A12 | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2023 NAPA VALLEY REGISTER

OPINION & LETTERS

Founded 1863 | A Lee Enterprises newspaper
Napa Valley Register, 1615 Soscol Ave., Napa, CA 94559

Editorial Board
DAN EVANS Executive Editor
SARAH DOWLING Editorial Writer
KEVIN COURTNEY Community Member
LILEA DURÁN Community Member
ANNETTE DAMBROSIO Community Member
STEPHEN CORLEY Community Member
EVY WARSHAWSKI Community Member
DONNA ALTES Community Member
CINDY WEBBER Community Member

COMMUNITY VOICES

Jackie and ‘The Chief ’

F
or my parents, Dec. 7 was
the seminal date of the
Greatest Generation. For to-
day’s generation it is Sept. 11. But
for us baby boomers, Nov. 22 will
always live in infamy.
On Nov. 22, 1963, President
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was
assassinated in Dealey Plaza in
Dallas.
Outside of the Kennedy family
itself, perhaps no man was more
personally affected
than President
JEFFREY Kennedy’s close
EARL friend, my grand-
WARREN father, Chief Jus-
tice Earl Warren,
the man who spent
his Christmases right here in St.
Helena, on our ranch out in Conn
Valley.
That’s because just days before
Papa Warren heard the news of
the gunshots, he had been dining
at the White House as a guest of
the president.
He had been sitting next to
Mrs. Kennedy, as her husband
lifted his glass and toasted the
man he so admired, “The Chief.”
As Mrs. Kennedy wrote (in
hand) to Papa Warren less than
a month after the assassination,
“He (Jack) always loved you so
much. He admired you inordi-
nately, long before he was Presi-
dent — and you always sustained
him.”
Their affection for one another
was mutual — and long-lived.
You see, President Eisenhower
had disagreed vehemently with
Papa Warren over the Watkins
decision (the one freeing accused
Communists who’d been jailed
by the House Un-American
Activities Committee) — and of
course, Brown v. Board of Educa-
tion, which desegregated public
schools. Papa Warren always felt
Ike should have thrown the moral
weight of the White House be-
hind Brown.
Ike, on the other hand, felt
appointing Papa Warren to the
Supreme Court was “the biggest
damn fool mistake” he’d ever
made.
President Kennedy had a dif-
ferent view. That’s why he threw
the dinner in the court’s honor.
On Thursday, the president
flew to Fort Worth, Texas. Friday
he went to Dallas.
While down at the court that
fateful Friday, Papa Warren was
alerted that the unthinkable
was being broadcast on the ra-
dio. Papa Warren went home to
watch the events unfold on TV.
Within hours, he received a call
telling him to report to Andrews
Air Force Base to join other gov-
ernment officials in a sign of
solidarity by greeting the arrival
of the new president, the hastily
sworn-in former vice president,
Lyndon Baines Johnson.
The vice president was flying
back to the capital to show the
government was still functioning
despite the assassination. (Re-
member, it was the height of the
Cold War, and originally, most
Americans believed it was Rus-
sians or Cubans who had pulled
the trigger.)
Papa and Mama Warren were
expected to pay their respects to
the new president. It is unclear
whether they knew Mrs. Ken-
nedy was on the plane.
What is clear is that he did not
expect to see the woman he’d
recently sat next to during dinner
emerge from the plane with her
husband’s blood on her hands
and dress.
Saturday was a blur. The court
was ordered down to the U.S.
Capitol rotunda (where the pres-
ident lay in state) for a private
viewing of the casket. Saturday
night around 9 p.m. the phone
rang. It was Mrs. Kennedy.
Would Papa Warren speak on
national TV the next day at the
rotunda?
There was a reason she chose
him. What could he say?
Speeches were not his long
suit. Try as he would, no words
came Saturday night. He awoke
before dawn Sunday morning,
and as the morning stretched on
the right words failed to come.
Then Lee Harvey Oswald was
gunned down on national TV by
Jack Ruby.
Papa Warren was devastated —
almost physically incapacitated.
But he did his duty, showed up
at the rotunda and spoke briefly
and eloquently.
Monday, of course, was the
funeral.
The next day, Deputy Attorney
General Nicholas Katzenbach
and Archibald Cox approached
him and said President Johnson
needed the man Life magazine
had called the “most trusted man
in America” to head up a com-
mission.
Citing former Justice Owen
J. Roberts’ involvement in the
Roberts Commission on Pearl
Harbor, Papa Warren politely
declined. He was savvy. He knew
the pitfalls.
On Thursday LBJ called him
over to the White House and as
commander in chief essentially
ordered him “to don a uniform
and pick up a gun in defense of
his country.”
“Somehow, that just got to
me,” Papa Warren would often
say afterward.
The rest is history. Despite
what conspiracy fanatics like
Oliver Stone and Liberty Lobby
loyalists like Jim Garrison tried
to do via MTV-style fiction in the
movie “JFK,” and the efforts of
literally thousands of conspiracy
junkies, the boring, mundane
fact remains: No credible evi-
dence has surfaced to counter the
essential premise of the Warren
Commission — that Lee Har-
vey Oswald pulled the trigger in
Dealey Plaza. And that he acted
alone.
In fact, new computerized ani-
mation (as featured on Peter Jen-
nings’ TV special “Beyond Con-
spiracy” — Google it) has proven
beyond a reasonable doubt that
the three bullets came from the
sixth floor of the Texas School
Book Depository and the bullets’
trajectories were hardly “magic.”
There are lots of half-truths
and sexy theories. And yes, in-
formation that is now known to
the general public was not made
available to the Warren Commis-
sion.
But as I write this, I look down
at two letters from Mrs. Ken-
nedy (entrusted to me by Mama
Warren). I reread the words she
wrote Dec. 15, 1964. She was
giving Papa Warren a picture
of the president as a Christmas
present:
“None of the people he was
closest to have pictures of him,”
she writes. “I do not know you
that well — though I feel I know
you profoundly — but I will al-
ways love you because I think
you loved President Kennedy.”
In another she wrote:
“He admired you inordinately
long before he was President
and you always sustained him. I
remember him saying one night
when he was quite upset about
what was happening in Con-
gress, ‘but the Republicans, how
can you hope for anything from
them. They nominated Dewey
and Nixon when they could have
had Earl Warren.’”
When he was attorney general
of California, Papa Warren’s
own father had been the victim
of an unsolved murder. He knew
firsthand the pain inherent in an
unsolved crime.
When you add that to the
mutual personal affection he
and the president had for one
another and what occurred those
last few days, it is patently obvi-
ous that he would have gone to
the ends of the earth to find the
killer of his friend — and he did.
Case closed.
Jeffrey Earl Warren lives in
St. Helena.

