Before there was January 6, the Steele dossier, Vaccine deniers, flat earthers, fake news, Whitewater, Watergate, the 18 minute gap, and the fake moon landing, there was the belief that more than one person killed President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.
We admit to going down that rabbit hole ourselves.
Curious about the assassination, and the findings of the 1978 House Select Committee on Assassinations that President Kennedy was "probably" killed as a result of a conspiracy, we began our own deep dive into the assassination, culminating in our reading of the very entertaining book Crossfire, the Plot to Kill Kennedy, by author Jim Marrs. That led us to believe that there was most likely a second gunman in Dealey Plaza in November 1963.
BUT, then we went to Dealey Plaza. We stood in the window next to the one Oswald was at when he killed the President, and we were struck by a few things. First, and foremost, it is not a difficult shot. The President's limousine goes right underneath the window. The distance is much closer than we were led to believe. There are markings of where the president's car was when the shots were fired. Based on the speed, it was easy for us to determine that Oswald's cheap Italian rifle (Mannlicher Carcano) could have fired the shots within the time frame necessary to kill the president. A more detailed and complete understanding of the physics and ballistics of the so called "magic bullet" (Warren Commission Exhibit 399) led us to conclude one bullet did in fact cause the wounds on Kennedy's neck, and Governor Connally's chest, rib, wrist and thigh.
Kennedy assassination buffs will recall that Kennedy was first shot between Zapruder frames 210 and 225 and Governor Connally was wounded no later than frame 240. And yet, army gun experts could not cycle Oswald's rifle to fire two shots quicker than in 2.25 seconds or 40 frames of the Zapruder film. Therefore, only one bullet had to cause all these injuries.
Both a 2003 computer generated animation of the shooting (begun by a researcher in 1993) and shown in an ABC documentary, and a 2004 reenactment on the Discovery Channel using computer generated data and animations, showed that the wounds on both men lined up exactly AND tracing the path of the projectile backwards, it could have originated only from a cone that covered the window Oswald was in.
Kennedy was killed solely by Oswald. Case Closed, written by Miami Author Gerald Posner makes the very compelling case that Oswald acted alone.
The final piece of reading on the subject, not for research purposes, but with some research and a very very entertaining book is Stephen King's 11/22/1963. It is in our opinion one of the very best books King has ever written.
It's hard to imagine that a country could be so altered by the acts of one man. That a great man could be killed by an insignificant slug of a man. That history could be altered by the acts of one lone gunman. This is why conspiracy theories form.
There was a lot of weird stuff going on in Dealey Plaza before the shooting (like Umbrella Man). And yet, if you took a camera and recorded any public event for 30 minutes, you would see weird events and unexpected people showing up.
There's still a lot of intrigue around Oswald. The supposed double in Mexico, his defection to Russia and then return, a CIA file opened on him years before the shooting. But we remain confident that Oswald, and Oswald alone, killed the 35th President of the United States.
So what say you? Look at the Zapruder film and tell us: conspiracy or not?
ReplyDeleteNovember 22nd .....
That date will always be a sad day for me. I grew up knowing that date. It is a date that has been plastered into my deepest memories. It is one that I will never forget. I told my children about it when they were old enough to understand and they were taking civic classes at school. Next year we will reflect on the fact that it will have been sixty years since that faithful day when Camelot came to an end.
I would imagine that those that grew up in the United States 160 years ago likely felt the exact same way every April 14th/15th.
Cap Out .......
I am of the next generation of Miami Cubans born in Miami in the 70s and hold no such hostilities. But, I remember talking to old-timers in the 80s and the anger and hate towards Kennedy was incredible. You could feel it almost as a physical thing flowing from them. I knew old Cubans who would answer the question "who will you vote for?" simply with "Republican", and when asked "why?" they would answer "por que cono Kennedy!" I knew one family that when moving into a new home, would drain the toilet and glue/cement a half dollar on to the toilet "para cagarme en Kennedy todos los dias" (to shit on Kennedy everyday).
ReplyDeleteLike I said, my own feelings towards Kennedy, a man who died before I was born, are neutral. But I understand the hate. My uncle (talk about a Kennedy hater!) was a Bay of Pigs POW. He felt betrayed by Kennedy and believed that all of his suffering in that failed invasion was directly the fault of the Kennedy and his last-minute betrayal of a cause that the U.S. has not only green-lighted, but had sponsored.
History and legacy are complicated things.
