Kennedy Letter

Dear Grandpa Jess,
We've been studying the Kennedy Assassination in History and I'm still curious about a couple things. I know that about two thirds of the population after his murder believed that there had to be more to it than just one killer. I really don't know because I didn't live through it - it seems like everybody just needs a good excuse to not feel as much pain. Its easier to believe that there has to be some big conspiracy to have such a leader killed so simply. I almost think that it was only Lee Harvey Oswald. I think he did it because he was lonely and felt alienated by the world. He must have just wanted to be recognized - and he was. I am curious about where you were when Kennedy as assassinated and what specific memories you associate with it? What do you think about the Lone Gunman conspiracy? I'm not sure how a presidential murder would be much different today, other than the fact that it could be viewed as a racial attack. Humans will still grieve in the same way over a lost leader. What do you think about that?

Christine

the Space Race

Americans engaged in the Space Race because we wanted to prove that our technology was superior or equivalent to that of the Soviet Union. Being at war with the USSR, Americans on the home front were very concerned with the advancements in Soviet technology. Some of this new technology involved missiles and their launching. The Russians were the first to launch a satellite; Sputnik. Many believed that if the Soviets were able to launch a piece of equipment into orbit, the satellite would be able to spy on them, or drop bombs on them from outer space. The fact that the Americans did not have that same technology was a major concern. Another major concern was the Arms Race; the USSR was believed that have many nuclear bombs - how many it was not certain. If ever the Soviet Union and America were to attack each other outright, the Americans would need to have as many or more nuclear weapons than the Russians. The space race was said to have started "not because it is easy, but because it is hard," as Kennedy said it. The Americans needed to keep up the prestige of their country in order to maintain the morale of its citizens.
I believe it is important to continue to study the world and space around us; even if it is millions of miles away. It is against human nature to not explore the places which are unknown to them. It is the challenge that makes the adventure so important. If humans never began to explore the world around them and find new and innovative ways to live, we would still be stuck as Homo Erectus, the upright man in the stone age. It is only human to be curious of his surroundings. So, I believe that adventuring deeper into space is a good feat - possibly landing on more of our solar system's planets or moons to discover more about their composition. There are many outcomes to such exploration; it is not simply a futile waste of money.