A Bit of Yesterday and a Piece of Tomorrow

By James Banakis

October 3rd, 2025

My first grandchild left for college a few weeks ago. Being a grandparent is life affirming. As a parent you do not have the luxury of introspection. Life is coming at you too rapidly. As a grandparent, you’re finally able to recognize and appreciate the miracle. Grandchildren are a second chance to see and enjoy what you may have missed with your own children. For me, the very best part is seeing things in myself in them that I wasn’t aware of until they reflect like a mirror. You’re able to witness all the ancestors within them popping up unexpectedly to startle and amuse you. One of them may look and sound exactly like the grandmother they hardly knew, but you knew so well.

Considering the recent violence rocking the nation, columnist Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal, despairs of generational trauma thrust on young people. She feels the murder of Charlie Kirk is a “Hinge Point” in their lives. That it will forever frame their view of American politics as violent, and their free speech in jeopardy of disappearing. She thinks we’re at the beginning of something cataclysmic.

As a devotee of history, I have a different take. Every generation will as a fact of life witness evil and horror in the world. It’s been an unfortunate result of human behavior for eons. Nineteen-year old’s have always been in the front lines in wars throughout history. In times of national emergency, they have always been the most resilient and selfless of all of us. This was my experience just two generations ago.

In 1968, I was a college student. It was an eventful year. There were assassinations, a war in Viet Nam, riots, protests, political upheaval. I was an antiwar supporter of Senator Eugene McCarthy who in his quixotic bid, forced LBJ out of the presidential race. Bobby Kennedy entered the race and to me seemed like a usurper. In May of that year, I went to listen to Kennedy speak to about 15,000 mostly students at the Nebraska Coliseum. Expecting to hear a self-absorbed political speech, I was stunned by Kennedy’s stinging remarks. He was passionate and unscripted as he reflected his strong opposition to draft deferments. After hearing boos from the students, Kennedy asked for a show of hands of those who supported draft deferments. Most of us raised our hands. This was the remarkable way he responded:

In some parts of the country, a high school graduate has only a fifty-fifty chance of having a good eight grade education. Negroes have twice as much chance to be drafted because in many cases they can’t attend college. Look around how many black faces do you see here? How many American Indians? How many Mexican Americans? How can you accept that? What I don’t understand is that you don’t even debate these things among yourselves. You’re the most exclusive minority in the world. Are you going to sit on your duffs and do nothing? Or just carry signs and protest?

As a 19-year-old this was a motivating moment in my life. Kennedy took questions from the audience, and with humor and directness he won over most of the students. I left energized understanding that the future was my generation’s responsibility, and “the worst sin was to be passive in political matters.”

For the first time I witnessed sheer, live political courage. Here was a man who wasn’t afraid to disagree and challenge voters at his events. Kennedy was of course like all of us an imperfect human, yet I think it was his faith that roused him to try and make the world a more just place. After his remarks, I was won over, but my support was short lived. Three weeks later I was back home for the summer. Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by an assassin. The despair and fear in the nation were never more intense.

Whenever I would see Charlie Kirk interact with students on social media, I always remembered 1968. I could relate to those kids. They were confused, searching for answers, pining for a faith that seemed elusive and distant. He, like my interaction with Bobby Kennedy, was challenging them with humor and conviction. Some of those kids were won over. They were the ones who had the light bulb turned on. The ones who allowed themselves to be challenged. Others became even more radicalized and filled with hate.

Universities today are churning out young people who in many cases are being taught by the people many of us went to school with who are still fighting the inane revolution with Marxists Bill Ayers and Bernadette Dohrn in the Weather Underground. Many professors are anachronistic remnants of that long-ago failed movement. Their minds never traveled beyond the college towns. Their students are taught to view themselves as victims in a world without hope. A world controlled by “Fascists.”  Many students are overburdened with student debt. They begin to feel that there is no point to life or that there are no moral values. They become nihilistic. They’re always angry and frightened. Shockingly to me, they’re all such poor debaters. I think it’s because debate has been shut down and discouraged.

Young people graduating and starting their lives should be full of optimism. The optimism Charlie Kirk exuded as easy as breathing. Whether they agreed with Kirk or not you could tell they were energized by the debate. It’s the second-best thing about attending college, and it has been branded toxic by those afraid of ideas. This is the time in their lives when students should be able to challenge everything.

If we could look for something good to come out of the horror of Charlie Kirk’s murder, it’s that we have a new awareness of what is being taught in our schools and universities.

Any major university that permits “safe spaces,” and allows faculty to shout down guest speakers, is the real danger in this country. Our children should enjoy interacting with different ideas and know it’s all right to disagree. The reason people are assassinated throughout history is because their ideas are resonating and they are viewed by some as dangerous. People may die, but ideas that offer hope and reason cannot be eradicated. In a world of X where anyone can post strange and egocentric ideas, the world appears out of control, yet change is fomenting throughout the world.

