Section 9 and Section 10 Summary and Analysis

Section 9 begins on page 45 with the words "this guy in the army fatigues..." Kennedy has just been assassinated. Bukowski notes that in the last decade the world has not only lost men of some worth, but also social, political, and spiritual gains. He mentions that assassinations and resulting reactions threaten natural freedom. Bukowski mentions that he himself did not kill Kennedy, or King, or Malcolm X, or any others, but that it is clear that the left wing is being systematically removed as a result of the killings. Bukowski is angry at the idea that all should be punished for the actions of few. He notes that society places blame for the madness on the parents, but that he himself believes assassins exist because society makes them. Bukowski's "rant" in this section is a resounding example of...