I have just one
thing to say to the Oswald-Alone-Single-Bullet-Theory Group and their response
to those who criticize their reasoning: STOP TREATING US LIKE BABIES!!!
They use the
term “conspiracy theorists” like others might say “juvenile delinquents.” They are condescending, smug, arrogant, and
rude in the extreme. Talk about
paternalistic sneering: good God, gives us a break! Stop this infantile second-guessing and
psychological armchair speculation that has no basis in fact.
This dispute has nothing to do with paranoia, obsession, or a predisposition to want to believe in such a theory: all of that is complete hogwash. They want to take the failings of their explanation and blame it on us? That’s nonsense!
This dispute has nothing to do with paranoia, obsession, or a predisposition to want to believe in such a theory: all of that is complete hogwash. They want to take the failings of their explanation and blame it on us? That’s nonsense!
Speaking
personally, as well as for many others who doubt Oswald was the one gunman, I
can say this: I have no predisposition for
or against a single gunman theory.
If there were a clean, tidy, and airtight case against Oswald, I would
accept it without hesitation.
However, I—along with millions of other Americans—have enough native intelligence to think matters through independently: to review all the critical pieces of evidence being presented and to draw our own conclusions, even if it means not accepting the official findings of the Warren Commission.
However, I—along with millions of other Americans—have enough native intelligence to think matters through independently: to review all the critical pieces of evidence being presented and to draw our own conclusions, even if it means not accepting the official findings of the Warren Commission.
It seems
absolutely impossible to believe that a truly airtight case against Oswald
could possibly have produced such an endless stream of factual errors and inconsistencies as this case
has done; the discrepancies appear limitless!
The point is, I (along with so many others) listen, watch, and weigh the pertinent facts before we decide. I am not a conspiracy theorist; I have no special interest in wanting to find a conspiracy. If a single man killed JFK, so be it; I can live with that conclusion if it is the truth . . .
The point is, I (along with so many others) listen, watch, and weigh the pertinent facts before we decide. I am not a conspiracy theorist; I have no special interest in wanting to find a conspiracy. If a single man killed JFK, so be it; I can live with that conclusion if it is the truth . . .
On the other
hand, I have no special desire to suspend all my critical thinking faculties
just to please the Oswaldians by echoing their
belief in the lone gunman theory.
Perhaps it is they--the single
gunman theorists--who are the ones who are truly paranoid, immature, and
psychologically distraught, misinformed, misled, and obsessed? Have they ever considered that possibility,
eh?
As one who remembers that horrific day, I’ve watched the handling (and mishandling) of this
case from Day One: Nov. 22, 1963. Some
50 years later, I went on line to see what was available in the way of websites
and videos concerning the assassination.
There are now copies of the Zapruder tape available to watch, with frame by frame analysis provided by forensics experts: incredible!
In addition, I found websites dealing with the eyewitness testimony of Gov. Connally and his wife. For those who may have forgotten who they are, they were in the same car with JFK and Jackie, sitting in the seats directly in front of the president and his wife . . .
In addition, I found websites dealing with the eyewitness testimony of Gov. Connally and his wife. For those who may have forgotten who they are, they were in the same car with JFK and Jackie, sitting in the seats directly in front of the president and his wife . . .
Both were
absolutely convinced that the bullet that hit Kennedy (where he grips his
throat) did not hit Gov. Connally; both know exactly what they heard and
saw. Their beliefs are validated by the
Zapruder film.
Gov. Connally saw that film enlarged frame by frame and it confirmed for him what he and his wife always said and believed.
Gov. Connally saw that film enlarged frame by frame and it confirmed for him what he and his wife always said and believed.
Approximately
eleven or twelve frames pass from the time Kennedy is seen clutching his throat to the moment when Gov. Connally’s change of facial expression shows that he has been hit, or
about half a second of elapsed time. The
film convinced Gov. Connally that he was right in his views and he said would not change
his opinion until the day he died, and neither he nor his wife ever did.
From her perspective, Mrs. Connally had turned to see JFK “gripping” his throat with his hands, and was looking directly at her husband when Gov. Connally was hit by a different bullet; of this sequence of events, she was absolutely sure.