I bear witness to this, everything in life is cyclical. Violent eras transform into peaceful eras. Economic depressions become boom times, and so the pendulum swings. This too shall pass. It seems to happen in every other generation.

I had dinner with my granddaughter the day before she left. We discussed the 1934 Frank Capra film, “It Happened One Night.” It was a film we both loved, and she was full of questions. It struck me that whenever I had questions about things in the past, I would ask my grandfather. He always explained by telling me a story. He was able to bring the past to life with humor and insight.

I shared my very first memory of this with her. As a very small boy, I wanted to know if my Papou remembered the dinosaurs. He thought for a while and answered, “Sure, if you didn’t bother them, they didn’t bother you.” I told her that it seemed perfectly logical answer to a 5-year-old. The warning to her that history can be altered by whoever it is who relates it to you.

The time flew by as I absorbed her aspirations and excitement. With my own kids, I was too wrapped up in the logistics to notice. It was there all the time, but again you need to be a grandparent to appreciate the miracle.

I’m not going to be around to see the long-term result, but I’m thinking my granddaughter’s generation will usher in a new world of enlightenment. It will be the era of A.I. and in the wrong hands could lead to darkness. I’m betting on the kids though to accept the challenge.

All of us might wish at times that we lived in a more tranquil world, but we don’t. And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so are they challenging and filled with opportunity.

-Robert F. Kennedy

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Jimmy Banakis is a life-long restaurateur.  He was an honorary batboy for the White Sox in 1964. He attended Oak Park River Forest High School, Nebraska Wesleyan University, and Chicago-Kent Law School.  He claims the kitchen is the room he’s most comfortable in anywhere in the world. He published an extremely limited-edition family cookbook. He’s a father and grandfather, and lives in Downers Grove Il.

Comments 27

  2. ANOTHER great article Jimmy. As a grandfather I couldn’t agree more with each of your points. I have faith in this nations youth, it won’t be easy, but with guys like us sharing wisdom, they will be equipped.

  4. Thank you Mr. Banakis. It’s nice to start the day reading an optimistic story, in a world of bad news. As a grandfather and great grandfather, I appreciate your perspective.

  5. Like you, Jimmy I remember 1964 and remember 1968 very clearly I was a college student in Memphis when Martin Luther King was assassinated several months later in June 1964 my new bride and I were San Francisco on our honeymoon and watched live as RFK waved his hand saying “it’s on to Chicago” before Sirhan Sirhan interrupted that trajectory. Today the Dem left is the source of violence and discord. We can only hope Charlie Kirk’s death will reeneevize what is fair and goog in our great country

    1. Wrong Mr. Kenney and shame on you for attempting to further inflame the situation. Pathetic losers are the source of most violence today in our country. Very often they have no coherent political philosophy at all.
      Those that do kill in the name of their political philosophies are extremist lunatics, but they come from all sides of the political debate.

      1. Well Bob you are wrong. Yeah. I know. I hate to interrupt your confirmation bias. But there in fact is a vast body of “scholarly” literature claiming otherwise. Specifically that many – if not most of these outrages – are committed by far right wing true believers. Of course many of the studies are highly biased: ignoring for instance the outrages of the BLM and Antifa and other left wing groups. But the bottom line is – contrary to your belief of “no coherent philosophy at all” (and it is a belief since the evidence suggests otherwise) – the majority of theses outrages are in fact committed by folks with extreme political beliefs (that in itself doe not exclude that they are also lunatics as well):

        https://web.archive.org/web/20250911012550/https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/what-nij-research-tells-us-about-domestic-terrorism

        1. Bruce- My main point was to refute Mr. Kenney’s biased and misinformed statement that “Today the Dem left is the source of violence and discord”, and I guess you have just helped me do that.

  7. Fantastic way to start my morning, nice reflection.

    I never knew Bobby Kennedy opposed draft deferments, as a 1953 birthday I believe I was one of the first “No Deferments” drafts in 1972. Big day in my life, got #310, I was saved from the Vietnam Nam experience. Sending your own children to fight in stupid war, can change your perspective of military adventures. Good for Bobby Kennedy to grasp that concept.

    Thanks again Jimmy, always enjoy your well written columns

  9. A head “nodder” though-out. When one reads some that is true – its true because you lived it too. Clearly stated, absent any pretensions. Yes that was/is my experience too Thanks for a great column.

  11. Another spot-on piece. Thank You! I just hope you’re right about your granddaughter’s generation rising to the occasion. I’m not sure, as you may have an optimistic bias based on the obviously wonderful relationship you have with her.

