Tuesday; November 24
If you were to follow one path of human logic, today should be a holiday known as Jack Ruby Day. That previous statement is probably startling, but hear me out. On November 22, 1963 Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed President John Kennedy and Dallas Police Officer J. D. Tipitt. Oswald was arrested and taken to the Dallas jail where he was held and questioned. Then, on November 24, 1963 – as Oswald was being transported from the jail – he was shot and killed in front of dozens of people. There may have been some doubt if Oswald did what he was accused of doing, but everyone knew Jack Ruby was the man who killed Oswald. Now, back to my premise. If vengeance is as wonderful as we are led to believe, Ruby’s killing of the assassin should be celebrated. If revenge is as sweet as some advocate, the American nation should have healed quickly. Yet, the death of the ultimate bad guy didn’t heal the hurt. Our nation grieved – not just for a few days, but for months and years to come.