I, too, was in elementary school in 1963. It seems almost immediately after it was announced President Kennedy was dead, we were all sent home. My dad came home early and we all watched the television. I don't think the TV was off for that entire weekend. We didn't have school on Monday, which I believe was the day of the funeral, but we went back to classes after that. It seemed to be a global mourning which we all experienced together and then came out on the other side feeling closer. I was much too young to understand any of the politics, but I do remember our next door neighbor began to rail about the "commies" at every opportunity. Sorry, I don't recall anything at all about a "Russian" plot or the threat of bombs. The death of the President was horrific enough.
As for the movie, and I admit I haven't seen it for quite a number of years, I believe I interpreted the scene about the President being shot as meaning President Kennedy's assasination. When Reagan was fired at, it was more of a blip on the scene of news and faded quickly except for the Brady Bill which was passed in honor of the SS agent who was shot. I remember thinking the shocking part was the attempt on a president's life was made by a member of the Manson "family." Therefore, to me, that event was not nearly as significant as the actual murder of a President.
Lastly, I was at home preparing for a lecture I was giving later that morning at the local Red Cross office when I heard and saw the news on the Today Show about the attacks on 9/11. In devastating shock, I didn't know what to do so called the Red Cross. They had no more information than what I saw so suggested I come anyway. On the way there the streets were empty, businesses and schools where closed or closing, government offices all closed. I arrived to the building where I was checked by security, bombarded by PA announcements to donate blood, stock supplies, and other various emergency arrangements. I began my lecture, but no one was listening to me and I couldn't concentrate. It took a couple of days for the horror and fear to abate for most people and then the many questions needed to be answered.
The weekend after 9/11 I was driving to western Mass. for a meeting and everything just seemed "odd." No planes in the sky, few cars on the road, EVERYWHERE American flags as the country pulled itself together much the same we we did when President Kennedy was killed. No one had to coax us into doing it, we just did it all on our own.
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Kurt-150
12 years ago
This may contradict some of my other sentiments on here, but I remember going to the grocery store the night of 9/11 and trying to exhibit normalcy and good cheer, thinking that a resolute and warm attitude would be contagious and the best possible response to the terrorists. Instead, I remember asking a grocer a question about some frozen food and she looked at me like I was insane for wanting to even buy anything or communicate with someone. Gah!
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