John F. Kennedy, Jr.: The Death of a Good son

The sudden and unfortunate death of any "good son" or "good daughter" makes the heavens wail, and the earth overflow with tears. People of all climes and races, men and women, boys and girls of different persuasions and faiths mourn the good son, the good daughter. Remarkably, humankind does this even without having neither seen nor touched the remarkable person they behold.

I am delighted by the fact despite all the conflicts besmirching our planet, amidst all the angst, beyond most of the ancient and currents hatreds, a universal and caring stream of consciousness and rivers of sympathy flow to create an ocean of shared, pan-human sensitivity and mourning when a good person dies. This disposition is evident across almost all ethnic groups and religions. Africans, especially, have a good sense for shared communal mourning; one for all. I remember growing up as a kid in my south eastern Nigeria Igbo community and witnessing such shared concerns; it's another angle to the African wise saying "It takes a village!"

Hence, once the saddening tragedy of a "good son" John F. Kennedy, Jr., his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and Lauren Bessette, her older sister was announced first on MSNBC by veteran reporter Robert Hager on a beautiful summer Saturday morning of July 17, 1999, it was an unfolding tragedy which touched many, the village.

For thousands of Africans across the United States, and millions inside the continent who are ardent watchers of the Kennedy clan, that terrible tragedy touched the hearts of our community. For a long time, and due to the fact of the family's redemptive and frontline efforts for civil rights, continental Africans like other Blacks, have considered the Kennedys to be "our friends." No matter that only a handful of continental Africans know the Kennedy folks personally. Particularly, the recent immigrants of African origin across the Boston, Massachusetts college and educational belt, Houston, New York, Washington, Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles areas of the U.S share a sense of sadness and numbing disbelief regarding the terrible horror of the July 17, 1999 disaster.

From Savannah State University (near Atlanta, in Georgia), Chigbo Ofong, professor of management and a former Republican party precinct leader in Silver Spring, Maryland, informed USAfricaonline.com that "although I may disagree in terms of political viewpoints with Senator Ted Kennedy on certain issues, I admired JFK Jr.'s sense for public service." From Los Angeles, Niyi Ademola remembered him as "not only living up to the traditions of service laid forth by his father, but his personal decorum was unique."

Jermaine Nkrumah of the African Community Organization in Houston said "It's a very painful and mysterious thing happening to a very wonderful person. It's truly painful." Aggrey Kanu Oji, Jr., an accountant in St. Louis in Missouri said "It's very, very sad. He's very well behaved and his mother trained him well, after his father was killed. It's a sad loss."

Ghabrega Tuannius in Dallas said "JFK Jr. served as role model for many youths in the world." Aisha Bello in Washington D.C., described him as a "breath of freshness. I personally like him." Chidi Amamgbo, an Oakland-based attorney and contributing editor of USAfricaonline.com, reported that "Our community in California felt a terrible sense of concern for this tragedy."

Also, Orji Kalu, recently elected Governor of Abia State in Nigeria, informed USAfricaonline.com and NigeriaCentral.com "in my view, JFK Jr. accepted everyone, regardless of their color or creed. We're stunned by this tragedy."

The same feeling of disbelief was evident across African communities here in the U.S., since the Saturday morning, July 17, 1999, report about the mysterious crash of his small, private, six-seater Piper Saratoga aircraft.

John F. Kennedy Jr., 38-year-old son of John F. Kennedy, the late President of the U.S., was flying from New Jersey to the Kennedy home near Martha's Vineyard. With his and her sister, they were flying to meet some pre-wedding events of John's cousin Rory, the youngest daughter of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. Although some on-flight items floated to the shores and have been recovered, the chances of survival of the three seem very dim.

Okey Dike, a Houston-based attorney told USAfricaonline.com that the Kennedys are remembered for their public service, institutional wealth, unrelenting tragedies and fatalistic events, handsome presence, social excesses, but above all, a patriotic sense of duty. JFK Jr served until his death as Editor-inchief and Publisher of George magazine. He was born on November 25, 1960. His father, John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States of America was assassinated on November 22, 1963. His late mother Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy-Onassis His mother died on May 19, 1994. He was married to Carolyn Bessette on September 21, 1996. He has a sister Caroline Kennedy-Schlossberg .

In many ways, JFK Jr was an emerging, humble, good son, and a bridge between the Kennedyesque Camelot and the post-modern age. He was mild and graceful. If one had a definitive wish against the death of anyone, in this century, into the next millennium, especially this weekend, I'll venture to hope against all odds: Say it ain't true about John-John!

