(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . 60 Years Ago Today . . . Brother Kyrin and Some Memories [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-11-21 I was 15, in Xaverian, an elite Catholic high school in Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge community in my junior year. It’s on Shore Road, which runs from 69th Street to the Verrazano Bridge, and at the time was littered with some of the wealthiest private homes in Brooklyn, many belonging to mob members. Death was no stranger to Xaverian. On one occasion, a student’s father was murdered right across the street from the school, his son reportedly heard the shots and immediately ran out fearing the worst. It was around 1:30pm on a Friday when the entire school was ominously called into the Gym over the P.A. system. Standing by a microphone at one end was Assistant Principal (aka Dean of Discipline) and later on to be Xaverian’s Principal, his name was Brother Kyrin. Something Unspeakable He looked like death warmed over and had been crying. We were all extremely anxious, bordering on terrified. The image of this guy crying was unsettling for many of us. He was tall, slender but well built under his black robes. And normally had a flat, expressionless look on his reddish face, which had just turned white. Xaverian H.S. and it’s memorial to many former students that died on 9/11 working at the World Trade Center We universally feared him as was his purpose in the school. Finally a few minutes that had seemed like hours to us had passed. And we got a very brief statement from him once the Gym filled that President Kennedy was dead and we were sent home. I honestly don’t remember if he said killed or shot. We were almost relieved, to be honest, as we had been expecting much, much worse news if that’s possible. Like maybe nuclear war had broken out. Or it was the end of the world. We liked JFK, who was highly thought of at Xaverian, his being the first Catholic president. He was my first venture into politics of any kind except for also admiring Martin Luther King thanks to my mom. There is no time in my life that I remember better, even my times in the army in 1968 or 9/11. The shooting of Governor John Connally, in the same car with Kennedy, was a mere mention to us. Little did we know until years later that Connally might have been the main target of Oswald, upsetting numerous conspiracy theories. And perhaps why this possibility didn’t get more publicity. Student Spanker Brother Kyrin, a smile us students rarely saw. I later found out through a school friend around the same time that Brother Kyrin was alleged to have spanked his younger brother bare butted in his office. I may have come close once myself when I was called into his office on a disciplinary matter. But he was satisfied that day with just some vague threats and a sick smile about what will happen the next time I get into trouble. Even though he was outed to the Brooklyn Diocese by the boy’s lawyer father, he was persuaded not to sue and keep quiet about it, that’s the way many Catholics were in 1963. Years later, charges emerged against Kyrin (aka Eddie Powers), long after he left the order and shortly before he passed away. They included ones from a famous actor and professional basketball player who attended the school. Back to 1963 Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before being killed. The letter was to then Navy Secretary John Connally, also shot that day by Oswald, asking him to reverse his dishonorable discharge from the marines. We were talking about the assassination while eating early Sunday afternoon dinner, as was the custom of many Italian families. Perhaps you were too? We lived in a tiny apartment, the kitchen doubled as a living room. When we almost choked on our meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes and corn. The T.V. is on, NBC I think, covering the assassination and Oswald, then the most hated man in America, being escorted out of police headquarters, when . . . Well everyone alive then knows that he himself was shot and killed on live national television in front of the entire nation by nightclub/strip club owner Jack Ruby. I remember my father, rarely political, immediately saying they were desperate to silence him. My mother was almost hysterical. Back to the Future These two assassinations reverberate to this very day. I’ve probably bounced between some of the many conspiracy theories that circulate, some being more credible than others. I’ll spare you any descriptions. What I remember most was that back in 1963 was that I lost my innocence, and I don’t mean virginity, that week. Many of us had begun to realize that the world and America could be an ugly place, not what we learned watching Walt Disney episodes of Davey Crockett. Filled with lies and dangers we had never before imagined. Shades of things to Come Walter Cronkite I’ve often wondered if JFK’s assassination indirectly also led to government mistrust and a greater willingness to challenge government policy among young people, the War in Vietnam and segregation? I also recall that news coverage had much more authenticity on certain issues. I’m not suggesting news was never biased, manipulative, or misleading. But reporters stopped being able to cover wars like in Vietnam so closely. But it was still possible to have at least a touch of credible, even honest reporting that was presented as news, not entertainment or propaganda. I remember that reporters such as Walter Cronkite could be believed more than most and appeared to be an honest journalist, whether right or wrong about an issue. News departments were expected to lose money then. Not so much today. Most are strictly advocates for a corporate, right-wing, or even fascistic perspective. Corporate Media Censorship Today O’Connor was brilliant as Bunker. The actions of government, the military and corporate news learned some harsh lessons in the 60s through the 80s that access to left wing and progressive opinions and airing points of view other than their more right wing counterparts were pretty dangerous to their class interests. News and Reporters are More Controlled News, information and particularly the military are presently much more controlled and less likely to let progressive or anti-war opinions/coverage get out to the public. Trump is much more quoted and shamelessly promoted than Biden. The media’s current idea of both siderism is limited to a Democrat debating a Republican Nazi. The only mass movements shown are the Trumpers. You’d be hard pressed to find a show like All in the Family on network T.V. today, one that depicts a dialogue between young progressives and a dinosaur MAGITE . It starred Carroll O’Connor as Archie Bunker, a softer 60s version off a bigot. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/11/21/2207059/-60-Years-Ago-Today-Brother-Kyrin-and-Some-Memories?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/