I must admit that the killing of RFK and MLK in 1968 had far less impact on me than did the Nov 22/63 killing of JFK. I was deeply into studying to write my final CA exams, set for July 1968 and paid little attention to the RFK thing. Besides it was the continuation of events that had started that horrible Nov day five years previous. There was a lot of bad sh!t going on in 1968 such as the worsening Vietnam War (the Tet Offensive had been in Jan68), heavy student unrest, rapidly changing social climate, and the emergence of the drug culture. The old ways of the 50s and prior were totally over by 1968. To remain OT, I did get my first new car that year.
The assassination of JFK had a huge impact on me. I was in 2nd year at UofA, 19 years old and only away from home since the fall of 1962. For those not around at that time, one must remember that JFK was a HUGE idol and political figure. It was Camelot, a young and rowdy President, and his pretty wife plus 2 cute kids. This was big stuff at the time and none of the negatives about JFK (his whoring around, his treatment of women generally) had surfaced at that time. When he was killed, the world stopped. Nothing went on for several days, a week, as everyone was glued to the TV screen. Of course, the killing of Oswald by Ruby kept the pot boiling. The Warren
Whitewash Commission started to unfold. The overall feeling, at least where I was, was that a very great misfortune had occurred, and history was about to be changed. There are historians that feel that the old ways of the 50s and prior ended on Nov 22/63 and the 60s really began. I concur with that feeling.
If you weren't there, it seems hard today to relate to what happened with JFKs death. And, as with many high profile ppl who are struck down in their youth, and height of power, a certain mystery surrounds them to this day.
Since 9/11 (another history-altering event) the US had become much more insular again (paranoid likely a better word), and in many ways, much of the good done in the years of the 70s to the 90s seems to be gone. A terrified and paranoid superpower, particularily when led by ultra-conservative neo-cons, can be a dangerous state. Hopefully, 2009 and forward will be better for the US and that attitude of "If you're not with us, you're against us" softened up somewhat.
The book "1968, The Year That Rocked the World" by Mark Kurlansky is a good read for that landmark year.