A fresh look at the Zapruder film

The Clint Eastwood movie where he plays a Secret Service agent, haunted by his inability to protect President Kennedy (with the usual slices of Eastwood's face, presumably from Rawhide, when he was the youngest, inserted into a suit, then inserted into photos from the Kennedy assassination) was on last night. I was watching with my laptop doing some work, and I decided to see if the Zapruder film was on YouTube. It was, several versions. So I let my kids watch it during a commercial break. I explained the official (Warren Report) version and the general alternative version, and let them decide which was more believable. I didn't tell them my opinions about it, but let them make up their own minds.

According to the Warren Report, the first bullet hit Kennedy in the back of the neck, exited at the bottom of his throat (clipping his tie) hit Governor Connelly in the shoulder, exited and went through Connelly's hand and through his leg. The second bullet hit Kennedy in the back of the head, and exited the front.

The various alternative theories range from two men on either side of the road, to one in a building and one on the grassy knoll.

My kids (ages ranging from 10 to 14) decided that, A. Connelly couldn't have been shot by the first bullet as the Warren Report claims, because he doesn't react until after the second bullet hits and B. The fatal bullet came from the front, not the rear. I have the Warren report, and I'm hoping the kids will show some interest in it and study more about it, although, personally, I find the Warren Report to be more of a thin rationalization for a convenient finding than an actually, thorough study.

Posted by Danny Carlton at September 1, 2006 2:24 PM