GERALD POSNER: DREAM CRUSHER

Late to the party as always, I recently finished reading Gerald Posner's Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK. I have to admit the idea of a dark and sinister cabal conspiring to eliminate the 35th president has always appealed to my over-heightened sense of historical drama. Oliver Stone's brilliant (although mendacious) film JFK fed my hunger for cloak and dagger even further. Believing in such a thing makes life so much more interesting than what it is, and allows us the luxury of seeing our government through the lens of malice rather than incompetence.

So it is with a certain degree of reluctance that I recommend this book, but recommend it I must. It is painstakingly researched, more thorough than you could possibly want, and examines every conceivable angle of the various conspiracy theories that have been proffered in the almost half a century since the assassination. It comes to the conclusion that Oswald was the lone shooter, and acted on his own accord. I have no intention of covering all of the material found in the book, but a couple of points do bear mention. Both Oswald and Jack Ruby are revealed to be such ineffectual losers that it is almost impossible to believe any half-way competent organization would ever recruit either one of them for the ever so important task of murdering a highly ranked public official.

Additionally, how many of you out there knew Oswald had attempted to assassinate another public figure in Dallas months before he killed Kennedy? Anyone?? I thought not.

Jim Garrison, the infamous District Attorney of New Orleans, whose investigation of the assassination was the basis of the Oliver Stone film, is revealed to be little more than a small-time fascist, abusing his authority in every conceivable manner for the sake of creating headlines. In the process, Garrison harassed and charged an innocent man, Clay Shaw, with conspiracy to murder Kennedy. He was, of course, acquitted. As you may recall, the film JFK portrayed Garrison as an almost pure spirit warrior, whose thirst for truth could not be quenched despite the dark and evil forces opposing him. Garrison had a lot to answer for, and never did. As Christopher Hitchens said of the late Jerry Falwell, "It's a pity there's no hell for him to go to."

If you find Kennedy's assassination (and its resultant conspiracy theories) as intriguing as I do, but you haven't read any books on the subject, this one is a great place to start. It truly sets the standard for detail and research on the subject. All theorists suggesting a conspiracy henceforth must answer to it. My guess is they will be found wanting.

So yes, Posner has helped to destroy my dark dreams of a shadowy government that does of unspeakable things behind closed doors. I probably should thank him for it, but I'm still too traumatized at having my illusions shattered.