Some Simple Questions About the Single-Bullet Theory

[Gerry Down]

16 minutes ago, Ron Ege said:

Gerry, thanks.

Don't know if you find this helpful.

The Testimony of John B. Connally (jfk-assassination.net)

Specifically:

Senator COOPER. That is when you heard the first rifleshot?
Governor CONNALLY. This was after I heard the first rifleshot. There was no pain connected with it. There was no particular burning sensation. There was nothing more than that. I think you would feel almost the identical sensation I felt if someone came up behind you and just, with a short jab, hit you with a doubled-up fist just below the shoulder blade.
Senator COOPER. That is all.
Mr. SPECTER. I have just one other question, Governor. With respect to the films and the slides which you have viewed this morning, had you ever seen those pictures before this morning?
Governor CONNALLY. I had seen what purported to be a copy of the film when I was in the hospital in Dallas. I had not seen the slides.
Mr. SPECTER. And when do you think you were hit on those slides, Governor, or in what range of slides?
Governor CONNALLY. We took--you are talking about the number of the slides?
Mr. SPECTER. Yes.
Governor CONNALLY. As we looked at them this morning, and as you related the numbers to me, it appeared to me that I was hit in the range between 130 or 131, I don't remember precisely, up to 134, in that bracket.
Mr. SPECTER. May I suggest to you that it was 231?
Governor CONNALLY. Well, 231 and 234, then.
Mr. SPECTER. The series under our numbering system starts with a higher number when the car comes around the turn, so when you come out of the sign, which was----
Governor CONNALLY. It was just after we came out of the sign, for whatever that sequence of numbers was, and if it was 200, I correct my testimony. It was 231 to about 234. It was within that range.

 

 

Thanks. Though Connally seems very unsure of the numbers here. 

[Ron Ege]

14 minutes ago, Gerry Down said:

Thanks. Though Connally seems very unsure of the numbers here. 

And:

Connallys John B Jr and Nellie (archive.org)

Specifically:

Governor Connally believes, as nearly as he can judge it, that the bullet struck him in the 234th frame. This is at least nine frames and one half second later than the Commission says he was hit. He might. Connally admits, possibly have been hit a frame or two earlier but no more. “Having looked at frames 233 to 235,“ he said to LIFE, “I can begin to sec myself slump in 234. The slump is very pronounced in 235. I am hunched. It looks as if my coat is pulled away from my shirt. My mouth is elongated. I don’t think there is any question that my reaction to the shot begins in this time sequence."

[Michael Griffith]

3 hours ago, Gerry Down said:

The Zapruder film is too blurred to know if jfk is grimacing before he went behind the sign. What we do know is jfk made no sudden movements before he went behind the sign which would be a tell take sign of being shot. Jfk only makes a quick sudden jerk motion beginning at z224. JFKs left arm is relaxed when we see it emerge from behind the sign at z223 and then suddenly jerks up beginning at z224 which coincidentally happens with the connally lapel flip at z224. This is why the SBT has refused to go away.

You continue to post specious denials of reality. Starting in Z200, JFK turns his head rapidly to the left and his right hand freezes its waving motion. I suspect you'll never admit it, but to anyone not determined to deny reality, it is obvious that this is when JFK starts to bring his hands inward to reach for his throat. It is equally obvious that this is why Jackie's head freezes in place and remains turned toward JFK until she starts to reach out to help him.

And, eee-gads, JFK's left arm is not "relaxed" in Z223. What in the world are you looking at? Is this another "I see lots of missing brain in the autopsy brain photo" phenomenon? In Z224, 54 milliseconds later, JFK has brought his left forearm inward near his chest and his hand is approaching his throat! Yikes, I guess you just "can't see this," right? 

You're still citing the meaningless Z224 lapel flip, assuming it's not an optical illusion? It was nowhere near the exit wound, and was almost certainly caused by the gusting wind, if it even occurred.

Theories don't "refuse to go away." People refuse to admit they are false.

[Pat Speer]

To me it's quite obvious. Kennedy reacts before going behind the sign in the film, and Connally reacts after coming out from behind the sign in the film. 