From her perspective, Mrs. Connally had turned to see JFK “gripping” his throat with his hands, and was looking directly at her husband when Gov. Connally was hit by a different bullet; of this sequence of events, she was absolutely sure.
One must keep in
mind that the number of shots fired was at first widely disputed with some
witnesses saying they heard 4-6 shots.
With four shots, one can almost make the case for Oswald alone firing all four shots (with no need
for a magic two-for-one bullet) but then the Zapruder film surfaced and spoiled
everything by providing analysts the ability to time the shots from first to
last.
The nature
of Oswald’s bolt-action rifle reduced what he could physically do in the
time span made visible by the Zapruder film to only three shots; that is what
led to the concerted effort to prove that the bullet that hit JFK at shoulder
and neck level must also have been the one—“the magic bullet”—that hit Gov.
Connally.
Yet both the governor and his wife always vigorously disputed this claim. The visual evidence lends considerable credence to the view that they were right and the “magic bullet” theorists wrong.
Yet both the governor and his wife always vigorously disputed this claim. The visual evidence lends considerable credence to the view that they were right and the “magic bullet” theorists wrong.
As I continued
to watch the TV coverage of the 50th anniversary of this tragic day,
many of the shows dealt with the “who did it?” question; several took the
traditional pathway of concluding it was Oswald alone. They dismissed contrary
theories either in a condescending tone or with supposedly irrefutable rebuttal.
I noticed, though, how nearly all of those consistently reports omitted the testimony of two key persons closest to the tragic scene: Gov. Connally and his wife!**
I noticed, though, how nearly all of those consistently reports omitted the testimony of two key persons closest to the tragic scene: Gov. Connally and his wife!**
Why? Isn’t the eyewitness testimony of the two persons sitting the closest to JFK worth anything?
Luckily, there were also a couple of shows that presented a critical
analysis of the one-gunman theory, either by critiquing the latest books on the
topic or by presenting their own visual and investigative accounts of what
might have happened.
As it turns out,
science has not stood still in the same way the “lone gunman theory” has; there is now a considerable body of evidence available to cast serious doubt on
the Warren Commission’s findings. It may
well be that it is this group (the one-lone-gunman "Oswaldians") that truly has the psychological need to believe in
a simple solution, one that does not require them to consider the larger
picture. Keeping it short and simple, they need not dare question whether other parties existed who might have taken their ideological grudge against Kennedy to a
lethal level.
Nonetheless, I
do not want to appear as arrogant, biased, and one-dimensional as the
Oswaldians sometimes do, so I will merely add that I am not claiming to be 100%
sure one way or the other.
In brief, I am not 100% sure it was Oswald by himself any more than I am 100% sure that there was a second gunman involved. All I wish to note at this point is that I am quite offended by the condescending attitude of the “lone gunman” theorists when they act so patronizing in dismissing any and all criticism not to their liking.
Topnotch journalists, investigators, writers, lawyers, and forensic scientists have weighed in on this matter, many with serious doubts about whether we have yet discovered what really happened—to say nothing of the uncertainties and disagreements expressed by millions of ordinary Americans.
In brief, I am not 100% sure it was Oswald by himself any more than I am 100% sure that there was a second gunman involved. All I wish to note at this point is that I am quite offended by the condescending attitude of the “lone gunman” theorists when they act so patronizing in dismissing any and all criticism not to their liking.
Topnotch journalists, investigators, writers, lawyers, and forensic scientists have weighed in on this matter, many with serious doubts about whether we have yet discovered what really happened—to say nothing of the uncertainties and disagreements expressed by millions of ordinary Americans.
Do not sneer at
your fellow compatriots, you Oswaldians, for there is a subtle genius among
Americans for instinctively knowing whether they have been told the truth
or whether they need to keep searching.
You would think that the sheer number of books written criticizing your
viewpoint would give you pause, knowing that a focused criticism of this amazing
size and strength can never be traced solely to some kind of quasi-Freudian
psychological "predisposition"!
We don’t
question the findings of the lone gunman theorists because we are “obsessed”,
“traumatized”, "deceived", or anything else of that nature.
