The Day The President Was Assassinated

Today, 43 years ago on that fateful day in Dallas, USA, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by a hitman. Although I was not born then, and only learnt about JFK's tragic demise many, many years later, I am sure many Americans could not forget this history-making tragedy. Some were even present at the parade where JFK got his last ride. The hitman? Lee Harvey Oswald. At 43, JFK was the youngest man ever elected president (Clinton was 46) and he embodied vigor and vitality. To see him shot down in his prime made Americans feel defenseless. Life in America during those four days came to a virtual halt as a nation sat, immobilized, glued to the TV. A collective sense of disbelief was made worse by the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald. The whole American population wanted answers; they needed reassurance. They got neither. The funeral of the slain JFK was a masterpiece of decorum. It had just the right combination of pomp and personal. A state funeral thrown by a grieving family led by the stalwart brother and the dignified widow. In the space of four days during November of 1963, JFK transcended from being merely an American president to the more mythical position of King of Camelot. May he rest in peace.