Where Were You When Kennedy Was Shot?

As discussed in class, Kennedy's assassination on November 22, 1963 was a watershed moment in American history. Those living would remember this day with clarity--where they were when they heard the news, who told them, what they did afterward--in much the same way our generation recalls September 11, 2001. Many describe feeling a profound sense of loss--for Kennedy's family, for the nation, and for the dream that was snuffed out. Indeed, Kennedy's assassination foreshadowed the darker days to come. As put by J.G. Ballard: "The American Dream has run out of gas. The car has stopped. It no longer supplies the world with its images, its dreams, its fantasies. It supplies the world with its nightmares now: The Kennedy assassination, Watergate, Vietnam..."

For extra credit, interview someone who was alive on November 22, 1963. Ask them the question: "Where were you when Kennedy was shot?" Provide a summary paragraph of your interview (the who, what, why, where, when & how) and post it as your comment.

To think about: "Is not peace, in the last analysis, basically a matter of
human rights? The right to live out our lives without fear of devastation.
The right to breathe air as nature provided it? The right of future generations to a healthy existence?"
-JFK, 1963