We question the viewpoint of the lone gunman theorists because its proponents have been unable to present a clear and irrefutable case. There remains such an
abundance of discrepancies that their single shooter theory leaves holes big
enough for a jumbo jet with a blindfolded pilot to fly right through it.
As for my views
on Oswald, I allow for all three main possibilities:
1)
he was the lone assassin;
2)
he was involved in the assassination but he was not the
only shooter that day;
3)
he was not a shooter but a patsy who was set up and
framed for the crime.
What I am saying
here is that I am not particularly “predisposed” to believing any one of these
theories more than another but try to remain as open-minded and fact-oriented
as possible and follow wherever the evidence leads.
I, like many others of my fellow countrymen, have concluded that there are serious grounds for doubting #1, above, and that #2 must be given its due weight and consideration.
I, like many others of my fellow countrymen, have concluded that there are serious grounds for doubting #1, above, and that #2 must be given its due weight and consideration.
Nonetheless, I
am not arguing here for one particular point of view so much as asking the
one-lone-gunman theorists to stop treating everyone else who disagrees with
them as though they are all a bunch of incoherent babbling buffoons. When you have shown conclusively why Mr. and
Mrs. Connally are wrong in believing that Gov. Connally was hit by a different
bullet than the one that hit President Kennedy, come on back and we will talk.
I am telling you
now, though--both as advice and warning—we will talk as equals and
nothing less! The day you have
the right to bamboozle and bulldoze others by sheer force is over.
The day you have the right to abrogate my right as an American—our rights as Americans—of freedom of speech and freedom of conscience to think and believe however we choose about the Kennedy assassination and investigation, is the day that a Great Big Storm will be seen rising up on the horizon!
The day you have the right to abrogate my right as an American—our rights as Americans—of freedom of speech and freedom of conscience to think and believe however we choose about the Kennedy assassination and investigation, is the day that a Great Big Storm will be seen rising up on the horizon!
STOP YOUR CONDESCENDING
AND BELITTLING WAYS!!
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE NOT ABOUT TO LET YOU OR ANYBODY ELSE
DICTATE TO US WHAT WE CAN OR CANNOT BELIEVE!!
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE NOT ABOUT TO LET YOU OR ANYBODY ELSE
DICTATE TO US WHAT WE CAN OR CANNOT BELIEVE!!
WE CAN THINK FOR OURSELVES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
ADDENDUM:
** Of passing
interest: in two of the 50th anniversary reports defending the
“Oswald alone” theory, both presented scripts which argued that it was just
this one bullet that hit both men . . . but they did so from two different points of view, or
separate evidentiary angles, if you would.
Yes, they disagreed with one another!
The first theory
insisted that the trajectory was such that one bullet fired from Oswald on the
6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository would have hit both
men just as they were seated.
It was not necessary to investigate the way Gov. Connally moved at all; if he had been facing straight ahead, his body position would have been properly in place to be wounded by the same bullet that struck President Kennedy.
It was not necessary to investigate the way Gov. Connally moved at all; if he had been facing straight ahead, his body position would have been properly in place to be wounded by the same bullet that struck President Kennedy.
The second
theory argued just the opposite, that such a trajectory was impossible! The
seating position of the two men did not allow a straight line (such as a
bullet’s trajectory would follow) to be tracked from one man to the other; the
seats within the car where the two men sat are not aligned but placed at an off-angle in
relationship to one another: an astute observation.
Instead, this second group created yet another alternative hypothesis; the straight-line trajectory from Book Depository window to both Kennedy and Connally wouldn’t work except when you include Gov. Connally turning to the right in order to try and see what was happening to the president. In doing so, he then presented his shoulder in such a way that one bullet could hit both men.
Instead, this second group created yet another alternative hypothesis; the straight-line trajectory from Book Depository window to both Kennedy and Connally wouldn’t work except when you include Gov. Connally turning to the right in order to try and see what was happening to the president. In doing so, he then presented his shoulder in such a way that one bullet could hit both men.
Thus, they presented two different and contradictory theories describing the same moment. The Oswaldians
can’t even agree among themselves on a single explanation of this historic event!
