Case Closed: a letter to Gerald Posner (re: Kennedy assassination)

AMNation.com ^ | 11/23/03 | Lawrence Auster

[veronica]

I paid no attention to the many television programs broadcast this past week on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination. The reason for my lack of interest was that the questions about the assassination that had obsessed me all my life—and not only the factual questions, but the deeper moral and emotional issues left by Kennedy’s killing—were resolved for me by Gerald Posner’s 1993 book Case Closed. Here is a letter I wrote to Posner about his book ten years ago, shortly after the 30th anniversary of the assassination: December 15, 1993

Dear Mr. Posner:

I would like to tell you how deeply grateful I am to you for your magnificent book, Case Closed.

Over the years, I had shared the general sense that we did not have the truth about the Kennedy assassination. While I never gave credence to the various wild conspiracy theories, I did feel that there was probably a second gunman, and perhaps Mafia involvement. But it seemed impossible ever to get closer to the truth. A year or two ago there were new television programs and articles about the assassination with some interesting information, but trying to follow the issues that were raised only led one into a morass of confusion.

One of the problems was that, while the conspiracy proponents seemed a contemptible bunch (especially Oliver Stone, who I think is truly evil), the defenders of the Warren Commission report, such as David Belin, also seemed fishy. They just went after the most obvious weaknesses in the conspiracy theories while blandly and self-righteously insisting on the “total correctness” of the obviously flawed Warren report. (It was that same sort of bland defense of the Warren report, the glossing over of its many troubling flaws and gaps, that had helped set off the conspiracy paranoia, along with the general suspicion of our government, back in the mid 1960s.) The Warren defenders never responded to the hard questions that continued to trouble me and everyone else who thought about the issue; and they never seemed to appreciate the fact—which you certainly bring out in your book—that there were many odd events surrounding the assassination that could reasonably give rise to suspicions of a conspiracy. It was all terribly, deeply frustrating. It seemed that this mystery would last forever, and that there was no point in even trying to figure it out.

Then one day this past September, at the National Airport in Washington, D.C., I picked up the U.S. News and World Report with the long excerpt from Case Closed. Reading the article on the shuttle flight back to New York, I experienced an epiphany. The clarity of your presentation, your story of Oswald, the fascinating new information about the timing of the shots and many other things all added up to an account that for the first time in all these years had the ring of truth. The magazine excerpt, of course, did not answer all my questions (I had to wait to read the book for that), but it did satisfy me that Oswald did it alone. Oswald emerged as a totally believable, real person, not this shadowy figure upon whom the conspiracy theorists could cast any fantasy they wanted.

There is another, perhaps unintended, benefit of Case Closed. Reading it made me realize that for years, all the bedeviling issues surrounding the assassination had blocked the assassination itself—the horror and tragedy and poignancy of it—from full consciousness. The conspiracy theories had become the main historical event, not Kennedy’s terrible death and what it did to the country. But your account, by clearing away those questions, has restored the assassination itself as an event in my experience and I think our collective experience as well. It was as though I began feeling the trauma and the meaning of Kennedy’s death afresh, undiminished after three decades.

Apart from the tragedy of the event itself, it was truly a fateful turning point in our country’s history—but, I believe, in a sense exactly opposite to what Oliver Stone imagines. Rather than marking the rise of Stone’s fictional militaristic right-wing to national power, it marked the rise to influence of a left-wing culture of alienation typified by people like Oliver Stone himself. These members of the adversary culture, unable to absorb Kennedy’s murder as the terrible event it was, chose to see it as a confirmation that America itself was evil, that America would always block the exaggerated hopes for unlimited individual fulfillment and social progress that Kennedy seemed to personify for many people. It was shortly after Kennedy’s death that the deadly notion became current that the “system” was blame for everything, thus turning Americans against their own country. Of course, the rise of black rage, the Vietnam war and so on were also important parts of this historic catastrophe, but the Kennedy assassination was crucial.

The unresolved assassination puzzle also fed the alienating notion that truth is indeterminable, that all we can know are self-serving narratives. This idea opens the gates to all kinds of viciousness. For example, the egregious Stone could present his paranoid fantasy as a revelation of “hidden truth” to a mass audience of millions of unformed, suggestible minds, and at the same time cover himself with the elites by saying that his movie was a mere “counter-myth,” not intended to be a factual presentation. Thus he got to convince millions of people that horrible lies were the truth, while denying that that he was doing anything of the kind. With Case Closed, you have not only uncovered the specific truth of the assassination; you’ve demonstrated that truth itself exists and can be known.

