A heartfelt message to my classmate, June Oswald Porter (written a year ago today)

A heartfelt message to my classmate, June Oswald Porter.

June, I am thinking of you today. But it's not in a negative way because of the anniversary of that awful day. I choose to remember the skinny girl who played basketball in such an aggressive way. The incredibly mature and bright girl in speech class who spoke on more funding for public libraries, and your statement on how terrible communism was because, as you so accurately stated, we would just have to ask your mother.

I can remember a freckle faced, somber young girl who had to grow up way too fast. We as classmates obviously knew, but we really didn't speak too much of it. As a matter of fact, I think you were accepted very well and was pretty popular. I could look in your face and notice you carried the weight of the world on your shoulders, but I also think now how brave and incredibly successful you were.

I've been seeing the idiot media the last couple of days and how they are bothering your mom this week. The fool Wolf "Leslie" Blitzer was commenting the other day in almost a surprising way that you and Rachel have been very successful in life. Of course you are successful! I didn't know Rachel well, but I knew you! You were one of the smartest persons I had ever met.

So, being a Dallasite, all of us have some kind of connection to someone who was at Dealey plaza that day, or someone who was with your father when he was killed, or some other connection with the assassination. I mention I went to school with you, but not to draw attention to myself. I immediately tell folks what I mentioned up above - you were, and I'm sure still are, a wonderful, insightful, mature, bright woman. I have heard you are occasionally on Facebook, and I hope you see this. I am proud to have known you, and as a classmate, I am honored I have known you for over forty years.

Take care, June. Know that this day will bring up all the negatives. But for a brief moment, I wish to express the positive.