As a student in 1963, I wrote to my father, “If the president passes through next week he will be assassinated here in Dallas.”

The hateful atmosphere surrounding the visit of “the rust belt Irish Catholic from the North” was everywhere in the area. The state of Texas was dominated by a majority of Democrats who within days would regret the guilt and shame soon to follow.

On Nov. 22, I was a few blocks away when I observed the black limousines racing to Parkland Hospital. Hurriedly returning to the university campus, I saw groups of students cheering and shouting with joy concerning the catastrophic event. A friend who was an elementary school principal called to report cheers and elation when he announced the shooting to the students. Escaping to the laundromat, I encountered another reveling group.

The Leninist who committed the crime had chosen an ideal climate for the murder.

Even at that time, radio KLIF reported that a “retired Republican general in north Dallas” was probably involved in the crime.

There is a lesson hopefully I learned from that day, and that is to make an effort to avoid emotional and irrational statements about politicians who disagree with my views.

Unfortunately, we sometimes forget being taught that Republics throughout history have failed when the populace turns irrational. The time is when the focus shifts from a brave discussion of policies and issues to emotional and cowardly personal attacks on individual politicians. I can remember the haters saying, “Well Kennedy cannot even pronounce the word Cuba correctly!” (Cuber’).

Last week a headline reported that 117 politicians have been murdered recently in a failed republic to our south.

Let us write, discuss and live together seeking to avoid hatred that is certainly a deadly cancer when flowing through the human heart.

Jerrold Dettle

Albert Lea