Thoughts on the JFK Lancer Conference

I had the honor of speaking last week at the JFK Lancer Conference, and I took a little while before responding because the weekend was quite the rollercoaster.

There was a group of people who went out of their way to make me feel welcome and supported while I was there, and I cannot express enough how much I was blown away. I have never experienced such kindness from a group of strangers in my entire life, and as the person who is always a square peg in a round hole, it meant more to me than I can ever express.

In a stark contrast to that kindness, however, I saw some of the most grotesque behavior I have ever seen in public in Dealey Plaza on Saturday. The gathering included a lot of really good people and researchers, but the some people there made the event about themselves and did little to honor the memory of John F. Kennedy. I come from a state that is very reserved in regards to public behavior, so the event was very eye-opening to say the least.

I am re-thinking every goal I had in writing about Guy or JFK. I feel very passionately that research as a whole will not move forward without some major changes to the culture.

I will post more in the coming weeks. I want to be thoughtful and intentional about what I say, as I want to build bridges, not tear them down.