Dark, cold night

[Guest guest]

25 years ago tonight, Swedes went to bed for the last time in Sweden as we knew it, and woke up the next morning (25 years ago tomorrow) to a whole new reality. The Swedish prime minister Olof Palme was shot down and killed on a Stockholm street as he was walking home with his wife. They had watched a late night movie together with their son and his fiancée. They had walked only about 350-400 yards when a man approached them from behind (some witnesses say he had been waiting outside the theatre and followed them from there, but it's uncertain; The man following and the man approaching them may have been different persons), he said something to Mr. Palme that his wife either could not make out, or was too traumatized to remember

afterward, she only knew he had said something. And in about the same instant, he shot Mr. Palme in the back. Then, as Mrs. Palme kneeled down beside her husband, the perpetrator fired a second shot, directed at her. But because she was in motion, the bullet only scorched her coat. The unknown man took off running in about the same second he had fired at Mrs. Palme, and it's possible he never knew (then) that she was not hit. Either that or he just couldn't risk staying around to take a second shot at her, especially as he had already shot the man who was obviously his real/main target. Why no security? Well, because that was the way it was back then. It was a much more trusting and open society than what we have now (than what that assassination partly created). No one could have imagined something like that happening. In Sweden, at least. It was just not our reality. Not until

then. In november 1985, not even half a year before he was killed, Olof Palme appeared as a surprise guest on a concert held in support of Mr. Mandela (later president of South Africa, but back then still in prison), and of the efforts to bring down the racial segregation there. This short clip shows his appearance:

He is introduced without being named ("please welcome one of the greatest artists in Sweden today"), and as he walks on to the stage, you can hear exactly when/where the audience recognizes him. The reaction of the crowd speaks volumes, in my opinion. When did you last hear a pop and rock crowd on a concert, thinking they are about to listen to some tunes, react that way when they understand that instead they are about to listen to a

politician giving a speech...That night 25 years ago changed Sweden for ever, and I guess that's why so many poetic depictions (in songs, poems etc) and political commentaries on the event have focused on the image of a cold, dark night. It fits. And hence my choice of subject line for this post too. It was almost uncanny, and more than a little fitting, that the terrorist bombing in Stockholm a couple a few months ago, an event that also changed a lot about Sweden (even if not as deeply as the Palme-assassination, the first cut is the deepest, as they say) took place along the same small street as the one where Palme was shot, the street that was 25 years ago called Tunnelgatan (Tunnel Street), but is now named after Palme and known as Olof Palme's Street.love/Reb

[Guest guest]

we grew up when Kennedy was shot - then Luther King - then Bobby

we really grew up when the Challenger blew

I keep remembering growing up we locked the screen door in the summer and opened all the windows - even left the cars unlocked

we all grew up God, grant me the strength of eagles wings, the faith and courage to fly to new heights, and the wisdom to rely on his spirit to carry me there.

To: MSersLife Sent: Mon, February 28, 2011 5:47:29 PMSubject: Re: Dark, cold night

How very tragic, Reb. Sweden was so innocent then...How horrific. It took just one turn of events to change a country forever. So sad. Did they catch the person and prosecute? It is eerie that that is the site of the terrorist event not so long ago. Eerie.You and are in my thoughts,love,Kate

To: MSersLife <MSersLife >Sent: Mon, February 28, 2011 9:02:31 AMSubject: Dark, cold night

25 years ago tonight, Swedes went to bed for the last time in Sweden as we knew it, and woke up the next morning (25 years ago tomorrow) to a whole new reality.

The Swedish prime minister Olof Palme was shot down and killed on a Stockholm street as he was walking home with his wife. They had watched a late night movie together with their son and his fiancée.

They had walked only about 350-400 yards when a man approached them from behind (some witnesses say he had been waiting outside the theatre and followed them from there, but it's uncertain; The man following and the man approaching them may have been different persons), he said something to Mr. Palme that his wife either could not make out, or was too traumatized to remember afterward, she only knew he had said something. And in about the same instant, he shot Mr. Palme in the back. Then, as Mrs. Palme kneeled down beside her husband, the perpetrator fired a second shot, directed at her. But because she was in motion, the bullet only scorched her coat. The unknown man took off running in about the same second he had fired at Mrs. Palme, and it's possible he never knew (then) that she was not hit. Either that or he just couldn't risk staying around to take a second shot at her, especially as he had already shot the man who was obviously his real/main

target.

Why no security? Well, because that was the way it was back then. It was a much more trusting and open society than what we have now (than what that assassination partly created). No one could have imagined something like that happening. In Sweden, at least. It was just not our reality. Not until then.

In november 1985, not even half a year before he was killed, Olof Palme appeared as a surprise guest on a concert held in support of Mr. Mandela (later president of South Africa, but back then still in prison), and of the efforts to bring down the racial segregation there. This short clip shows his appearance:

He is introduced without being named ("please welcome one of the greatest artists in Sweden today"), and as he walks on to the stage, you can hear exactly when/where the audience recognizes him.

The reaction of the crowd speaks volumes, in my opinion. When did you last hear a pop and rock crowd on a concert, thinking they are about to listen to some tunes, react that way when they understand that instead they are about to listen to a politician giving a speech...

That night 25 years ago changed Sweden for ever, and I guess that's why so many poetic depictions (in songs, poems etc) and political commentaries on the event have focused on the image of a cold, dark night. It fits. And hence my choice of subject line for this post too.

It was almost uncanny, and more than a little fitting, that the terrorist bombing in Stockholm a couple a few months ago, an event that also changed a lot about Sweden (even if not as deeply as the Palme-assassination, the first cut is the deepest, as they say) took place along the same small street as the one where Palme was shot, the street that was 25 years ago called Tunnelgatan (Tunnel Street), but is now named after Palme and known as Olof Palme's Street.

love

/Reb