  12. Jimmy,
    My Dad would use those words to me when I was so concerned about the state of the country, over 60 years ago…..”this too shall pass!” Tha perasi k’aifto!
    Grandchildren truly are our second chance!!!

  13. I believe that we grew up in a gilded age of history. Korean War, Cuban missile crisis, constant fear of Russian nuclear attack, JFK assassination, MLK assassination, Vietnam war, protests, Bobby Kennedy’s assassination, Kent State, Students for a Democratic Society-I could go on forever. As a student of history and a witness to it, it effects us in a way that mold our very being. It isn’t forced upon us. It just “happens”. We become the repository for all that affected us and the beauty is we get to share it with our kids and grandkids.

  14. Thank you Jimmy for an optimistic article on today’s America. Being a few years younger than you, I didn’t get to hear Bobby’s speeches on campus. I do remember the draft birthday drawings though and prayed my cousins would be spared. Fortunately by the time my age group was eligible the draft was ended. I only hope and pray our young adults take Charlie Kirk’s words to heart and ask questions. Stop being silenced in the university classrooms, and work places. Finally, being a grandparent is the best ever.

  15. Wow! I’m sitting here stunned at the excellence of this essay. I don’t know quite where to begin. First, RFK’s position on the draft is news to me. I was only 8 in 1968! Second, I think I’d have been a fan. Third, with three granddaughters of my own now, I will forever take the route your grandfather did when asked by you at 5 about dinosaurs. What an excellent interchange! Jimmy, this alone is worth my subscription renewal I just continued once again to johnkassnews.com. Thank you. This is one for the ages!! God bless you!

  16. Excellent as always Mr. B. Never knew that Bobby Kennedy made that point about the draft, how very thru though. Thank you.

    When will Kasso get you on the podcast?

  17. Thank you, Jimmy, for the good reading. I agree, as a grandparent, I have a better perspective of history and life’s problems.
    I, too, believe life is cyclical. As the book of Ecclesiastes says, “nothing is new under the sun.”

  18. Nice article, Mr. Banakis. It’s encouraging to read that you are a fan of open debate, especially with those that you may disagree with.
    In the spirit of Charlie Kirk, would you be willing to sit down with me sometime to discuss some of the issues facing our country today?

  19. Good article Mr. BANAKIS.
    The 1960s thru early 70s had following killed: JFK, RFK. MLK, MALCOLM X, many civil rights workers, etc. George Wallace nearly killed. Later Reagen shot and Ford shot at. That time was far worse than now. On top of that a disgusting racist war in which 50,000 Americans lost their lives. And for what. A bunch of lies. But hey, those Capitalist US war corporations made big bucks, so all is well. Now American corporations are in Vietnam making again good $$$$. Tourists ‘love’ Vietnam. All this despite it being ‘Commune-nist.’

    1. Dr. Rudd: I lived thru those times, as you did. The reason why I disagree with you and think today is far worse, is because despite the national traumas that you list, the “opposition” for the most part (aside say from the weathermen and some other small radical violent groups) did not want to destroy the “game board.” They just wanted a piece of the action: the benefits of the “American Way.” Today is different. The opposition (neo marxists and if not then certainly true believers in Marcuse and Gramsci) have infiltrated the “control towers” (to use the McLuhan’s metaphor) of our society and culture: the schools and universities. In fact virtually all major cultural institutions have been so infiltrated. And the goal seems to be the destruction – or certainly at the very least the denigration – of the United States as we know it. Honestly, Thomas I think that is undeniable.

      1. Bruce- I don’t normally agree with Dr. Rudd but this time I do. And I think what you are saying here is not undeniable, it is completely deniable.

        The “opposition” today is no less American than the “opposition” was in the 60s. The goal is not to destroy or denigrate the United States.
        The goal is to resist the dangerous extremism which has taken over today’s Republican Party, and Trumpism in particular.
        I am very familiar with the type of people you are labeling neo-marxists and can assure you most are nothing of the kind. They are good and decent people who are sickened by what they see happening under our current president. I am speaking as a former republican myself (now independent).

        The goals of today’s “opposition” are worthy and I would argue genuinely patriotic.

  21. @Jim Banakis: Yeah, me too here hoping my grand kids would be more receptive than my kids who are in their mid-forties and who have more than average college diplomas. Whenever I say some thing, they shut me down with “No politics, dad”! It’s just that they don’t want any dialogue. And my wife shuts down the TV whenever she hears “Trump” like just a while ago the channel she was watching mentioned the Hamaz agree to release all refugees after Trump intervened, subject to some conditions. Soon as she heard “Trump”, my wife switched the channel!

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