dallas. It's a symbol. A place of hardness, a place of death. A place where young Democratic, Irish/Catholic Presidents and their dreams, go to die.