I find it
somewhat amusing, regarding the second theory, to observe how narrow-minded and
one-tracked some Oswaldians have become. Why?
Follow their line of reasoning carefully if you will: Gov. Connally
stated he heard the firing of a rifle from behind and then turned to his right to try and get a look at the president. He
could not see him sufficiently well so he started to turn back the other way before a bullet hit him.
Now this second
theory desperately needs Gov. Connally to be already turned (and remaining in that position) after President Kennedy is hit; this twisting motion of Gov. Connally's body will place his right shoulder nearer the continuing trajectory of
the bullet that had just hit Kennedy.
Of course if a single bullet had truly hit both JFK and Gov. Connally, the dual impact would have happened virtually simultaneously inasmuch as a high-powered rifle shot can travel at 2,800 feet/second. Gov. Connally would not have had time to react, turn to his right to look at the president and then start back to his left before being struck, as the video evidence shows.
Of course if a single bullet had truly hit both JFK and Gov. Connally, the dual impact would have happened virtually simultaneously inasmuch as a high-powered rifle shot can travel at 2,800 feet/second. Gov. Connally would not have had time to react, turn to his right to look at the president and then start back to his left before being struck, as the video evidence shows.
In short, there
would have been insufficient time for Gov. Connally to have heard the shot and
turn his body so he could get lined up in time to be hit by the same bullet that hit President
Kennedy!
And yet this Oswaldian investigator reported on that possibility as the most likely way to add credence to the single bullet theory.
And this is to say nothing of the fact that under such circumstances, the infamous bullet would have been moving faster than the speed of sound! Conveniently, the investigator overlooked the audio evidence as well as the visual. By the time Gov. Connally even heard the shot—the report of the rifle itself--the bullet would have been leaving its bloody trail through Kennedy's body and supposedly Gov. Connally's as well.
To think Gov. Connally, after hearing the shot, still had enough time to turn to his right and then back to his left before being hit by that bullet--the sound of which he was responding to in the first instance--is a crazy piece of convoluted reasoning that simply does not pass the test of physics or common sense.
And yet this Oswaldian investigator reported on that possibility as the most likely way to add credence to the single bullet theory.
And this is to say nothing of the fact that under such circumstances, the infamous bullet would have been moving faster than the speed of sound! Conveniently, the investigator overlooked the audio evidence as well as the visual. By the time Gov. Connally even heard the shot—the report of the rifle itself--the bullet would have been leaving its bloody trail through Kennedy's body and supposedly Gov. Connally's as well.
To think Gov. Connally, after hearing the shot, still had enough time to turn to his right and then back to his left before being hit by that bullet--the sound of which he was responding to in the first instance--is a crazy piece of convoluted reasoning that simply does not pass the test of physics or common sense.
The Connallys were there; they each were participant and witness. Both understood
that the bullet that hit President Kennedy, causing him to raise his hands to his throat,
was not the bullet that hit Gov. Connally.
And how do the Oswaldians deal with the eyewitness testimony of the
Connallys?
They omit their testimony entirely.
And the Oswaldians wonder why there are so many Americans who still have a whole lot of trouble digesting one or another of their “magic bullet” theories!
It's nice to have a choice and I suppose we should say "thank you" for this menu of options the Oswaldians provide by offering different possible explanations. Far be it from me to suggest that the American people expected to see one explanation, perfectly consistent and exact down to the smallest detail, from the very start of the search for President Kennedy's assassin or assassins.
Pardon me for suggesting the American people never received the kind of competent detective work that produced results which were perfectly logical, scientifically factual, and irrefutably accurate--that consistently made perfect sense and avoided or quickly eliminated any tiny discrepancies that might have popped up.
Instead, major inconsistencies and contradictions started proliferating almost immediately and, to a fair extent, have never stopped growing in all the years since.
Instead of accepting this reality regarding the handling of the case, the Oswaldians engage in a curious and rather suspect sleight of hand of their own. They try to blame doubting Americans for their doubts!
They insult their critics by suggesting such persons are not intelligent enough to observe, read, and analyze all the many different stories that were offered at one time or another about "what really happened".
