JFK conspiracy theory 101 - a lesson in ambiguity

Reuters ^ | Fri 21 November, 2003 | Jon Herskovitz

[yonif]

DALLAS (Reuters) - The shots rang out in Dallas 40 years ago, and the students' research papers on assassination conspiracy theories were due on the desk of Southern Methodist University professor Tom Stone earlier this week.

Stone has been teaching a course for 10 years on the John F. Kennedy presidential assassination at SMU, a university in Dallas located a few miles north of where Kennedy was gunned down on November 22, 1963.

The course called "On the Trail of the Assassin(s)" considers the assassination as a work of critical reading, teaching wide-eyed college youths in the English department that there is no absolute truth, but a whole lot of ways to navigate through contradiction.

"If I went into class the first day and said, 'This is really a course on critical reading and critical thinking,' the students would probably run for the door," Stone said.

Stone, who sports a full beard and a voice big enough to fill a classroom even when he speaks in hushed tones, describes himself as a child of the 1960s.

He said he started the course because he wanted to teach students some of his views on the assassination, but over the years realised the history of JFK's fateful day in Dallas was an exceptional platform to teach students that there were numerous ways to interpret a text.

The class is possibly the only college course on the Kennedy assassination that is a part of an English literature curriculum.

"Students begin to read more sceptically and more critically, which is a basic tool for an English class," Stone said. In the Kennedy case, for every fact there is a counter fact. The evidence is internally contradictory. They never reach certainty and the comfort of a clear-cut right answer."

HOLLYWOOD, HISTORY, AND FIRST-YEAR LIT.

Most of the students have little knowledge of the details of the assassination and Stone introduces them to Kennedy, the political storms of his administration and conspiracy theory by showing them Oliver Stone's (no relation) 1991 film "JFK."

The film presents a narrative where an elaborate conspiracy that touches on the Mafia, the CIA, the military industrial complex and even former president Lyndon Johnson as being in some way behind Kennedy's assassination. It has been derided by some critics as straying too far from historical fact in order to show a well-polished fiction.

Just as the 20 or so students in the class are studying the arguments of Oliver Stone's film, Stone at SMU springs "Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK," a book by Gerald Posner, on his students.

Posner tries to put all the conspiracy theories to rest and he argues that through a sober and thorough reading of the evidence, it is clear that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in gunning down Kennedy.

Students are asked to research one aspect of the assassination -- such as the controversy of supposedly doctored photographs or the possible involvement of the Mafia.

Historical records such as the evidence provided to the Warren Commission and to a special committee of the U.S. House of Representatives are used by students for their papers and for oral presentations they make to the class.

James Scott, 19 of Beaumont, Texas and Amy Wilson, 18 of Boerne, Texas are students in the class who are leaning toward the arguments of the conspiracy theorists. They have yet to visit Dealey Plaza, where the assassination took place, or the Sixth Floor Museum, the most authoritative display of the event. The museum is situated in the Texas School Book Depository Building, the site from which Oswald is suspected of shooting Kennedy.

Teacher Stone subscribes to the theory of Oswald as a single gunman, who was probably encouraged or influenced by an outside force. He said after the course that the students are usually evenly divided between those who see Oswald acting alone as the gunman and those who see a conspiracy of some sorts behind the assassination.

"The thing about the Kennedy case is because there are no definite answers, people read their own concerns into it," Stone said. After the course, students should have picked up an important lesson on education.

"You are going to know more and understand less."

[Jeff Chandler]

Nixon's the one!?

[metalboy]

Professor Tom Stone? Any relation to Oliver?

[The Mayor]

Oliver Stone's (no relation) 1991 film "JFK."

it's in the article

[Terpfen]

Quote:

Most of the students have little knowledge of the details of the assassination and Stone introduces them to Kennedy, the political storms of his administration and conspiracy theory by showing them Oliver Stone's (no relation) 1991 film "JFK."

[The Mayor]

no more JFK threads for me..

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Just thought I'd toss this in as...interesting. And somewhat related.

