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To: Destro
For years I was a Kennedy assassination conspiracy buff. I read virtually every book on the subject and even attended assassination symposiums (or is that "symposia"?). I was totally convinced that there was a conspiracy, probably involving the mafia or some government intelligence agency and that Oswald was an innocent victim, possibley some sort of "patsy" or the guy set up to take the fall

Then about 6 or 7 years ago, I read the book: "Case Closed" by Gerald Posner. My life has not been the same since. He convinced me beyound any responable doubt that Oswald shot Kennedy, acting alone, and that there is absolutely no evidence of a conspiracy.

Wow! It was like a breathe of fresh air, like a load lifted from my back. It was wonderful to be free from all the "conspiracy theories," for which I, like many others fell "hook line and sinker."

It also taught me a huge lesson about life: I was shocked at how gullible I had been! Where else in life had I also been this gullible? It taught me to rethink things that I had accepted at face value, especially when I wanted something to be a certain way.

I know many will read this an think I'm just being "gullible" again. That's Ok. I have no agenda but the pursuit of the truth. "Case Closed" has freed me from the grips of the conspiracy buffs and I'm forever grateful. I would recommend to others seeking only the truth to read this book.

I expect to read posts in response informing me that "Case Closed" was full of inaccuracies. I'm aware that there were some mistakes, but I have read Mr. Posner's rebuttal. He addressed all the supposed inaccuracies. In most cases they wern't mistakes at all. And the ones that remained were inmaterial to the overall thrust of the book. He's been shown to be a thousand times more accurate and true to the evidence than the incredible "liberties with the truth" taken by virtually all the conspiracy writers.

If you still want to believe in a conspiracy, go right ahead! For me, the case is closed.
24 posted on 11/15/2003 3:53:06 PM PST by GaryL
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To: GaryL
Reviewer: Rocco Dormarunno (see more about me) from Brooklyn, NY

The title of this book is absolutely presumptuous: the case is not closed; too many questions remain unanswered; and there has been no new evidence in the four decades since the assassination to convict Oswald in the court of history. Much of what Posner gives us in CASE CLOSED is, for the most part, a re-hash of Warren Commission testimony supplemented with some later interviews. But here and there you will come across moments when you have to nod your head and say to yourself, "I hadn't thought about that. Maybe the _____(fill in a conspiracy theory)__________ isn't probable."

I give the book this much credit: it de-bunks a lot of the kookier conspiracy theories that are out there. As some one who believes there was some kind of limited conspiracy, I thought this was good for one reason: it makes the case for the more logical and probable conspiracy theories that much more compelling. Without realizing it, by knocking down some of the more elaborate theories, the ones he left standing seem to stand taller. It makes you wonder why Posner didn't go after them. (Notice how he knocks one conspiracy writer down after another, but couldn't touch Sylvia Meagher's works or Josiah Thompson's Six Seconds in Dallas.)

But the ultimate flaw for Posner's book, looking at it from an Oswald-did-it-alone theory, is that it spends 99/100ths of the time discussing Oswald's profile as an assassin, but only spends two pages (with illustrations) on the single-bullet theory and two pages on Oswald's escape from the sixth floor. These nuts-and-bolts of the assassination are glossed over unconvincingly, which is terribly damaging to his cause. These elements of the murder are the means and opportunity to prove the case against Oswald. It's at this point when Posner's reasoning turns into a tantrum. The tone of the concluding chapter is so defensive that you sense that Posner himself knows he didn't convince the skeptics. To call his book CASE CLOSED, convincing the skeptics should have been his primary goal.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points Concluded

27 posted on 11/15/2003 4:00:26 PM PST by Destro (Know your enemy! Help fight Islamic terrorisim by visiting www.johnathangaltfilms.com)
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To: GaryL
Then about 6 or 7 years ago, I read the book: "Case Closed" by Gerald Posner.

Although Posner is a liberal, he thinks things out well and has a good head on his shoulders. He is also not an ideological nutbar whose world outlook affects his work.

58 posted on 11/15/2003 7:12:46 PM PST by KC_Conspirator (This space for rent)
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To: GaryL
I read "Case Closed" and was insulted that Posner would think that I was such fool that I would buy for one minute any of his ridiculous and baseless assertions. I see that he found an easy mark in you.

NOTHING that Posner said holds water. How foolish can you be?????
94 posted on 11/16/2003 7:31:08 PM PST by Iwo Jima
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To: GaryL
"If you still want to believe in a conspiracy, go right ahead! For me, the case is closed."

Of course you'll receive a ton of posts about how "Case Closed" doesn't close a case. Don't you understand that evidence disproving a conspiracy is proof of the conspiracy?

If there was a 'conspiracy', it was as Fox mentioned last night speaking of the autoposy. It was controlled to limit information about Kennedy's true health and to protect the family. Also, many in the government wanted to close the case rapidly in order not to destabilize relations with the Soviet Union. These 'conspiracies' existed and influenced the investigation providing fodder for the real conspiracists. The fact that these 'conspiracies' existed does not mean that what they ultimately claimed, single gun man - Oswald, is untrue.
149 posted on 11/17/2003 6:00:47 AM PST by DugwayDuke
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