- The assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 was a pivotal point in American history, which is why historians, both amatuer and professional, often wonder – what would have happened if that pivot had gone the other way? What would the world have been like if JFK had not been killed? What if he had lived a long life, had served a second term, and led America through the heart of the turbulent 1960s?
He would have been re-elected, but he would have died in office from his other illnesses... or an overdose. JFK was not in good health. He was getting speedballs to tune out the constant back pain. He was going to burn out. I'm glad the article brings up the parts about LBJ making the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act happen. Another interesting point: Malcolm X may never have been assassinated if JFK hadn't. X's comment that JFK's assassination was "the chickens coming home to roost" got him suspended from his powers in the Nation of Islam. They sent him on the Hajj to get him out of the way for a while, and he came back opposed to racism. ...at least that's what I learned from a Spike Lee joint.
I don't think a U.S. president would never say this, but at the same time it does sound like a JFK quote."Not since the British burned the White House in 1812 has a foreign invader conquered our land as swiftly and thoroughly as have John, Paul, George, and Ringo."