LETTERS
Biden has been an in his closet. is vital in not only protecting the Letters & commentaries policy
effective president Dianne Weyna physical safety and wellbeing of
Napa children, but in protecting their Letters to the editor should be submitted online at https://napavalleyreg-
This is in response to the mental health as well. ister.com/forms/contact/letter_to_the_editor and are published in the order
letter written by Linda Bolin Thank you Napa Raising a family in our commu- received unless held for fact-checking.
stating that the focus should nity is not easy. No matter what Publication is not guaranteed, and letters may be rejected for, among
Valley Vintners other issues, unsubstantiated statements of fact, ad hominem (i.e., name
not be on Trump but on Biden. our circumstances, parenting
Scandals of long ago (Trumps) For more than 20 years, Cope is one of the hardest things we calling) attacks, or mean-spiritedness. If a letter writer's opinion is criticized
are still with us — he is in a trial Family Center has been privi- will ever do. And many in our by a second person, the original writer may respond, but debate is cut off
in New York right now regard- leged to have the support of the community face additional chal- after that point.
ing his financial shenanigans. Napa Valley Vintners which has lenges that make it harder to be Letters should be no more than 800 words, and submitted no more than
Hunter Biden’s problems are his contributed almost $5 million the parent we want to be. Sharp once each month.
own, not the president’s. in that time. This generosity inflation, a shortage of afford- “Community Voice” commentaries are written by a group of individuals
The U.S. House of Repre- has transformed the lives of able housing, and destructive in the community who have been chosen for their experience or expertise
sentatives, one of the least thousands of children and their wildfires, for example, take a toll in a particular area. Such commentaries are normally between 800 and
productive in modern history families and helped build a on the whole family. Household 1,000 words, and may appear up to twice per month. To be considered for
(passing less than 20 pieces of stronger community for all. We stressors like domestic violence, inclusion in this group, please email Executive Editor Dan Evans at devans@
legislation) is wasting time on are grateful to report that NVV substance use, and mental health napanews.com
an impeachment inquiry. How- recently announced their sup- issues can make parenting espe-
ever, they stopped the inquiry port will continue with a grant cially challenging, and families miss school, be suspended or ex- today, we decrease the amount
into the January 6 riots. This is of $250,000. experiencing structural inequal- pelled, earn poor grades, and drop of trauma the whole family faces.
not a group I trust with any se- By renewing their investment ities and discrimination like out of school altogether. Young And that makes it possible for
rious work. in Cope’s family support and racism may face additional chal- children are also more likely to children to learn more, be more
Joe Biden has passed the strengthening services, NVV lenges in meeting their children’s exhibit aggressive behavior and mentally and physically healthy,
American Rescue Plan, Infra- demonstrates their understand- physical and emotional needs. have poor relationships with their and lead more robust and fulfill-
structure Bill, CHIPS act, and ing of the importance of pro- Research shows that adverse peers. ing lives.
Inflation Reduction act along moting the health and wellbeing childhood experiences (ACEs), As scary as these facts may Thank you to the Napa Valley
with supporting unions. He of Napa’s children; investing like these create toxic stress in seem, we are fortunate to have the Vintners for their philanthropic
has been a very productive in families today will create a the body, which can change brain generous support of many donors leadership, and for partnering
president yet has “obvious de- safer, healthier, and more equi- development and affect how and community partners like with Cope Family Center for so
mentia?” Are you a psychiatrist table community for tomorrow. one responds to stress. Children NVV. With their support, Cope many years. We are grateful for
and have you personally tested Stress and trauma can have and youth who experience four can continue to provide the vital your continued support in creat-
Biden? The focus should abso- drastic health consequences or more ACEs have been shown services that help families get ing a stronger and healthier com-
lutely be on a person who is a for children and for the adults to have increased rates of de- through everyday stressors and munity for Napa Valley’s families.
front runner for the GOP nomi- they grow up to be, which is pression, anxiety, and suicidal challenging times with programs Thank you!
nation and seems to have many why prevention is so important. ideation, placing them at risk for like parenting classes; home vis- Jessica Silverman,
more than a few skeletons Preventing childhood trauma unsafe behaviors like smoking, iting; emergency assistance like Executive Director
heavy drinking, and self-harm. diapers, baby formula, wipes, Cope Family Center
In addition to emotional dis- and grocery and gas gift cards;
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