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Albert E. Burke: Difference between revisions
→JFK Assassination
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During his presidency the atmosphere in Dallas approached <mark>hysteria. “The historical conservatism of the city,” wrote Dallas’ most prominent merchant, Stanley Marcus [of Neiman-Marcus], “had been fanned to a raging fire by the combination of a number of elements: the '''far right daily radio''' ‘Facts Forum’ program by Dan Smoot sponsored by the ultraconservative '''wealthiest''' man in town, '''H. L. Hunt'''; the '''John Birch Society'''; the '''oil''' industry’s hysterical concern for the preservation of what they considered a biblical guarantee of their '''depletion allowance'''; the ‘National Indignation League’ founded by a local garageman, Frank McGeehee, in protest of the air force’s training of some Yugoslavian pilots at a nearby air base; the '''consistently one-sided attacks on the administration by the ''Dallas Morning News''''' and the semi-acquiescent editorial policy of the ''Times Herald'', which had previously been a middle-of-the-road, fair newspaper.</mark> For the lack of courageous firemen in the business and intellectual segments of the community, the fire raged on.” ... | During his presidency the atmosphere in Dallas approached <mark>hysteria. “The historical conservatism of the city,” wrote Dallas’ most prominent merchant, Stanley Marcus [of Neiman-Marcus], “had been fanned to a raging fire by the combination of a number of elements: the '''far right daily radio''' ‘Facts Forum’ program by Dan Smoot sponsored by the ultraconservative '''wealthiest''' man in town, '''H. L. Hunt'''; the '''John Birch Society'''; the '''oil''' industry’s hysterical concern for the preservation of what they considered a biblical guarantee of their '''depletion allowance'''; the ‘National Indignation League’ founded by a local garageman, Frank McGeehee, in protest of the air force’s training of some Yugoslavian pilots at a nearby air base; the '''consistently one-sided attacks on the administration by the ''Dallas Morning News''''' and the semi-acquiescent editorial policy of the ''Times Herald'', which had previously been a middle-of-the-road, fair newspaper.</mark> For the lack of courageous firemen in the business and intellectual segments of the community, the fire raged on.” ... | ||
Dallas was gaining notice. The <mark>leader of the American '''Nazi''' party, George Lincoln Rockwell</mark>, opined that Dallas had “the most <mark>patriotic, pro-American</mark> people of any city in the country.” <mark>The compliment may have embarrassed a few, considering its source, but we believed that about ourselves. To the radical conservatives, Dallas had become a kind of shrine, a Camelot of the right</mark>. ... | Dallas was gaining notice. The <mark>leader of the American '''Nazi''' party, George Lincoln Rockwell</mark>, opined that Dallas had “the most <mark>patriotic, pro-American</mark> people of any city in the country.” <mark>The compliment may have embarrassed a few, considering its source, but we believed that about ourselves. To the radical conservatives, Dallas had become a kind of shrine, a Camelot of the right</mark>. ... | ||
Once again—it wasn’t just Dallas. But we who lived there had the feeling that we were in the middle of a political caldera, a grumbling, reawakening fascist urge that was too hot to contain itself. I wonder what might have happened in Dallas if Kennedy hadn’t died there. | Once again—it wasn’t just Dallas. But we who lived there had the feeling that we were in the middle of a <mark>political caldera</mark>, a grumbling, <mark>reawakening fascist urge</mark> that was too hot to contain itself. I wonder what might have happened in Dallas if Kennedy hadn’t died there. | ||
The most conspicuous and despised symbol of fuzzy intellectualism was <mark>Adlai Stevenson</mark>, a former Democratic presidential candidate and the current American ambassador to the <mark>United Nations</mark>. | The most conspicuous and despised symbol of fuzzy intellectualism was <mark>Adlai Stevenson</mark>, a former Democratic presidential candidate and the current American ambassador to the <mark>United Nations</mark>. | ||
There was also something intensely personal about the hatred of Stevenson. He was the last word in eggheads, Mr. Humpty Dumpty himself. His urbanity didn’t wash in Dallas. Intellectual charm was suspect; besides if you took the trouble to be witty you probably didn’t have it where it counted. Stevenson was a <mark>weak sister</mark>. | There was also something intensely personal about the hatred of Stevenson. He was the last word in eggheads, Mr. Humpty Dumpty himself. His urbanity didn’t wash in Dallas. Intellectual charm was suspect; besides if you took the trouble to be witty you probably didn’t have it where it counted. Stevenson was a <mark>weak sister</mark>. | ||