David Lifton: Best Evidence

[John Simkin]

David Lifton has agreed to discuss “Best Evidence: Disguise and Deception in the Assassination of John F. Kennedy” on the Forum.

Please add your questions here:

(1) Could you explain the reasons why you became interested in history?

(2) Could you explain how you became interested in the assassination of John F. Kennedy?

(3) Do you ever consider the possibility that your research will get you into trouble with those who have power and influence?

(5) Did you have any problems having “Best Evidence: Disguise and Deception in the Assassination of John F. Kennedy” published?

(6) You tend to write about controversial subjects. Do you think this has harmed your career in any way? Have you ever come under pressure to leave these subjects alone?

(7) The House Select Committee on Assassinations reported that the “committee believes, on the basis of the available evidence, that President John F. Kennedy was probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy”. However, very few historians have been willing to explore this area of American history. Lawrence E. Walsh’s Iran-Contra Report suggests that senior politicians were involved in, and covered-up, serious crimes. Yet very few historians have written about this case in any detail? Why do you think that historians and journalists appear to be so unwilling to investigate political conspiracies?

(8) What is your basic approach to writing about what I would call “secret history”? How do you decide what sources to believe? How do you manage to get hold of documents that prove that illegal behaviour has taken place?

(9) Why is it that most books written about political conspiracies: assassinations of JFK, MLK, RFK, Watergate, Iran-Contra, etc. are written by journalists rather than historians?

(10) If you were publishing an updated edition of Best Evidence, what new material would you include?

[Guest John Gillespie]

David Lifton has agreed to discuss “Best Evidence: Disguise and Deception in the Assassination of John F. Kennedy” on the Forum.

_____________________________

Mr. Lifton,

I have emailed you to say that my reading of "Best Evidence..." was a flashpoint for me in consideration of conspiracy in the JFK assassination. Here, I excerpt from a report dated 1996:

"From: "Cecil N. Jones" <102454.1677@CompuServe.COM>

Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy.jfk,alt.conspiracy.jfk.moderated

Subject: November 1996 in Dallas

Date: 10 Dec 1996 05:11:07

I attended the JFK Lancer "November in Dallas" meeting November 22-24.

Lifton is working a book about Oswald. He didn't say much about it, except that one aspect he is working on is how did LHO happen to be where he was on Nov. 22, 1963, in the TSBD, on the motorcade route. He didn't say when the book would be out.

He noted that there is still lots of internal disagreement about the case. That our lives (the researchers and others)

have become enmeshed in the data of the case. He talked about the Lawyer vs. Scientist approach. He noted that he is the same age as LHO. "

QUESTION: Is there a book forthcoming regarding the highlighted portion, above? It is my understanding LHO was placed, inadvertently, at the wrong 'warehouse' initially, probably by de Mohrenschildt/Paine et al.

Also, you had written in an earlier edition of "Best Evidence..." that you planned a book on the Tippit slaying. Is that still viable?

Many Thanks...you are, literally, a hero to myself and others here.

John Gillespie

Edited June 7, 2006 by John Gillespie

[Pat Speer]

Mr. Lifton, welcome to the Forum. We've exchanged a few e-mails in the past, and I found your responses to be direct and honest. There is much talk about your book on Oswald. Do you have a date for its release?

As for Best Evidence, do you currently believe the body was altered en route to Washington? If so, which wounds, specifically, were altered?

If I'm not mistaken, you've also come to the conclusion the Zapruder film was altered. To what degree was it altered, in your opinion? If I'm mistaken on this point, please correct me.

And finally, your work has been considered quite controversial. How has this cost you? Upon watching some of the HSCA hearings on videotape, I was surprised to see you working as a commentator. I can't imagine that happening today. Not because you didn't perform nicely--you did--but because I doubt PBS or any other news organization would allow itself to be affiliated in any way with your theories. These days, Gerald Posner and Dale Myers are regularly cited as experts on Oswald and the Single- Bullet Theory. Am I imagining a "closing of the media mind" when it comes to the assassination? Do you anticipate extensive and fair-minded coverage of your book on Oswald when it's finally released? Or should we CTs consider fair-minded coverage a pipedream?