Lee Cahalan: Biography

[Lee Cahalan]

My name is Lee Cahalan. A professional jazz and commercial R & B musician (trumpet, trombone) and part time construction tradesman living in San Francisco. Occasionally take up odd jobs support my "music addiction".

Am the lead trumpet player for both:

West Bay Rhythm www.westbayrhythm.com and

The Joe Ferrari Big band: http://thejoeferraribigband.com/ Website there has not been updated since my joining last Winter.

I was born in 1955. The last child and second son of three siblings. My parents were both well educated mid westerners and met in graduate school sometime during WWII. Both had masters degrees which was a bit unusual for mom as few women attained those degrees back then

My parents guided me with a very giving Liberal Democrat conscience. As well as being the earliest and best supporters of my eventual music career. The John Kennedy assassination caused deep sorrow. A tremendous shock to the whole family.

Sometime about eight years ago I began studying the JFK assassination. Taking advantage of every material available I came across on the internet. Took a look at the Bobby Kennedy murder and the 9/11 attacks too. Probably the same way most everyone here got started. Not through any kind of organized course but through pure trial and error.

Lately I've begun to see the Kennedy and other conspiracies in a different perspective. No longer trying so much to figure every last little detail of "who dunnit" but to consolidate the materials and figure a more effective way of impressing the public with these ideas.

Seems to me that communication of these matters to the general public in a simple but ethical, and possibly non profit manner is the best plan to raise consciousness. There are so many contradictory explanations. Even people I normally agree with (like Thom Hartmann and at times Vincent Bugilosi) have disappointed me. I still support Hartmann's Liberal blogs and radio show. However his latest book on the Kennedy assassination connecting then Attorney General Bobby Kennedy to covert efforts in Cuba seems particularly obtuse. Appears far less factual or significant than say: "Screwed: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class" another book by Thom Hartmann.

Another matter that needs to be expressed to the general public is the REASON we need to expose John Q. Public to the real truths of conspiracy research. Doesn't do a newbie much good if he feels that we're all just arguing over petty details and have taken our eyes off the road ahead. The newbie needs to know his support will get him and the rest of the world to a better location in the end. This is no mere hobby to me. I'm not a "stamp collector" for the sake of needing something to do...

Being new to conspiracy research or study I still have much of the same lens as the general public has: Confusion, intimidation by the nay sayers, and the concern that my other average Joe peers look on this type of hobby as craziness.

I'd say it would be better to have ten thousand field reps of perhaps marginal JFK research knowledge than six hundred PHD's who know everything. Just so long as the rank and file types are well guided and motivated.

Lately I've taken to cross referencing the research of both Russ Baker and John Hankey. I came across a mostly negative review of Baker's book recently and a blistering attack on independent researcher John Hankey. Formerly I was completely taken in by Hankey's videos. They were very entertaining and opened my eyes to a lot of things. Least ways they seemed to that at the time.

So naturally you can imagine my feeling of deflation after reading some well thought out criticisms of Hankey's efforts. My change of heart on Hankey was only quite recent actually. I'm kind of at that crossroad a kid gets to when he finds himself doubting whether Santa Claus really exists. I trusted Hankey THAT much! I could feel betrayed but am not quite ready to turn 180 degrees and totally disregard Hankey yet. His efforts may be flawed, but there is a lot of truth to them. I am sure that his scattered research and histrionic displays may bug the hell out of "real researchers" here and elsewhere. However that said I'd say his low budget videos were quite helpful at drawing people like myself in to the study.

For that I am very grateful for John Hankey's efforts. There could be much to learn from Hankey NOT so much because his conclusions are perfect (they certainly aren't) but in the way he effectively draws the viewer in. I know this because i was one of the persons he pulled into the field.

We can have the most immaculately drawn up study, with interviews of all persons associated with the JFK murder. Then argue about these ideas for decades and come to some kind of consensus. However if the final product is stiff and hard to digest? The casual observer may easily throw out the best of ideas in favor of some unscrupulous person like Gary Mack and his Sixth Floor Museum fraud.