George Packer writes for The New Yorker. He was 3 when Kennedy was assassinated. As a child, he was obsessed with the murder and spent hours poring over a pictorial account published by the AP of November 22 and the days that followed. Last month, Packer came to Dallas for the first time and had a look at Dealey Plaza. His rumination on the visit is worth a read. Here’s its conclusion:
American politics today isn’t haunted by the same fear of sudden, shattering violence. But, as for nut country, it’s migrated from the John Birch Society bookstores to the halls of Congress, where angry talk of socialism and impeachment is almost routine. Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Louie Gohmert are the spiritual descendants of Walker and Hunt. Fifty years later, Dallas would like to move on from Dealey Plaza. This is normal and right. What’s holding it back is the Republican Party.
