Atatimeinthe world when the voice of democracy is as important as food and air it will be interesting to see whether certain sectional leaders of the nation join in hands or continue to fight to the losing battle of who won the Civil War.
For historians the Civil War was finished almost 100 years ago. But for current day politicians, many of whom are bred right in out own state, we are still fighting. Two weeks ago today the nation was shocked to learn that President Kennedy was shot down on the streets of Dallas like an animal. The show of “western civilization” will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most shameful acts in our nation’s life.
But if the death of John F. Kennedy did anything it did wake us up. The nation for the first time in many years awoke from the obvious slumber of sectional hatred to the reality of 20th century existence.
Now-a-days we cannot be idle but neither can we bomb churches, shoot presidents or lynch those who do not agree with us. Unfortunately the United States is in the eye of the world 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. I say “unfortunately” because some of the leaders in our nation take the attitude that we only have ourselves to think of. These are the ones who think that the Negro problem is our problem, that America, the land of the free and the brave, can tell anybody, anything, anytime…if so only because we ARE America.
Well, to you, I say…HA! It seems that you are not aware of the fact that the world is smaller and its problems bigger. Communism is not thousands of miles away nor is the internal strife of our nation only felt within our borders alone.
When Kennedy was shot all the world knew about it. When James Meredith helped fight the battle of Ole Miss the whole world knew about it. The fact is simple and clear. America by its nature as a world leader must be aware of the image it presents to the world. We cannot sit snugly back in our “log” cabin and hope for the best. We must show the rest of the world that the product that we have to offer is superior to that of any other nation in the world.
Accusations as to the cause of the President’s untimely death have flown fast and furious. But aside from the medical causes, every American’s hand was on the trigger that sounded the death knell for JFK.
A lack of understanding on both sides of the issues that taunt our nation, hatred before reason, and selfish pride, are the real symptoms that led to Kennedy’s death. He died not from brotherly love but from brotherly hatred. Hatred
that has been encouraged by world leaders and those of our own nation.
If the President’s death did anything for our nation let us hope that it will forever silence the cries of “nigger lover,” “white trash” and “the south shall rise again.” Let us hope that America will join its efforts to promote the ideal of democracy rather than selfish sectional desires as in the past. The price for freedom is a high one. On Friday, November 22, the nation and the world paid one of the highest.
