Nov. 27, 1963 - On the blackboard in a second-grade classroom, in large letters, were printed the words “terrible,” “assassinated,” “Kennedy,” “Dallas,” “Oswald.” With a nod from the teacher, the students rose and explained what the words meant. “And what does ‘Dallas’ mean, Sandra?” asked the teacher. “That is where our President was killed.” “And what does ‘Oswald’ mean, Lydia?” “He killed our President,” she said. Nobody in the class questioned her; and the teacher continued going over the words, emphasizing their historical significance, urging the children to remember these days because some day they would be describing them to their grandchildren. All this took place today in Public School 81 in the Bronx, but there were similar scenes in classrooms throughout New York and the nation. Since it was Caroline Kennedy’s birthday, the second-grade class in the Bronx then composed letters, one of which read: “Dear Caroline, I hope your birthday is happier next year than this. Your father was a brave man. I bet he was a wonderful daddy also. Your loving friend, Luise Uccellani.”
Comments