I can remember, as many people over 50 can, the Cuban Missle Crisis. We were all glued to the tv sets listening to president Kennedy make his announcements and waiting for the reaction of Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev. These were very tense and scary moments. In school, we had been drilled to prepare for nuclear attack. I doubt if our preparations would have made any difference, but I suppose it made some feel better. Many people had built or considered building bomb shelters and stocked them with supplies. Where I grew up, we were considered to be in the top 20 sites for attack due to our vast fuel tank farms. It was not a reassuring thought.

The last major player in the potential nuclear disaster drama is resigning from offfice. Fidel Castro, on February 19, 2008, announced he is resigning. I would like to add one last thought regarding the missle crisis. The world owes Nikita Krushchev a debt of gratitude for responding to president Kennedy’s demand in a rational manner. Krushchev was known for slamming his fists down when he disagreed with something.