But for me, what is most remarkable about Case Closed is that this old festering sore of uncertainty and discouragement surrounding the assassination, which I never expected to be cured, has been cured. In bringing the truth to light out of all that confusion, you have performed not only a great public service, but a heroic act.

Sincerely yours,

Lawrence Auster

[Ditter]

The writer of this letter says he did not watch any of the programs on the History Channel this week, but I did. In fact, I Tivo'd all of them & I just watched one of them again.

You can listen to the doctors at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, describe in detail the gunshot wound to JFK's head. The back of his head was blown away. There was no doubt. These are experienced doctors & they know what they saw with their own eyes. The pictures that came from the Warren Report show something entirely different. If this doesn't convince you that the government is lying & manipulating evidence, I guess nothing will.

[Harris]

Obviously a conspiracy of those who believe there was a conspiracy exists.

[Criminal Number 18F]

I have nothing but contempt for Oliver Stone and Jim Garrison, whose false and defamatory versions of the assassination have unfortunately become historical fact for millions of Americans.

Amen, Steve. I would also throw in contempt for Lee Harvey Oswald. I was just a child, and when Ruby shot him I came running out of my granddad's den yelling, "Alright! They shot the sonofabitch that shot the President!" I was told that if I used that word about anyone else, I would be in for a mouth washing. But in this one case, my grandmother made an exception.

I do think that the big fault line is between the TV watchers and the readers. People who live their lives in front of a tube seem to need to have all the loose ends neatly tied up in time for station identification. Conspiracies will always be popular in the imagination, and were long before TV, because they take the randomness out of life and apply a structure to it, albeit an evil one. Lost your job? Depending on time and who's selling you the conspiracy, the Jews did it, or the banks, or the big corporations. Someone in your family died of an awful disease? Naw, they were killed by environmental despoilers. Can a pilot screw up and crash a plane? No, it was brought down by terrorists (or by rogues in the US military, depending on the prejudices of the conspiratroid in question).

You see all this in the merchants of Kennedy conspiracy theory (starting with RFK, and continuing through Stone to the present day). Their perpetrators are all over the place: the Mafia, the CIA, LBJ (really...), the generals, basically whoever's the particular conspiracy buff's personal bogeyman. People don't want to admit it was just a scrawny little nebbish who failed at everything else he ever tried in his short, miserable, attention-seeking life.

If someone had killed the nut job that whacked John Lennon, no doubt Stone would do a movie that said that the other ex-Beatles did it, and then Paul and Ringo had George hit to cover up the misdeed. I mean, you don't really think lifelong smokers die of cancer, do you?

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[AndrewC]

Forward at the moment of impact-Forward at the moment

Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left-Back to the left

NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet-NO jet

Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up-Arm flies up

Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front-Shot from the front

[Orangedog]

If you would have bothered to read my posts on this thread, you'd see that I was curious about some of the small details that were overlooked and haven't been discussed instead of being condescending or beating the dead horses on both sides of the argument.

[SoCal Pubbie]

Nice try! OJ is as guilty as sin and so was Oswald!

[SoCal Pubbie]

I read your posts. I was trying to point out how conspiracy kooks, not necessarily you, make a big deal out of small questions and ignore the big picture.

[per loin]

Glad that you figured it out about OJ. BTW, what was Oswald's motive? Or is motive unimportant in murder cases?

[JWinNC]

"Look at the ACTUAL position of the two seats, which were not at the same elevation nor directly in line relative to the sides of the limo, the posture of the two men, and the fact that bullets can change trajectories within the body (as shown by film of test shots through gelatin) for your answer."

I have looked at the actual position of the seats and the bodies. I accept that the bullet could change tragectory in the body. However, it still does not match up. The entry wound on the upper back/neck and the exit wound on the front do indeed indicate that the bullet changed tragectory in the body (if it started at the 6th floor). Probably hiting off his spine, but it clearly shows that the new trajectory leaving his neck is still downward and inward (leftward). Unless it changed direction in flight there is no way for it to get to Connally's right side. Connally would have to be sitting much more toward the driver. In the film and photos he simply is not sitting that far to the left. Not even close.

