11-08-2013, 05:39 PM
Albert,
Much has been written by Jan, myself, and a broad range of colleagues -- both on DPF and, over the past 20 years, in print and electronic media -- on the deep political origins of operations to perpetuate usage of the terms "conspiracy theorist," "assassination buff," and "conspiracist."
First and foremost, repeated use of the "CT v. LNer" parallel construction reinforces the fallacy that there exists legitimate doubt in relation to the basic nature of the assassination of JFK. Further, it implies that the LN "argument" is in all respects worthy of respect as an honestly posed, logically defensible point of view supported by uncontested evidence.
The offense you take at being labeled a conspiracy theorist is understandable and wholly justified. Such terms are designed to marginalize and demonize members of our community of honorable JFK assassination students and scholars.
In being so targeted, we are in good and noble company. My thoughts turn immediately to those labeled "nigger lovers" from the birth of American Abolitionism, to the January 1, 1863 issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation and enactment of the Thirteenth Amendment on January 31, 1865, to this very day.
As I wrote in my essay "In the Blossom of Our Sins," we are obliged to define ourselves lest the enemy define us:
"We are the Lakota of AIM. We are the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. We are the Viet Cong of Tet. We are the Palestinians - of Sabra and Shatila. We must know ourselves to be freedom fighters."
http://home.comcast.net/~johnkelin/fifty/jump.html
In noting that, "The use of such labels does nothing but underwrite the status-quo framing", you hit the nail squarely on the head.
Much has been written by Jan, myself, and a broad range of colleagues -- both on DPF and, over the past 20 years, in print and electronic media -- on the deep political origins of operations to perpetuate usage of the terms "conspiracy theorist," "assassination buff," and "conspiracist."
First and foremost, repeated use of the "CT v. LNer" parallel construction reinforces the fallacy that there exists legitimate doubt in relation to the basic nature of the assassination of JFK. Further, it implies that the LN "argument" is in all respects worthy of respect as an honestly posed, logically defensible point of view supported by uncontested evidence.
The offense you take at being labeled a conspiracy theorist is understandable and wholly justified. Such terms are designed to marginalize and demonize members of our community of honorable JFK assassination students and scholars.
In being so targeted, we are in good and noble company. My thoughts turn immediately to those labeled "nigger lovers" from the birth of American Abolitionism, to the January 1, 1863 issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation and enactment of the Thirteenth Amendment on January 31, 1865, to this very day.
As I wrote in my essay "In the Blossom of Our Sins," we are obliged to define ourselves lest the enemy define us:
"We are the Lakota of AIM. We are the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. We are the Viet Cong of Tet. We are the Palestinians - of Sabra and Shatila. We must know ourselves to be freedom fighters."
http://home.comcast.net/~johnkelin/fifty/jump.html
In noting that, "The use of such labels does nothing but underwrite the status-quo framing", you hit the nail squarely on the head.