God Bless Massachusetts

One can hardly think of Massachusetts without thinking about Kennedy....all of them.  When I was growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was a junior in high school, John Kennedy got assassinated.  I was a ward of the county since my 7th or 8th year, dysfunctional family and all, and in November, 1963 I was residing at Perpetual Help Boy's Home, a place when we weren't doing homework, we were polishing the linoleum floors with cinder blocks on top of army blanket pieces.

I wrote a poem at that time and sent it in to some writer's magazine:

He traveled through the town spreading faith and good cheer
remembering what happened doth bring forth a tear,
to the eyes of the old and to the eyes of the young,
over a President, now sung...

A man of valor, of courage and kindness,
who hath fired that shot, hath fired in blindness.

I don't know if it ever got past the person's garbage can who opened the envelope but the point is Kennedy was a democrat and back then, they were just all right with me.

Six weeks later, 19 days after my 17th birthday, I was on my way to Marine boot camp and one year and six weeks later I was fighting in Vietnam, the war John Kennedy thought was important to win...important to beat communism.

I went to Vietnam twice, Marines did 13 month tours and mine spanned mid-65 to mid-66 and then a year in language school, back in mid-68 to mid-69 and had friends from that "Dirty Water" state.  I spent 9 years total in the Corps and distinctly remember this boot corporal from Boston, when I was between tours  and stationed at Camp Elmore (Norfolk, Va)(FMFLant), one in particular used to zoom around in a little TR3 with the radio blaring especially when he cranked up that 'Dirty Water' song. We were buds.

I didn't change much....spent many years really apathetic after we quit Vietnam and I doubt if my fellow Marines from Boston or Texas or wherever, really changed that much.   Once the democratic party was a proud party...they had good intentions.  I loved John Kennedy and Bobby. I loved Bobby's passion and maybe I was just young but I knew instinctively that when me, other poor white trash like me along with my bro's from the hood were the only ones in Vietnam....something was going on.

The democratic party and America are now watching, almost idly, as progressives make a giant raid on our Republic...oh please, let us throw in the elitist republicans like Richard Lugar (I live in Indiana now) who factored hugely in the acceptance of President Ubama's czardom.

Massachusetts is simply joining the rest of America in awakening to the evils under the dome in DC.  And all at once I am proud of the people that produced Bobby and John Kennedy...Patrick, this is a school day, go to bed early tonight.  I do hope Marcia Coakley doesn't get anywhere near Kabul, Afghanistan....even though I hear there aren't any terrorists there anymore....moved to Pakistan and Yemen you know.  Hey, Martha, some actually did move to New York City you know, or will before the trials begin....

It is difficult on an individual level or on a corporate level to turn back to true north after making so many damn wrong turn in one's life, and often not much fun in doing so.  But when you don't know how to get back to where you started, when it looks gummed up left and right...there is always up. Prodigal sons and daughters eventually, look up.

Massachusetts is looking up and looking good.  This is not about party, this is about the American Republic and we all know it.

Semper Fi,

Michael R. Konkel
Sgt              USMC