Last Tuesday afternoon while driving to Champaign, Illinois, I heard the 1968 song sung by Dion, 'Abraham, Martin and John.' You recall the song's haunting lyrics of the four lives cut short by assassins' bullets.
Abraham Lincoln is held in highest regard by presidential historians; perhaps our nation's greatest leader. The Southern states bitterness towards Lincoln culminated in John Wilkes Booth's act of vengeance. John Kennedy, our first Catholic President had to overcome pre-election claims that should he be elected, the Vatican would 'call the shots.' Kennedy's administration pushed for civil rights and reigning-in organized crime activities. Kennedy would die at the hands of Lee Harvey Oswald, if you accept the 'lone gunman theory.' The Reverend Martin Luther King epitomized non-violent protesting as he sought equality for people of color. One could not be surprised to learn of King's assassination. Then there was Bobby Kennedy, the privileged guy from great wealth and comfort who followed the calling of Christ at his mother's urging, to 'do for the least' for Christ's people. Bobby was murdered for that commitment.
Each of the aforementioned murdering tragedies occurred in ugly cultural conditions. That American climate has not improved and if anything, our society's ugliness and hate-rhetoric has escalated. This hate-filled environment created by prejudicial attitudes and greedy-groups' desires for power is our most profound sickness eroding the foundation of America's supposed Judea-Christian principles.
I pray each day for the safety of our leaders. I cannot understand why it is that in this great country there is more stringent laws governing the 'sale' of Sudafed than the purchase of GUNS...as my Father would say, "That's bassackwards!"
..."anybody here seen my old friend John, he freed a lot of people but it seems the good die young; I looked around and he was gone."
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