It takes a person of a certain age to recall with any accuracy, just how awful 1968 was.

The Vietnam War was raging in its full fury, punctuated by the Tet Offensive early in the year. A resounding military defeat for the North Vietnamese and their Viet Cong conrades, the offensive was a great political victory back home in the U.S. where a war-weary population was getting its fill of rosy pronouncements from military and political leaders while burying thousands upon thousands of American servicemen and women.

And then, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4 by James Earl Ray, a pathetic little man who died in prison some decades later.

The nation had just started mourning that tragedy when the political season heated up. With sitting president Lyndon Johnson not seeking reelection, the Democratic nomination was up for grabs.

Into that fray went U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy, brother of murdered John Kennedy some five years earlier.

After winning both the South Dakota and California primaries, Kennedy was killed by Sirhan Sirhan, a Christian Palestinian from Jordan. He was disgruntled, reportedly, by Kennedy’s support of Israel. RFK died on June 6. The assassin was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, later commuted to life in prison.

End of story? Remarkably, no. In recent days, Sirhan’s umteenth request for parole was approved by a two-person parole board, aided in no small measure by the support of two of RFK’s sons.

This is far from a done deal, however. The full parole board must also review the recommendation. So does Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is locked in a recall fight for his political future.

We won’t question the Kennedy’s support of Sirhan’s release. Forgiveness is a wonderful thing and we honor their sacrifice and journey to get to that point.

And Sirhan’s lawyer — and Sirhan, now 77, himself — say he’s rehabilitated and poses no threat.

Bottom line for us: this political assassination, taken with the murder of Dr. King and the never-ending war, all but rent the nation’s fabric asunder back then.

Whether he’s rehabilitated or not does not take away from what he did.

Yes, it was many years ago but we haven’t forgotten. We trust neither has the California governor who should send Sirhan Sirhan straight back to his prison cell for the rest if his life.