William Kelly Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 At one point the Ford Presidential Library in Michigan announced that they were going to establish a Center for the Study of Political Assassinations. But after some initial project proposals they decided that they didn't want to study political assassinations after all. More governments change hands, historically and today, by assassination and coup d'etat than by democracy. Yet, we have hundreds of orgs that study and promote democracy, yet none to study assassination, the most frequently used method of changing governments. Such a center should be located in Washington, and it should be a true research center, something like the Assassination Archives and Research Center (AARC) as it was in the 80s and 90s, except better funded and with live-in dorm quarters for researchers from out of town. There is proposal for the establishment of such a center, but its proposed budget, like that of the Miller Center, DUmbarton Oaks and other similar research centers, would cost millions of dollars. BK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn Meredith Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 [quote name='William Kelly' date='Dec 27 2006, 05:53 PM' post='86538'] At one point the Ford Presidential Library in Michigan announced that they were going to establish a Center for the Study of Political Assassinations. But after some initial project proposals they decided that they didn't want to study political assassinations after all. More governments change hands, historically and today, by assassination and coup d'etat than by democracy. Yet, we have hundreds of orgs that study and promote democracy, yet none to study assassination, the most frequently used method of changing governments. Such a center should be located in Washington, and it should be a true research center, something like the Assassination Archives and Research Center (AARC) as it was in the 80s and 90s, except better funded and with live-in dorm quarters for researchers from out of town. There is proposal for the establishment of such a center, but its proposed budget, like that of the Miller Center, DUmbarton Oaks and other similar research centers, would cost millions of dollars. BK What a great idea. Glad it won't come under cover-up artist Ford's name though. That would be a travesty. Dawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ecker Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 There is proposal for the establishment of such a center, but its proposed budget, like that of the Miller Center, DUmbarton Oaks and other similar research centers, would cost millions of dollars. Agreeing to fund such a center would probably be a good way to get assassinated. (Heart attack, or shot in the face in a hunting accident, etc.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Kelly Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 There is proposal for the establishment of such a center, but its proposed budget, like that of the Miller Center, DUmbarton Oaks and other similar research centers, would cost millions of dollars. Agreeing to fund such a center would probably be a good way to get assassinated. (Heart attack, or shot in the face in a hunting accident, etc.) At first we set us the Committee for an Open Archives (COA) to lobby for the release of the HSCA records. Then, after an ASK conference in Dallas, it was questioned why we would pay a commercial for-profit conference company to keep taking our money in exchange for us making presentations at their conferences, and decided to form our own non-profit org which became COPA - the Coalition on Political Assassinations. While there were a few heavy weights who bankrolled COPA, most of the operating expenses - newsletter, mailings, phone bills, conference expenses came from $25 a year dues and small donations. John Judge posted the envelope of one small donation on the bulletin board addressed to the Committee for Open Assassinations. The original offices of the AARC, as founded by Bud Fensterwald, were around 14th st., around the corner from Fords Theater and the FBI HQ. It was on the 6th floor of an old building with a small, creaky elevator that had an elevator operator in the early years. The books and the files were all there for researchers to read over, and sometimes Jim Lesar, who took over from Bud, let out the key and people would stay there all night long working. Then when they tore that building down a few years ago Lesar put most of the books and records in storage but keeps some at his offices over near Chinatown. What is needed is a Document storefront near Ford's Theater/FBI/Spy Muse to get the school bus trafic, and with an Assassin's Museum in back and Assassination Research Center upsairs, with a dormer for visiting scholars. Estimated cost: $2 million seed, $4 million over five years. The best of all possible worlds would be to donate a large mansion within a 10 mile radius of DC, which could be used as a research center, while a downtown DC Assassination Museum and Document Store would lead bus tours of DC Assassination sites, of which there are many. The actual plans for such a project were much futher developed a few years ago, though the numbers eventually depressed all interested parties. At the same time we were working on developing this project, the same people who put together the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland opened the Spy Museum in DC, which turned out having the same proposals and financial