News Archive - Nov 2005
JFK Conference Reviews
Nov 22, 2005: Three conferences on the JFK assassination were held over the Nov 18-20 weekend, one in Washington DC and two in Dallas. The DC conference, hosted by the Assassination Archives and Research Center, garnered the most media attention. George Lardner wrote an article on Nov 21 for the Washington Post. For a less negative review of the DC conference, see Lisa Pease's wrapup on Consortium News.
The DC conference, which attracted well over 100 attendees, had a prominent lineup of speakers, including former Senator Gary Hart, former HSCA Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey, James Bamford, Anthony Summers, John Newman, Peter Dale Scott, Joan Mellen, Don Thomas, and many more. The conference was videotaped, and hopefully will be available on dvd in the coming months.
The two Dallas conferences were less well attended, with less prominent speakers, but had their own highlights as well. At Lancer, presentations were made by some of the "younger generation" of researchers who are advancing the case, including John Hunt, Larry Hancock, and Lamar Waldron, among others. Historian David Kaiser also spoke at Lancer. At COPA it was announced that there will soon be a website devoted to John Judge's analyses of political events, much of it available in audio form.
Rex Bradford presented the new Mary Ferrell Foundation website at all three forums, and participated in a conference wrapup panel at JFK Lancer.
Was the "case cracked" as the AARC conference title announced? Given the press reaction when it reacted at all, apparently not. But the conferences remain a useful vehicle for those who, in research and writings, are indeed adding to what is known about the 1963 assassination. Much of the AARC conference was devoted to the anti-Kennedy environment operating at high levels in the American military and government, the "context of the crime" as an emerging consensus of experts sees it. That there is still no single "story" that explains all the details and names all the names is a cause for ridicule by the media. But given the documented failures of the federal investigations, which had subpoena power and the real tools to pursue such leads, how could it be any other way?
New book: ''A Farewell to Justice''
Nov 11, 2005: Joan Mellen's new book, A Farewell to Justice: Jim Garrison, JFK's Assassination, and the Case That Should Have Changed History, is now available. See www.joanmellen.net or amazon.com. The book contains new information about Garrison's investigation and the federal government's campaign to discredit it, as well as evidence that Lee Oswald was a government agent for the New Orleans FBI and U.S. Customs, and that Robert Kennedy had put Oswald under surveillance in the summer of 1963.
Website launched!
Nov 8, 2005: The Mary Ferrell Foundation website is now live! At launch, the site features a vast searchable archive of documents, books, and essays, along with introductory "starting points", interactive projects, a comment system, and more. The mission of the MFF is to continue the legacy of Mary Ferrell, and to promote research and education on the controversial matters surrounding the 1963 murder of President Kennedy.
Features of the website include:
- Archive. A vast electronic archive containing over 100,000 pages of scanned documents, hundreds of books and essays, and other materials including audio and video clips.
- Search. A powerful search engine to complement the easy browse mechanism used to access the archive.
- Projects. Interactive projects, including the Mary Ferrell name database.
- Starting Points. Introductory "starting points," featuring basic information on a variety of topics, each with links to related books, essays, documents, multimedia, and online resources.
- Comments. A comment system, which allows members to attach analysis and opinions to materials in the archive, including links to related items.
- Help. A help desk for aiding members in using the website and locating materials in the archive.
The site may be freely browsed and searched by all visitors. In order to add comments or use the help desk, a free membership is required. Starting January 1, 2006, a paid membership will be required to make full use of the search facilities.
For more information about the Mary Ferrell Foundation and this website, see About MFF.