Why should this promising, affable, humble, public- spirited, likable and very handsome "good son" vanish under such mysterious circumstances.

Why?

Why, and why so young?
Where have you gone, John-John?
Nwangwu, recipient of the Journalism Excellence award (1997), is Founder and Publisher of USAfricaonline.com (first African-owned U.S.-based professional newspaper to be published on the internet), USAfrica The Newspaper, NigeriaCentral.com and The Black Business Journal. He also serves as an adviser to the Mayor of Houston on international business (Africa) and appears as an analyst on CNN, VOA, NPR, CBS News, NBC and ABC news affiliates.

---

Nelson Mandela, Tribute to the world's political superstar and Lion of Africa   Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's burden mounts with murder charges, trials Why Bush should focus on dangers facing Nigeria's return to democracy and Obasanjo's slipperyslide TRIBUTE A KING FOR ALL TIMES: Why Martin Luther King's legacy and vision are relevant into 21st 21st century. DIPLOMACY Walter Carrington: African-American diplomat who put principles above self for Nigeria (USAfrica's founder Chido Nwangwu with Ambassador Carrington at the U.S. embassy, Nigeria) DEMOCRACY'S WARRIOR Out of Africa. …The cock that crows in the morning belongs to one household but his voice is the property of the neighborhood. -- Chinua Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah. An editor carries on his crusade against public corruption and press censorship in his native Nigeria and other African countries. By John Suval. The Economics of Elections in Nigeria HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY How far, how deep will Nigeria's human rights commission go? Rtd. Gen. Babangida trip as emissary for Nigeria's Obasanjo to Sudan raises curiosity, questions about what next in power play? 110 minutes with Hakeem Olajuwon Nigerian stabbed to death in his bathroom in Houston. Cheryl Mills' first class defense of Clinton and her detractors' game  It's wrong to stereotype Nigerians as Drug Dealers Private initiative, free market forces, and more democratization are Keys to prosperity in Africa Should Africa debates begin and end at The New York Times and The Washington Post? No

USAfricaonline.com has been listed among the world's leading web sites by the international newspaper, USAToday.Africa suffers the scourge of the virus. This life and pain of Kgomotso Mahlangu, a five-month-old AIDS patient (above) in a hospital in the Kalafong township near Pretoria, South Africa, on October 26, 1999, brings a certain, frightening reality to the sweeping and devastating destruction of human beings who form the core of any definition of a country's future, its national security, actual and potential economic development and internal markets. 22 million Africans HIV-infected, ill with AIDS while African leaders ignore disaster-in-waiting In a special report a few hours after the history-making nomination, USAfricaonline.com Founder and Publisher Chido Nwangwu places Powell within the trajectory of history and into his unfolding clout and relevance in an essay titled 'Why Colin Powell brings gravitas, credibility and star power to Bush presidency.' Powell named Secretary State by G.W. Bush; bipartisan commendations follow. AFRICA AND THE U.S. ELECTIONS Beyond U.S. electoral shenanigans, rewards and dynamics of a democratic republic hold lessons for African politics. CONTINENTAL AGENDA Bush's position on Africa is "ill-advised." The position stated by Republican presidential aspirant and Governor of Texas, George Bush where he said that "Africa will not be an area of priority" in his presidency has been questioned by USAfricaonline.com Publisher Chido Nwangwu. He added that Bush's "pre-election position was neither validated by the economic exchanges nor geo-strategic interests of our two continents." These views were stated during an interview CNN's anchor Bernard Shaw and senior analyst Jeff Greenfield had with Mr. Nwangwu on Saturday November 18, 2000 during a special edition of 'Inside Politics 2000.' Nwangwu, adviser to the Mayor of Houston (the 4th largest city in the U.S., and immigrant home to thousands of Africans) argued further that "the issues of the heritage interests of 35 million African-Americans in Africa, the volume and value of oil business between between the U.S and Nigeria and the horrendous AIDS crisis in Africa do not lend any basis for Governor Bush's ill-advised position which removes Africa from fair consideration" were he to be elected president. By Al Johnson Johnnie Cochran will soon learn that defending Abacha's loot is not as simple as his O.J Simpson's case. By Chido Nwangwu Apple announces Titanium, "killer apps" and other ground-breaking products for 2001. iTunes makes a record 500,000 downloads. Steve Jobs extends digital magic Since 1958, Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" set a standard of artistic excellence, and more. By Douglas Killam