So I saw the Natalie Portman film Jackie last night. There's a line in there after JFK is shot where she mentions how the "Birch Society" would be happy about it. I assume she was referring to the John Birch Society, which I've mostly learned about here since Ezra Taft Benson was a huge fan.

Can anyone give me more context for this line, or what members of the church thought about the Kennedys in general? I know that Utah voted for Nixon in 1964, but that's about it.

The Birchers *hated* Kennedy.
Mainly because of his actions on civil rights.

http://www.orwelltoday.com/jfkjbs.shtml

http://www.orwelltoday.com/jfkjbsdallasad.shtml

Utah voted for Nixon in 1964?

They're further behind the times than I thought.

HINT: Nixon didn't run in 1964.

Whoops. Meant 1960. I was clearly paying attention during the movie.

Yes, she was referring to the John Birch Society, an ultra-conservative political organization. Members were often referred to as "Birchers," and they would have been no fans of the Kennedys. My parents were Goldwater Republicans, and the Birchers, who were active in our small town, were too much even for them.

It's still around, but you don't hear too much about them anymore.

My younger son's father-in-law is the genuine article, a frothing-at-the-mouth Bircher.

We had dinner with them years ago, shortly after our son married their daughter. FIL started in on Bircher politics, and I thought to myself, "OMG, we've got a live one here." I was well acquainted with Birchers; Bircher-baiting had been a well-respected and popular activity when I was in college.

But my sweet, innocent, naïve, then-TBM DH didn't have a clue. He stayed mostly quiet during FIL's ranting, having figured out that the guy had slipped a cog or two. Once we were in the privacy of our car, on our way home, I explained the diagnosis.

Since then, I left the church and DH became inactive. Last year, after the debacle about the children of gay parents being denied any kind of church advancement, our son and his wife quietly left the church. They don't have much to do any more with the fruitcake Bircher or his wife.

What a strange thing! I was in (what was then called) junior high school when Kennedy was shot. It was announced over the school PA system when I was in drafting class. After I got home, it was all over the tv (all 4 channels that we got).

I was very sad, and I remember the neighbor across the street crying. But then my mother came home from work, acting like nothing had happened. I told her about Kennedy and she said something like, "Oh, yes. I know. The next one will be just as bad."

Then she went about her evening routine, humming and acting perfectly normally. I don't remember ever hearing anything from either of my parents that would indicate that they found the assassination to be anything unsettling or even noteworthy at all. It surprised me greatly, as everyone else I knew was totally preoccupied with the subject.

This is the first time that I've put 1 (Kennedy's assassination) and 1 (my parents were fanatical Birchers) together to get 2 (why they weren't at all upset about it).

My stepfather did a happy dance when Kennedy was assassinated. A for-real happy dance, laughing and cheering. We weren't allowed to watch any of the funeral coverage either.

My father was pretty happy about it too. We watched the TV footage all day, the same thing over and over and over. I cried a lot. My dad said that the only bad thing was that now they needed to find someone to shoot Johnson. So I expected that to happen any day. Can't wait to see the movie.

Oh boy here we go JFK was not assassinated by Lee "AWW IVE been Shot" nevermind guys.

?????

Nobody in the thread said anything about Oswald not being the assassin. Except you, that is. I have not the foggiest idea what point you were trying to make in the second part of your comment

I interpreted it as a joke. He was about to reveal to us the "real" shooter, but then was shot in order to keep him quiet.

Wasn't very funny I know, I'm recovering from foot surgery right now so maybe I should be more serious.

This was before my time, but I recall reading that the bretheren really didn't like Kennedy. McKay commented on how unseasoned he was even implying his youth made him unfit to rule the land.

Kennedy came and payed homage to the bretheren even speaking in the tabernacle, he praised the pioneer spirit in Utah and the Mormon Church, and spoke some of the finest most patriotic words in his whole presidency right here.

poopstone Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Kennedy came and payed homage to the bretheren
> even speaking in the tabernacle, he praised the
> pioneer spirit in Utah and the Mormon Church, and
> spoke some of the finest most patriotic words in
> his whole presidency right here.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=74176

And yet...Utah voted for Nixon, not Kennedy.
Possibly because people like E.T. Benson and his Bircher pals were calling Kennedy a communist and a race traitor...

The other reason that McKay and his crowd (including Bruce McConki--forgive any spelling errors) didn't like JFK was because he was Roman Catholic. The fear among some conservative Protestants (though I don't know if this applied to the LDS hierarchy) was that JFK was taking his marching orders from the Roman pope.

Yes, that was one of their fears, and a fear of many American protestants at the time.
Ironically, though, it was perfectly fine for Utah's legislators to take their marching orders from the "prophet." Oh, the hypocrisy...:)

Fine, patriotic words? but he was in favor of civil rights! I thought that would just about put him on your enemies list there, poopstone, you raving loon.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2017 09:02AM by midwestanon.

Some interesting analysis on E.T. Benson, the Birchers, conflicts in the church over the Birchers, and Kennedy...

http://www.mormonchronicle.com/img/Ezra-Taft-Benson-and-Mormon-Political-Conflicts.pdf

I want to thank everyone who contributed here. I know Ezra Taft Benson wasn't a Bircher himself, but he was a huge fan. These stories provide a lot of context.