Smart Talk: What if JFK had lived; Did Oswald act alone?
What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, November 21, 2013:
Friday marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John. F. Kennedy.
It is one of the few events in American history that are seared in the collective memory of the nation. Everyone old enough to remember November 22, 1963 can describe where they were, what they were doing, and how they learned of the president’s murder.
In a nation that sometimes doesn’t understand or appreciate its history, the Kennedy assassination was an event when almost everyone sensed a profound change immediately. Maybe it was because of Kennedy’s youth and public vitality or that he inspired Americans, but his death was a turning point in the 1960s.
Many Americans asked themselves, “What if JFK had lived?” It’s a question so many are repeating as the anniversary is contemplated.
Photo by Scott LaMar/witf
The crime itself is considered unsolved by millions. How could a distraught loner without much going for him like Lee Harvey Oswald have killed the most powerful man in the world by himself?
Smart Talk addresses these questions on Thursday’s program with Dr. Shirley Ann Warshaw, a presidential scholar and author at Gettysburg College and Dr. David Jackson, a Professor of Physics at Dickinson College.
Let us know what you think. How would the U.S. be different if President Kennedy had lived? Do you believe Oswald acted alone? Where were you when you heard the president had been killed?
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For the past month, in preparation for this anniversary, we’ve been asking you where you were when JFK was assassinated and what you think was his legacy. View some of your responses here.