Comparing Kennedy's death to Lincoln's gives you a host of weird coincidences. Some examples are:

• Both Presidents were shot in the back of the head, on the Friday before a major holiday, while seated beside their wives, neither of whom were injured.
• Both were in the presence of another couple, and in each case that man was also wounded by the assassin.
• After both assassinations there were loud and insistent claims that the fatal shot must have come from a different direction.
• Each President in his thirties married a socailly prominent twenty-four year old girl who spoke French fluently.
• While in the White House, each President had a family of three children, and both lost a child through death.
• Both Lincoln and Kennedy were second children.
• Both had been boat captains.
• Both were related to a U.S. Senator, Attorney General, ambassador to Great Britain, and the mayor of Boston.
• Each had been elected to Congress in the year '47 and were vice-presidential runners-up in the year '56.
• Each was elected president in '60.
• Before each was elected, a sister died. Both had a friend named Billy Graham and knew an Adlai Stevenson.
• President Kennedy had a secretary named Mrs. Lincoln and President Lincoln had a secretary named John Kennedy.
• The names Lincoln and Kennedy each contain seven letters.
• Both were succeeded by vice-presidents named Johnson: Andrew born in 1808 and Lyndon in 1908, both of whom had 13 letters in their names and two daughters.
• Both assassins have fifteen letters in their names.
• Booth shot Lincoln in a theatre and fled to a warehouse. Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and fled to a theatre.
• Both assassins were in their turn assassinated by shooters who used a Colt revolver and fired only one, fatal shot.

[nonliberal]

Lincoln was in Monroe, Maryland the week before he was shot.

Kennedy was in Marilyn Monroe the week before he was shot.

[goody2shooz]

My father just finished reading Barr McClellan's book, "Blood, Money & Power: How LBJ Killed JFK". He claims it is an eye-opener and that McClellan comes across as quite believable.

[Deep_6]

MMMMPHhhhhhhh hahahhahaha

[PAR35]

Nixon's the one!?

Both Nixon and George Wallace were in Dallas during the week before the assassination.

[KC_Conspirator]

With new technology its becoming quite clear that the Lone Gunman thoery is credible. Furthermore, too many people base their beliefs on Oliver Stone's movie which is rife with inaccuracies, untruths, fictional accounts and speeches, and outright lies.

[L`enn]

In fact Nixon was in Ft Worth at the same time Kennedy was the day of the shooting I believe.

[Kirkwood]

The Warren Commission report is quite interesting. Just for my own interest I spent a summer reading it while in college. Anyone who wants to research the event needs to start here.

[Kay Soze]

The Warren Commisions records have been sealed until 2039.

We dont know anything about what took place.

I wonder why the records were sealed for 75 years?

[TLI]

With new technology its becoming quite clear that the Lone Gunman theory is credible.

Then why did over 40 people standing within 5 to 30 yards of the exact spot where the shooting occurred ALL point directly to the same spot on the G.N., under the tree and right at the covering wooden fence?

It is obvious in the segments of film shot at the location of the Assn. that EVERYONE heard the last shot(s) from that location. NO one described "popping" noise comming from the SBD which is exactly what would have been heard if a rifle was being fired from that far up a building.

I have walked all over the site on countless occasions looking at every aspect. A shot from the GN behind the WF would be an utter piece of cake.

TLI

[yonif]

/tin foil on

I wonder why the records were sealed for 75 years?

So that all those who really know what happened or have any information about it will be long dead.

[Freedom4US]

Stone sez "There are no definite answers."

What a maroon.

[plain talk]

To me, all one needs is to do is watch the Zapruder film close up of the frontal head shot to know that he was also shot from the front. More than one gunman. Oswald was only one caught. The Warren report felt it was tidier to close it out then leave the case open. Also, sloppy FBI work but then this was 1963 and these folks were not prepared for this in Dallas, Texas. I trust my eyes much more than I trust "ol single bullet". But I do respect other FReeper's opinions.

[Terry Mross]

That has to be the funniest thing I've seen on here in months.

As for the Kennedys, they killed Monroe so they should have paid for their deeds.