 

 

P.S. While Gerry is blindly guessing at reasons Kennedy made his sudden turn, at least he is acknowledging the obvious--that JFK reacts to something. For decades single-assassin theorists  claimed JFK was calmly waving prior to his coming out from behind the sign, and that he and Connally first reacted at the exact same time. This is balderdash. But the CT side trying to dismiss that Connally is hit circa Z-224 is equally blind, IMO. I mean. just look at him. He turns. He winces. He yells out "Oh my God, they're going to kill us all." What more do you need? 

Edited June 20, 2023 by Pat Speer

[Gerry Down]

39 minutes ago, Ron Ege said:

And:

Connallys John B Jr and Nellie (archive.org)

Specifically:

Governor Connally believes, as nearly as he can judge it, that the bullet struck him in the 234th frame. This is at least nine frames and one half second later than the Commission says he was hit. He might. Connally admits, possibly have been hit a frame or two earlier but no more. “Having looked at frames 233 to 235,“ he said to LIFE, “I can begin to sec myself slump in 234. The slump is very pronounced in 235. I am hunched. It looks as if my coat is pulled away from my shirt. My mouth is elongated. I don’t think there is any question that my reaction to the shot begins in this time sequence."

Thanks for that link. 

[Gerry Down]

40 minutes ago, Michael Griffith said:

You're still citing the meaningless Z224 lapel flip, assuming it's not an optical illusion? It was nowhere near the exit wound, and was almost certainly caused by the gusting wind, if it even occurred.

A gust of wind 😒

One that doesn't affect Connally, JFK nor Mrs Kennedys hair in the slightest? Nor dislodge Mrs Kennedys hat?

[Gerry Down]

30 minutes ago, Pat Speer said:

To me it's quite obvious. Kennedy reacts before going behind the sign in the film, and Connally reacts after coming out from behind the sign in the film. 

 

 

P.S. While Gerry is blindly guessing at reasons Kennedy made his sudden turn, at least he is acknowledging the obvious--that JFK reacts to something. For decades single-assassin theorists  claimed JFK was calmly waving prior to his coming out from behind the sign, and that he and Connally first reacted at the exact same time. This is balderdash. But the CT side trying to dismiss that Connally is hit circa Z-224 is equally blind, IMO. I mean. just look at him. He turns. He winces. He yells out "Oh my God, they're going to kill us all." What more do you need? 

In your first GIF, while JFKs right arm seems to move before he goes behind the sign, notice that his left hand makes no movement at all and remains by his side as JFK goes behind the sign. Are we really to believe that JFK was shot at this moment yet his left arm remains relaxed?

[Charles Blackmon]

Frames 224-226, the frames where the limo is emerging from behind the signs, there is no noticeable reaction in the Governors posture or facial expression to this assumed magic bullet tearing into his chest. 

[Pat Speer]

30 minutes ago, Charles Blackmon said:

Frames 224-226, the frames where the limo is emerging from behind the signs, there is no noticeable reaction in the Governors posture or facial expression to this assumed magic bullet tearing into his chest. 

Are you claiming he was hit at 227 or 228? Because he is undoubtedly reacting to something within a split second of coming out from behind the sign. 

[Charles Blackmon]

3 minutes ago, Pat Speer said:

Are you claiming he was hit at 227 or 228? Because he is undoubtedly reacting to something within a split second of coming out from behind the sign. 

I looked at Costella combined edit frame by frame. It does not match up at all with your video when I just concentrate on Connally's reaction after coming out from behind the sign.

I have no idea whether your video clip is more to be believed than Costella's. Sounds like another subject for debate. Which evidence is real, not doctored, and worthy of believing?

[Ron Ege]

17 minutes ago, Charles Blackmon said:

I looked at Costella combined edit frame by frame. It does not match up at all with your video when I just concentrate on Connally's reaction after coming out from behind the sign.

I have no idea whether your video clip is more to be believed than Costella's. Sounds like another subject for debate. Which evidence is real, not doctored, and worthy of believing?

Pat and Charles - thanks.