JWinNC

[TLI]

Well, if the case is so closed, perhaps you would now have the time to respond to my post to you.

It is a much more interesting question.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1024699/posts?page=131#131

[Az Joe]

Analysis of the Zapruder film shows the back of his head intact. Case closed.

[geopyg]

You Wrote:
"The basis in fact is that the wrist wound was the least of Connally's problems. He had a golf-ball sized hole blown in his chest. He had a sucking chest wound. His wife saved his life unwittingly. As she drew him down out of the line of fire she pulled his arm over the chest wound. She also placed her arm over her husbands arm and thus sealed the open wound. She did not know to do this, it was just an accident of the event. She was clear. She saw Kennedy's hands at his throat, later she heard the shot that hit her husband. Now rifle bullets travel faster than sound, but she had already heard the shot that hit Kennedy as this was what caused her to look back at him. In any event a sucking chest wound is not something one can ignore. Look at the film. While Kennedy has his hands at his throat Connally is turning forward. He faces forward then turns back to his right. It is some time into this turn that he is hit, as described by his wife. The film shows exactly that sequence."

The individual stills from the Zabruder film are amazing (be your own detective!). I agree that Connally was shot after Kennedy was shot - and will surmise that CONNALLY was shot from the grassy knoll.

Looking at the Zabruder clips, I say Kennedy is shot on clip #226. The camera goes fuzzy on #227 when Z reacts to the noise of the shot. Connally's hat goes up from his lap in #230 - either reacting to the shot, noise from Kennedy - or perhaps the bullet through Kennedy's neck hitting him, but not severe enough for him to really know what had happened to him - or for him to woory about (the thigh wound?).

From #230 to #271 Connally is turning to look at Kennedy. At #261 he is talking (part of the Oh no, no, no that his wife said "that he said as he was turning to look at the President") Also at #261, Jackie is looking at Connally - she may still not realize what is going on, and is looking at the person talking, as we are apt to do. (Or, that's just how her body is, and she still doesn't know that it was a shot yet.)

ANYWAY - before and after frame #271 Connally's hat (and hand and wrist) are in FRONT of his CHEST as he is turning to face the President. After about #271 Connally is out of the picture. The picture is fuzzy again around frame #291 - when Zabruder reacts to the shot from the grassy knoll that hits Connally in the wrist and then straight into his chest. The bullet tumbles upon hitting his wrist bone - hence the elongated hole as the bullet EXITS Connally's back.

Connally doesn't come back into view until later (forget what frame) and is on the way down to being pulled into Mrs. Connally's lap.

So- two bullets into Kennedy (neck and Head), one into the curb, and a fourth from the grassy knoll into Connally. And looking at the clips, although not an expert at body movements after being hit by a bullet, I would say that the blood and tissue sprays forward into the car. And yes, the head does move back after the initial blow. After his brains are blown forward, either the mass of the brains exiting his head bushes the head back, or the head, now without muscle control to hold it upright, stays STATIONARY as the body moves forward with the moving car. (By the way, prior to seeing this clip by clip of the film it always looked to me like the shot was from the front!)

There's my 2 cents! (And I've never heard of the idea that Connally was the one shot from the grassy knoll - what am I missing?)

[Ditter]

The doctors who examined him in Dallas are lying? or stupid? or blind?

[angkor]

Your frames 312 and 313 show him falling forward from the previous neck wound and then the impact.

Zapruder frames 313 to 317 clearly show backward movement after impact of the head shot, which occurs at 313.

Nice try though.

[Shooter 2.5]

JFK's head moves about two inches from the impact. The white debris goes upward and the red debris goes to the front of the vehicle leaving a large exit wound. The two major fragments from that bullet were found on the front seat and the front floorboard. One cracked the windshield and the other dented the chrome. The bullets were large enough to be traced to Oswald's rifle and no other.

[Shooter 2.5]

Frames move at 1/8th of a second if I'm not mistaken.

How exactly do you think a wounded man could move two to three inches on his own within that time span?

How do explain white debris going upward and red debris going forward?

How do you explain the crack and dent forward of the vehicle or the two bullet fragments found forward of the vehicle traced to Oswald's rifle?

