Let humanity transcend politics and parties

On Nov. 22, 1963, I was an 11-year-old sixth grader in LaHabra, Calif., I recall being in the cafeteria and getting ready for my duty as a student lunch-ticket-taker. Before all of the kids came in for lunch, the adults gathered in little groups talking. Not long after, they announced that the president had been assassinated and we were all to go home for the day. Most of us had no clue what assassinated meant, but we knew that getting out of school early on a sunny Friday was a good thing.

I ran most of the several blocks home and into the house. My mother, then in her early 30s, was sitting on a footstool in front of our black and white TV watching the breaking news with tears running down her face. Ours was a political family and I knew she wasn’t much of a fan of President John F. Kennedy, so I asked her why she was so sad.

She turned to me and said solemnly, “He was the president of the United States.”

Throughout the coming days, we watched the news, no internet or 24/7 news cycles on multiple channels. But that weekend, the enormity of what had happened became much more real to me. I do have memories of watching the funeral procession and being most moved by the visual of the horse-drawn caisson, the sounds of the drums and horses’ hooves on pavement and especially by the riderless black horse.

It’s been six decades since that November day, but my memories are clear, the loss of innocence easily recalled. It was also a lasting lesson learned from my mother ... humanity transcends politics and parties.

The magnitude of Saturday’s nearly successful assassination attempt on former president and presidential candidate Donald Trump is, and should be clearly seen, as an assault on us all, our democracy and this republic.

Let civil discourse win the day and our political differences kept in perspective.

“... and that government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from this earth.” — President Abraham Lincoln

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Happy Main Street Birthdays today to father and son Jack Beebe (85!) and Josh Beebe (50!), Steve Roberg, Terry Werner, Callie Cabe, John Malloy, Erik Nelson, Rick Souza, Janet Brock, Belinda Rowe, Amber Flinn, Lori Larkin and Emily Crawford. Celebrating the anniversary of their birth July 18 are Eric Wurmlinger, Jessica Ohlig, Annette Davis, Kathy LaTourrette, Dustin Peacock, Lori Nelson, Sandie Husby, Joanne Anglin and Cody Jones (30!). On Friday, David Kilmer, Maria Dawson, Brooke Skidmore-Wood, Vic Grilli, Hillary Main, Sherri Dust (70!) and Micheala Cocoran Hall blow out the candles. Duffy Smock, Linda Litalien and Kymber Baker take another trip around the sun Saturday. Strike up the band for Jim Lien, Cathy Meeks, David Miller, Todd Jenicek, Zofia Schell, Janet Allen, Shane Bell and Matt Gardner on a sizzling Sunday. Monday birthdays belong to Joe Malloy, Jim Coleman, Debbie Brown, Jennifer Schmidt, Tina Vandenheuvel and Sam Paul. July 23 birthdays for Katie Brodie, Steve Anthony, Jeremy Epstein, Marilee Wallace, Bill Singleton, Kris Olson-Wood, Carolyn Kreager, Ginger Harmala, Cassie Ohlig, Anne Kulinsky, Jessica McLean, Darin Hayes, Steve McCabe and Brett Surplus.

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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email rkthor52@aol.com.