Is it possible that Connally's reaction, circa 224 (the wince?) is just part of hearing the first shot, recognizing it as a rifle shot, and thinking, "This is not good" - causing that initial "reaction" as a part of him just  beginning to attempt to digest the scenario, while at the same time unconsciously wincing and maybe just thinking of "ducking" his head and crouching a wee bit, deciding his next move, which was what, turning around to look at JFK?

 

After Viet Nam, I readily wince and do a "wee duck" as a reflex action - immediately after my brain registers an unexpected and loud noise (bang! of any sort), especially what I think or know to be a gunshot; and I maintain that for a second or two before deciding, "All good."

And wasn't Connally's best judgement that he was hit at 234?

Not ever having been hit in the back by rifle bullet, I cannot say definitely that I would be yelling out at that instant.  'Twould seem the shock would prevent that for a second or two assuming one remained conscious.

[Michael Griffith]

Let us remember this important fact: Jackie herself said that she turned to the right because she heard "terrible noises," not because some girls were calling to her:

         I was looking this way, to the left, and I heard these terrible noises. You know. And my husband never made any sound. So I turned to the right. (5 H 180)

And after she turned to the right, her head remained frozen in place looking straight at JFK from Z204 until Z249. Deep down, we all know that she was staring at JFK because he was reacting to his first wound.

Perhaps I should mention that I do believe that JFK was hit at Z224 because he is visibly knocked forward and his hands and elbows fling forward and upward starting in Z226, but this is clearly a separate hit from the shot that causes him to freeze his waving motion, snap his head to the left, and start to bring his hands toward his throat starting at around Z200. The first hit was fired at Z186-190 and hit him in the throat. The second hit was fired at Z224 and obviously hit him in the back.

I am still waiting for someone to offer a rational explanation for how a Z224 hit on Connally could have taken 14 frames to start slamming his right shoulder downward, when Kennedy's entire upper body and elbows and hands are jolted forward by the Z224 hit on him. 

 

[Pat Speer]

1 hour ago, Charles Blackmon said:

I looked at Costella combined edit frame by frame. It does not match up at all with your video when I just concentrate on Connally's reaction after coming out from behind the sign.

I have no idea whether your video clip is more to be believed than Costella's. Sounds like another subject for debate. Which evidence is real, not doctored, and worthy of believing?

The clip I posted comes from the digitization of the original film, which was put out on DVD 20 years ago or so. There were no substantive differences between that version--which I think people call the MPI version--with the many other versions of the film released over the years. The only difference was clarity, and color. Perhaps you can post the Costello frames you believe show no reaction. 

[Charles Blackmon]

z224, z225 and z226. I was limited to only upload 3 gifs. Connally looks the same in all three.  IN z227 he is blurred. In z288 and z229 his posture still looks the same. I will try to post those 3 gifs in a follow-up.

[Michael Griffith]

JFK's movement of his left arm upward toward his throat in Z224 is revealing because in the Z170s until about Z195 his left arm appears relaxed on his lap and, more important, is at the level of his stomach. Compare the position of his left arm in Z224 with its position in Z177, Z188, and Z195. It is slightly higher in Z199 than in earlier frames, and in Z224 his left arm is clearly higher than it has been at any point before that moment.

Obviously, in Z224 he has already started to reach toward his throat with his left hand, and in Z225 we see that he has already started doing the same thing with his right hand. Indeed, 20 frames earlier, in Z205, his right hand has been brought inward and is in front of his face--he is obviously no longer waving.

Clearly, JFK began reaching toward his throat many frames before Z224. There is no way his arms and hands could be in their Z224-Z225 position in response to a Z224 hit. Humans cannot move limbs that quickly, not even involuntarily.

And, needless to say, his Z200-205 movements are obviously the beginning of his action of reaching toward his throat, just as the HSCA photographic experts noted.

We know from Willis slide 5 that this shot was fired at Z186-190. Blur analysis of the Zapruder film powerfully confirms this: the strongest blur episode in the entire film occurs in Z189-197.

Edited June 21, 2023 by Michael Griffith