[Shooter 2.5]

THE HEAD WOUND

Entry

The autopsy report states that a lacerated entry wound measuring 15 by 6
mm. (0.59 by 0.24 inches) is situated in the posterior scalp approximately
2.5 cm. (1 inch) laterally to the right and slightly above the external
occipital protruberance (a bony protruberance at the back of the head).
In non-technical language this indicates that a small wound was found in
the back of the head on the right side. Photographs Nos. 15, 16, 42 and
43 show the location and size of the wound, and establish that the above
autopsy data were accurate. Due to the fractures of the underlying bone
and the elevation of the scalp by manual lifting (done to permit the wound
to be photographed) the photographs show the wound to be slightly higher
than its actually measured site.

The scalp wound shown in the photographs appears to be a laceration and
tunnel, with the actual penetration of the skin obscured by the top of the
tunnel. From the photographs this is not recognizable as a penetrating
wound because of the slanting direction of entry. However, as we pointed
out in the autopsy report, there was in the underlying bone a
corresponding wound through the skull which exhibited beveling of the
margins of the bone when viewed from the inner aspect of the skull. This
is characteristic of a wound of entry in the skull.

Exit

The autopsy report further states that there was a large irregular defect
of the scalp and skull on the right involving chiefly the parietal bone
but extending somewhat into the temporal and occipital regions, with an
actual absence of scalp and bone measuring approximately 13 cm. (5.12
inches) at the greatest diameter. In non-technical language, this means
that a large section of the skull on the right side of the head was torn
away by the force of the missile. Photographs Nos. 5-10 inclusive, 17,
18, 26-28, 32-37 inclusive, 44 and 45 portray this massive head wound, and
verify that the largest diameter was approximately 13 cm. The report
further states that one of the fragments of the skull bone, received from
Dallas, shows a portion of a roughly circular wound presumably of exit
which exhibits beveling of the outer aspect of the bone, and the wound was
estimated to be approximately 2.5 to 3.0 cm. (1 to 1.18 inches) in
diameter. X-ray Nos. 4, 5 and 6 show this bone fragment and the embedded
metal fragments. Photographs Nos. 17, 18, 44 and 45 show the other half
of the margin of the exit wound; and also show the beveling of the bone
characteristic of a wound of exit. Photographs Nos. 44 and 45 also show
that the point of exit of the missile was much larger than the point of
entrance, being 30 mm. (1.18 inches) at its greatest diameter.
Photographs 5-10 inclusive, 32-37 inclusive, 44 and 45 show the location
of the head wound, and verify the accuracy of the Warren Commission
drawings (Exhibits 386 and 388, Vol. XVI, pp. 977 and 984) which depict
the location of the head wound.

[You'll note that they mention the beveling of the entrance wound. The wound had the classic "cratering" just like a bb when it hits glass. The wound is small on the outside and larger on the inside of the material. Shooter]

[Ditter]

I KNOW you have swallowed the Warren Report HOOK LINE & SINKER but how do you account for the doctors who examined him at Parkland Hospital? Were the doctors at Parkland lying or stupid or blind? They saw him first & their filmed testimony is very plain, the back of his head was blown out. Surely you have an opinion on their eyewitness testimony.

[GaryL]

Thank you for this posting this interesting information regarding Dr. Wecht!

This sort of supports a point I've been making for a number of years about Dr. Wecht: I'm sure he's a wonderful pathologist (as he seemingly nevers tires of letting us know). And, yes, the autopsy was not as thorough as it should have been. I'm sure Dr. Wecht would have done a better job (again, as he seemingly never tires of letting us know!).

But my observation is that he has way too much of an "emotional" and, by now, "financial" involvement in this case for his opinions ever to be accepted at "face value" or as unbiased.

Let's face it, he's made quite a name for himself as the media's favorite forensic authority on the assassination. By contrast, Dr. Baden, another well-known and respected pathologist who totally disagrees with Dr. Wecht's conclusions gets about one-tenth the camera time of Dr. Wecht on this issue. The media is in love with Dr. Wecht.

[Deuce]

Case Closed is filled with inaccuracies and outright falsehoods

You may answer this later in the thread: What are they?

I have never believed the Warren Commission and detest the way the conclusion of lone-nut was reached within hours of the event, the secrecy surrounding the investigation, and the mysterious disappearance of evidence. HOWEVER, from internet fora over the last few days (mostly elsewhere, not freerepublic), I must admit that I am gaining a new appreciciation for the LHO acting alone scenario