The Oswaldians suggest that their critics apparently are not smart enough to proceed independently or draw their own conclusions.
The Oswaldians try to equate Americans engaged in a fair and objective criticism of the handling of the case with Americans suffering from a disturbed psychological state: a paranoid predisposition to find a conspiracy in all things Americana.
The Oswaldians accuse their critics of being "crazy" rather than face the long history of the truly egregious weaknesses and contradictions of their own position.
No doubt that's why it became so important to them over the years to push the "conspiracy theorist" accusation since this approach helps divert attention away from the abundance of factual inconsistencies and contradictory explanations that became immediately obvious from Nov. 22 onward.
They wish to ignore the sloppy mishandling of the criminal investigation from Day One--to say nothing of the one-sided retrospective "investigations" (with predetermined outcome) the Oswaldians have been conducting, and continue to conduct, years and decades later. Some of the so-called "tests" were so laughably flawed that it's amazing they tried palming them off at all.
The fact that some fifty years later, despite their best efforts, they still cannot prove to most Americans' satisfaction that Oswald was the lone gunman--and a single bullet hit both President Kennedy and Governor Connally--exposes the inherent weakness of their position and simply boggles the imagination.
If Americans were not previously inclined to consider how one kind of conspiracy or another may have been involved in the death of President Kennedy, watching the Oswaldians fumble the ball repeatedly over the past half-century is enough to make a "conspiracy theorist" out of anyone!
They omit their testimony entirely.
And the Oswaldians wonder why there are so many Americans who still have a whole lot of trouble digesting one or another of their “magic bullet” theories!
It's nice to have a choice and I suppose we should say "thank you" for this menu of options the Oswaldians provide by offering different possible explanations. Far be it from me to suggest that the American people expected to see one explanation, perfectly consistent and exact down to the smallest detail, from the very start of the search for President Kennedy's assassin or assassins.
Pardon me for suggesting the American people never received the kind of competent detective work that produced results which were perfectly logical, scientifically factual, and irrefutably accurate--that consistently made perfect sense and avoided or quickly eliminated any tiny discrepancies that might have popped up.
Instead, major inconsistencies and contradictions started proliferating almost immediately and, to a fair extent, have never stopped growing in all the years since.
Instead of accepting this reality regarding the handling of the case, the Oswaldians engage in a curious and rather suspect sleight of hand of their own. They try to blame doubting Americans for their doubts!
They insult their critics by suggesting such persons are not intelligent enough to observe, read, and analyze all the many different stories that were offered at one time or another about "what really happened".
The Oswaldians suggest that their critics apparently are not smart enough to proceed independently or draw their own conclusions.
The Oswaldians try to equate Americans engaged in a fair and objective criticism of the handling of the case with Americans suffering from a disturbed psychological state: a paranoid predisposition to find a conspiracy in all things Americana.
The Oswaldians accuse their critics of being "crazy" rather than face the long history of the truly egregious weaknesses and contradictions of their own position.
No doubt that's why it became so important to them over the years to push the "conspiracy theorist" accusation since this approach helps divert attention away from the abundance of factual inconsistencies and contradictory explanations that became immediately obvious from Nov. 22 onward.
They wish to ignore the sloppy mishandling of the criminal investigation from Day One--to say nothing of the one-sided retrospective "investigations" (with predetermined outcome) the Oswaldians have been conducting, and continue to conduct, years and decades later. Some of the so-called "tests" were so laughably flawed that it's amazing they tried palming them off at all.
The fact that some fifty years later, despite their best efforts, they still cannot prove to most Americans' satisfaction that Oswald was the lone gunman--and a single bullet hit both President Kennedy and Governor Connally--exposes the inherent weakness of their position and simply boggles the imagination.
If Americans were not previously inclined to consider how one kind of conspiracy or another may have been involved in the death of President Kennedy, watching the Oswaldians fumble the ball repeatedly over the past half-century is enough to make a "conspiracy theorist" out of anyone!
Note:
The author welcomes comments posted on Blogger or sent by email to rr95121@gmail.com