The definitive book debunking all of the conspiracies is Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy by Vincent Bugliosi (the lead prosecutor in the Charles Manson case). At 1648 pages in length, so it is not for the casual reader. But if you are interested in the intricate details and learning why there is no doubt that Oswald acted alone, this is the book that puts the question to rest.
ReplyDeleteThank you judge. I have the Bugliosi book but it’s too clunky. The Posner book is better. If you want to have fun read Crossfire. It’s a fun way understanding how conspiracy theories start. I remember when I read it and there were certain points I thought well taken and really made me think. But I still remember seeing a picture from Air Force one as johnson was being sworn in and the caption was something like he was winking at someone and I thought that was a reach. The fact is the President’s brain is missing and that was significant evidence. The zapruder film really makes it look like he was shot from the front. The “bums” on the bridge and the grassy knoll who resembled French Hit men. The Oswald doubles turning up everywhere. It’s really a fascinating ride and at the time when you could be a conspiracy theory person and still believe in science it was fun to chat about at parties.
ReplyDeleteWhat I still don’t totally accept is why Ruby killed Oswald. That’s always been the weak link against conspiracy. It still doesn’t fit well with me. But Oswald acted alone. No doubt.
And taking about assassinations. Hellhound On His Trail. The story of the murder of Dr King and the time it took to arrest his killer is an excellent book.
The FBI doctored the Zapruder film and stole Kennedy's brain. Bugliosi wrote that book to satisfy his monstrous ego. Kennedy inherited the assassination attempts by Ike and his VP, wait for it, drum roll please, tricky Sick- Richard Nixon. Our country is in deep shit- five mass shootings in a week. We can't protect our kids in school- college- elementary. Bitter partisanship, factless debate, corrupt politicians, and a untrustworthy media is destroying our country right before our eyes. By the way, Communist Cuba has a better health care system and 1-12 education. We have to start solving problems rather than win arguments
ReplyDeleteP.S. Over 2 weeks and California still hasn't finished counting votes
I thought that was 3rd world trait.
Cuba has a better healthcare system? Tell it to this kid. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article269037287.html
DeleteYes they do.
DeleteThere is no way the so called magic bullet went thru JFK, then did all the damage to JC, shattering dense bone matter, and emerge basically intact "pristine". There is also all kinds of problems with the chain of evidence after the bullet was recovered.
ReplyDeleteAlso the evidence linking LHO to the Tippet shooting is all over the place. First, the eyewitness identification is problematic. The ballistics indicates a 380 caliber pistol was used, yet LHO was armed with a 38 caliber pistol...two distinct and different bullets. Also the paraffin test performed on LHO shortly after his apprehension was negative.
I could go on, but this is starting to get lengthy.
I would suggest Oliver Stone's JFK Revisited, and the original, JFK, which did more to uncover the truth than anything the Warren Commission did.
How would our country react if the facts of the assassination revealed: 1. JFK killed by CIA? 2. JFK killed by Cubans to retaliate for Bay of Pigs? 3. JFK killed by Russia- Oswald link? How would those under 30 react?
ReplyDeleteTo 4:18:00
ReplyDeleteRemember when the so called "experts" would tell us that covid jumped directly from bats to humans at some wet market in Wuhan? That there was no way it came out of the Wuhan Laboratory? That is no longer scientifically debatable. The question remaining unanswered is was it accidental or something more sinister? I doubt that will ever be answered, just like JFK.
What keeps me up at night is why do the Chinese continue a policy of complete total lockdowns, at a great cost to their economy, despite much less virulent strains? What do they know?
We were told that main reason #1 to take the jab was to stop the spread. Until just as many people with the jab as without started contracting it. Then Pfizer's CEO testified to Congress that it was never the goal of the vaccine to stop the transmission. What?
Main reason #2 for getting jabbed was it will keep you from dying. Well this just in...since August (2022) 58% of all COVID deaths were vaccinated individuals, vs. 42% non vaccinated. And yes, this is CDC data.
I bring all this up because just like the JFK assassination, the real truth ebbs out over time, as is beganing to now with the whole pandemic morass.
To address your question, the majority of the American public do not buy the official government story as espoused by the WC. And they haven't since the very beganings. The WC did nothing to change that. They may not be able to articulate the shortcomings of the WC, or perhaps think that LHO had help, or maybe the mob did it, or it was the Cubans, or LBJ, or whatever, but they know bullshit when they see it, and the WC is bullshit. As others have espoused, we as a country are today paying the price for that bullshit. Meaning if they can kill a President at high noon, in plain view, lie about it, get away with it, then go on to kill tens of thousands of young Americans in an unlawful war, and lie about that too, then who gives a f***? It's over. The experiment that was America is over. Ike tried to warn us on his way out. Yet I don't think he envisioned the evil was about to go prime time.
