The LuLac Edition #2569, November 22nd, 2013

JFK FIFTY YEARS ON

“GOOD NIGHT JACK”

Today I had the very precious opportunity to be on a few Media outlets and give views on the 50th Anniversary of the Death of John Kennedy. Each interviewer asked for my views but I always prefaced my remarks by saying that I was not representing David Yonki or The LuLac Political Letter on this day but rather the thousands of people who were my age when this tragic event happened. I spoke of the generation of today where Kennedy was frozen in time and of course the thoughts of what many of my era felt too.
I touched much too briefly on my parent’s generation. If his death touched people of my age that day, for my parent’s generation it was devastating. Kennedy was the first man who became President born in the 20th century. Prior to his election other Presidents were born in the 1880s. This was a big deal for our parents. My dad was born in the teens as were many of the men on my street when I was growing up. Kennedy was a contemporary. One of their own. Plus the fact that Kennedy was Irish Catholic and had made a grinding motorcade in 1960 that lasted hours had a huge impact on how people regarded him here.
In my head I knew how much my father’s generation loved Kennedy, regardless of religion or party. But the impact of that affection came home to me twenty years after his death. I was attending a political event at the Pittston Knights of Columbus with my Uncle Timmy Pribula.  The Knights of Columbus was named the John F. Kennedy Council after his death. A portrait of John Kennedy was put in the hallway near the door. In a huge frame, the visage of JFK was illuminated by a light. My Uncle Joe was in attendance as well as my Uncle Lenny who was working the bar for the gathering. 
That night, after the event was over we began to made our way toward the door. I was confused because on the way in there was no line but on the way out, it was slow moving. It wasn’t until I got closer to the exit that I saw every man, now older than the day the President, their President died stop by the photo, touch it and murmur, “Goodnight Jack”.
Goodnight Jack indeed.