Tuesday, November 22, 2005

That Was The President

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." --John F. Kennedy

42 years ago today, I was sitting in my 7th grade math class when the intercom crackled to life. T.R. Kennedy, our principle, who coincidently, was a distant relative to the President, was announcing to the school that the President of the United States had been shot. He died later that day. John F Kennedy was 46.



Here is a song written about that day:

That Was the President, that Was the Man
(Phil Ochs)

The bullets of the false revenge have struck us once again,
As the angry seas have struck upon the sand,
And it seems as though a friendless world has lost itself a friend,
That was the president, and that was the man.

I still can see him smiling there and waving to the crowd,
As he drove through the music of the band,
And never even knowing no more time would be allowed,
Not for the president, and not for the man.

Here's a memory to share, here's a memory to save,
Of the sudden early ending of command,
Yet a part of you, a part of me is buried in his grave,
That was the president, and that was the man.

Everything he might've done and all he could've been,
Was proven by the troubled traitor's hand,
For what other death could wound the hearts of so many men,
That was the president, and that was the man.

The glory that was Lincoln's never died when he was slain,
It's been carried over time and time again,
And to the list of honor you may list another name,
That was the president, and that was the man.

5 comments:

Gayle said...

I don't think President Kennedy would have been a Democrat in today's political world. He must be turning over in his grave at the anticks of Ted!

Nice post.

By the way, I linked you on both of my blogs, and posted regarding your great blog at My Republican Blog.

Mark said...

Thanks for the memories, Sheila, I said almost the same thing in the thread at ER's Blog. The seriousness of the situation didn't register with me until I saw the image of John John saluting his dad's casket.

The death of any American leader is always a tragedy, whether he is is Liberal or Conservative, Republican or Democrat.

Mark said...

Oh, and thanKs, Gatle. When I get time, I will reciprocate.

Daniel Levesque said...

Today is the annivaersary? I had no idea. I would have blogged about it if I had known. President Kennedy is one of the few Democrats I respect, even if he did make a lot of mistakes.

www.ravingconservative.com

Curious Servant said...

I was in the 4th grade. I remember it clearly.

Here's another song about President Kennedy:

Has anybody here seen my old friend Abraham?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people but it seems the good die young
I just looked around and he's gone.

Has anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people but it seems the good die young
I just looked around and he's gone.

Has anybody here seen my old friend John?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people but it seems the good die young
I just looked around and he's gone.

Didn't you love the things they stood for?
Didn't they try to find some good in you and me?
And we'll be free
Someday soon
It's gonna be one day

Has anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walking up o'er the hill
With Abraham, Martin and John