figures we had for the Assassination Museum and Research Center. Except they had the money to do it. BK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Knight Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 I think the Gerald Ford Center for the Study of Assassinations should be located adjacent to the Richard M. Nixon Center for the Encouragement of Governmental Ethics and the William J. Clinton Center for the Promotion of Marital Fidelity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Howard Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 (edited) I think the Gerald Ford Center for the Study of Assassinations should be located adjacent to the Richard M. Nixon Center for the Encouragement of Governmental Ethics and the William J. Clinton Center for the Promotion of Marital Fidelity. Actually, I am very disappointed no one has suggested the George H.W. Bush Center for Intelligence Agency Oversight, or The Dick Cheney Center for Accountability in Media Or, How about the following....... Things that Will NOT Happen in 2007. 10 President Bush will insist that the fiscal budget will provide for essential economic aid for low income families 09 Congress investigates reports of electronic manipulation of balloting in the 2000/2004 elections. 08 The US Government gives its tacit approval to the Kyoto Protocol. 07 The Supreme Court admits that it intentionally ensured the election of George Bush in the 2000 Presidential election 06 Rupert Murdoch admits in a Primetime Live interview that he has funded far right wing organizations in an attempt to destroy liberal and centrist politicians in the US and elsewhere for over 10 years 05 The US Media reveals the existence of a conservative conspiracy to defame the Democratic Party in an alliance with major corporate media outlets since the early 1990's 04 Pres. Bush adds a independent overseer to be elected by the American public to ensure that safeguards are in place to ensure that there are no repeats of the abuses which took place under the COINTELPRO program in the 1970's 03 The Supreme Court rules in a historical precedent that U.S. State and city resolutions calling for the implementation of impeachment proceedings against President Bush "must be acted upon by Congress." 02 The Justice Dept takes monies confiscated from corporations engaged in deceptive practices which targeted American consumers and refunds the money to its victims. Drum Roll please....... 01 The Justice Dept. announces that it will conduct televised hearings to investigate Intelligence Agencies links to extreme right wing and fascist individuals and organizations. Edited December 29, 2006 by Robert Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Kelly Posted January 2, 2007 Author Share Posted January 2, 2007 Gary Trudeau in Doonsbury comic strip of Dec. 31, has his chief lobbiest Duke reviewing a client's proposal: "So that's our dream - to build the nation's first museum of concealable weapons!" I'm sure if some conservative Republicans wanted to build a Weapons Of Mass Destruction museum, I'm sure it would easy to raise a few million. BK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Parker Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Gary Trudeau in Doonsbury comic strip of Dec. 31, has his chief lobbiest Duke reviewing a client's proposal: "So that's our dream - to build the nation's first museum of concealable weapons!" I'm sure if some conservative Republicans wanted to build a Weapons Of Mass Destruction museum, I'm sure it would easy to raise a few million. BK Bill, who'd be able to find it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Kelly Posted January 9, 2007 Author Share Posted January 9, 2007 (edited) They're covering it all right. At least they're getting on topic. - BK The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy Upcoming Events[/b] Covering the New Secrecy: The Press and Public Policy Public Access to Public Records Monday, January 8, 2007. 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Michigan League Ballroom 911 North University, Ann Arbor, Michigan The Knight-Wallace Fellows at Michigan invite you to join nationally recognized journalists and experts as they examine restricted access to public information in an age of terrorism. Keynote Speaker: Bob Woodward, The Washington Post will be joined by journalists Jill Abramson, Managing Editor, The New York Times Jackie Northam, National Security Correspondent, NPR Robert Pollock, Editorial Board Member, The Wall Street Journal Tom Rosenstiel, Director, Project for Excellence in Journalism Greta Van Susteren, Host, "On the Record," Fox News Keynote Speaker: J. William Leonard, U.S. Information Security Oversight Office will be joined by experts Stephen Aftergood, Director, Project on Government Secrecy, Federation of American Scientists Bradford A. Berenson, Former Associate Counsel to the President, Bush Administration Thomas S. Blanton, Director, National Security Archives Eve Burton, Vice President and General Counsel, Hearst Corporation Leonard M. Niehoff, UM Law School, First Amendment Specialist Moderator: Charles R. Eisendrath, Director, Knight-Wallace Fellows at Michigan Free and Open to the Public For more information, call 734-998-7666 or visit www.kwfellows.org Sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation with support from the University of Michigan Law School and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy Edited January 9, 2007 by William Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now