Yesterday was the anniversary of JFK's assassination. We've heard stories of families mourning that tragic event, irrespective of whether they preferred a [D] or [R] after their name.
They cried. They prayed for the USA. They mourned. IF anyone happened to be happy about it, I can't find any archival news story reporting that. I suspect that there were a few folks who were glad, though.
But journalists years ago were actually journalists. They knew that reporting anything other than the facts and anything that would just be an anomaly, was not news; rather it was an emotional story to inflame and divide and, most importantly, sell like grocery aisle tabloids.
Somehow I can't imagine that journalists would do the same today, if something like that were to happen. And, somehow I think that journalism has so lowered the level of political discourse that this sort of thing would not be an anomaly today.
Just my opinion, but how sad for all of us.
This is anecdotal, so take it for what it is worth,
but I am from a small town in rural Missouri that is heavily Republican and Protestant. My family has always been Democrats (even back when it probably wasn't doing us any good - i.e. when we were in Tennessee during Reconstruction.). My father was in High School when Kennedy was assassinated and he said some people cheered. So every generation has its assholes.
In that instance, I think such a pitiful response was more driven by religious (Kennedy being a Catholic) issues and not political.
All and all though, the nation mourned. It was a tragic event. Apparently my Grandfather kept it all together until they watched the funeral procession on television and John Jr. saluted the casket. He then burst into tears.
Other then that, I agree with you, to an extent, about the pitiful shape of journalism in this country.
I blame the 24 hour media machine which has turned news into tabloid shit. That's why I won't watch CNN, Fox, or MSNBC.