To be continued in part 2.
Continued from part 1.
ReplyDeleteSo who killed Jack? Was it the CIA? Well yes and no...it's complicated. Certainly there was no top down official action. But individuals within the agency, starting from at least mid level management down were directly involved, in one way or another. In that era, CIA resources trained Miami's Brigade 2506 to militarily invade Cuba. Before and after that debacle ( thru no fault of the brave Brigade 2506 members) they trained Cuban exiles in all manner of sabotage and assassination, to be directed against Castro.
But even before this, even prior to JFK, the CIA was already contracting with the mafia to assassinate Castro. It was not uncommon to find individuals playing for BOTH the mafia and the CIA.
When the JFK administration discovered what the CIA was doing with the mafia and Cuban exiles, the AG (Bobby) put a stop to it, and ordered the FBI to raid the exile training camps outside New Orleans. This was post Missile Crisis, and they were wanting to avoid another confrontation with the Russians over Cuba. Only some of the covert stuff didn't stop. Some did. Some continued behind the administration's back. It's the CIA after all. As JFK famously remarked to Charles De Gaulle after the latter uncovered American intelligence fingerprints on efforts to assassinate him...I may be the President, but I do not control all the elements of my government. It would be this element that would later carry out the assassination, along with certain Cuban exiles that felt that JFK's shutting down the New Orleans camps was a second betrayal, the first being the Bay of Pigs, and the mafia mobsters that had previously been or some still were, contracted to snuff out Castro. Some of the exiles were already working with mobsters Traficante (Florida), and Carlos Marcelo ( New Orleans), in their elicit activities. The CIA in turn, had contracted both the exiles and the mobsters in their activities against Castro. That operation would be turned inward from Castro to JFK. Elements of the CIA, the mafia, and Miami's exiles all had their hands in the deed. Traficante and Marcelo took their secrets to their graves. Others like Sam Giancana, and Johnny Roselli were taken out before they could appear before the HSCA.
As we say in Miami...'esta mierda es un arroz con mango' translation: this shit is rice and mangos. Meaning: take a peeled mango, and roll it around in a bowl of rice, then try and separate the two.
Of course the CIA being the CIA, they were sure to arrange the bread crumbs in such a way that they would have plausible deniability of any involvement. Hence the 1970s HSCA concluding that the mob was probably behind the killing. What??? A congressional committee implicates organized crime in the killing of an American president, and their is no Justice Dept followup? That tells you all you need to know.
Part 3
ReplyDeleteI don't think LHO shot anyone on that Friday. He was just a patsy, as he stated, while also asking for an attorney to come forward to represent him. Of course no one did. Clay Shaw, aka Clay Bertrand, later indicted in New Orleans by Jim Garrison (later acquitted of conspiracy in the assassination) contacted a flamboyant local attorney to represent LHO, but was declined.
One of the phone numbers that LHO called and went unanswered the night of his arrest, was to a CIA safehouse in another state.
LHO was an asset of American intelligence services, and most likely a CI for the FBI. There is evidence he tried to warn his FBI handler of the plot to kill JFK.
There is evidence to exclude LHO as JFKs shooter.
He was confronted no more than 90 seconds post shooting in the 2nd floor lunchroom of the depository building by a Dallas policeman, calmly sipping a soda pop. This after shooting a President, wiping the rifle of prints, placing the 3 spent cartridges on the floor in a neat row, hiding the rifle on the other side of the 6th floor warehouse, then running down 4 flights of stairs to the 2nd floor lunchroom. Two female coworkers who were in the same stairwell within seconds after the shooting did not see or hear anyone else.
Negative paraffin test Immediately after apprehension.
As noted in another post here, evidence from scene of Tippet slaying indicates 2 different guns were involved, and there are issues with the eye witnesses supposed id of LHO as Tippets shooter.
I think Tippets mission that day was to confront and kill LHO,something happened, and he was himself killed. Some witnesses described two individuals involved in the killing, which jibes with the evidence pointing to two different guns.Another one initially refused to I'd LHO as the shooter.
Jack Rubenstein ( Ruby) was mafia connected going back to Chicago under Al Capone. There is at least one witness who saw Ruby and LHO together prior to Nov.22nd.