2016 Postmortem

Ockham's razor: Proposition that assumptions should be reduced to their minimum. Thus, if two assumptions seem to be equally valid, the simpler one should be preferred. It is attributed to the English philosopher and monk William of Ockham (c.1285-1349) who expressed it as "Entities are not to be multiplied beyond necessity."

I find that many people who readily accept conspiracy theories are guided more by emotions than reason and are not ready to accept facts that they dislike.

I will agree to make one exception - I have found that some people who believe in alternate scenarios for the Kennedy assignation are not usually attracted by other conspiracy theories.

I will admit to the following; The House Select Committee on Assassinations came to the following conclusions:
- Lee Harvey Oswald fired three shots at Kennedy.
- Scientific acoustical evidence establishes a high probability that at least two gunmen fired at the President. (Indicating that at least two people were involved.)

However believing Oswald was not involved is BS: I Happen to own a Carcano carbine - the same rifle which Oswald used. It is an older Italian bolt-action, magazine-fed weapon which can be highly accurate in the right hands. It is not "a rickety rifle" by any means. Oswald was rated "expert" with a rifle in his military days.

While I rated well with a Colt Combat Masterpiece pistol with which I was trained because I was an Air Force SAC officer on a bomber recovery team, I have had no training at all with a rifle. Yet one time when I was out deer hunting (by the way I have never killed a deer in my life), I did hit a squirrel in the head at 75 or 80 yard with that Carcano. I think that will attest to its accuracy.

In addition, I saw a demonstration on TV in where the conditions in Dallas were replicated on a test range complete with the 6 story shooting position and an open automobile moving at exactly the same speed as Kennedy's car. A shooter was able to put three shots on the head of a human target in less time that that used by Oswald. And by the way, a person using a hand gun normally will have powder residue on his hand after firing, but a person using a rifle, not so much, for obvious reasons.