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Each week our Boomer-In-Charge, Hershel Chicowitz, has something to say about life, society, or what's going on... from the perspective of a baby boomer. This is what's on his mind the week of August 2:
Last week, Hershel appeared to claim that the death of JFK, Jr. was a dastardly deed of a vast right-wing conspiracy. (You can read the entire essay here, but we'll quote the salient parts as we continue.) We had numerous responses to the essay; an e-mail from boomer TK of Shaker Heights, Ohio was perhaps the most pointed. So here is part of what Hershel wrote, and TK's response. Fasten your seat belt, Hershel, this is downright ugly:
| What Hershel wrote: | TK's Response: |
| Al Gore cannot be elected president; everybody knows that; even Al Gore knows that. | Maybe you think he can't, but how you you presume to know what "everybody" else knows? Thousands of people are paying thousands of dollars to his campaign for something. You are presumpuous... and wrong. |
| Oh, you knew nothing about this; you were not supposed to. But the fix was in, lemme tell you... the fix was in. | You can tell me all you want... but you have offered no evidence with which to convince me. |
| You have been told that it was an unfortunate accident that killed JFK, Jr. You have been told that he was an inexperienced pilot, flying at night... | Well, those are the facts. The experts also say that pilots with less than 200 hours of flying time are the most likely to make judgmental mistakes. Is the Kennedy family immune from making judgmental mistakes? |
| Now, let's look at reality here. Just exactly where was Newt Gingrich on the evening of Friday, July 16? How come it has been so quiet in Kenneth Starr's quarters recently? | So where were you on the night of July 16? Why doesn't that make you a suspect? Maybe it is quiet in Ken Starr's quarters 'cause he is done with his work. Did that possibility ever enter into your mind? This is evidence of anything? Just who are you trying to kid? |
| And did or did not George Bush tell David Frost in January of 1992 that he would do "whatever it takes" to win re-election? Huh? Did he say that, or not? Of course he did. | Well, you got me there. |
| If Republicans are willing to throw old folks out on the street; if they are eager to take food out of the mouths of hungry children... as of course everyone knows they are... | Everyone knows they are??? Just because the Democrats said so, you believe it? Do you really believe that Republican congressmen want to throw old folks out on the street? You actually believe that to be true? Think about it...! |
| According to one report, late one July night two years ago, this small crew was out in a canoe off Long Island, target-shooting at birds in the sky. They figured that if they could hit a flock of birds, then surely they could down a single-engine Piper.... But heck, how were they to know that a TWA jumbo jet would get in the way? | "According to one report"? Who supplied this particular report, Larry Flynt? Do you really think that Newt Gingrich, Bob Livingston, and Kenneth Starr were shooting at birds off Long Island, and accidently shot down that TWA plane? Do you have even one shread of evidence to support this absurdity? Even one?? Or is this just a wild-ass claim that any fool with a platform could shout? That's just plain idiotic!! |
| I will remind you that no one believed the grassy knoll theory at first, either. It took a Democratic-controlled Congress nearly a quarter of a century to prove conclusively that scratchy sounds recorded from a policeman's motorcycle radio in Dealy Plaza were actually from two CIA agents shooting from the grassy knoll. | Actually, until the last week of the very public investigation, like you, they had no evidence. But rather than admit to the public that they had wasted all that money, at the last moment, they played an audio tape which proved nothing (and which was later discredited), and claimed that they had evidence which questioned the single gunman theory. That proved absolutely nothing... It showed only how low a group of congressmen will go to gain political advantage. But we already knew that. |
| Facts? People on our Peanut Gallery Bulletin Board talk about facts!! OK, I'll give you facts: JFK's publication, George Magazine, was on the verge of folding, and JFK was planning to enter politics, sure as anything. He deserved to be president! And George W. Bush has absolutely no right to be president! Everybody knows he was snorting coke all through the seventies; and he dodged the draft with his cushy assignment in the reserves. So there's your facts; now shuddup! |
Your paragraph on "facts" had not one fact in it!!! Not one! |
| I'll leave it up to that great photo journalist, historian, and fellow baby boomer, Oliver Stone, to ferret out the details and tell the full story, as only he can do. | Oliver Stone is not a historian; even he admits that. He hid behind the cloak of artistic license when questioned about the accuracy of his claims in both "JFK" and "Nixon." But by then, he had made his money, and duped the public, who do believe the dribble he put out as entertainment to be fact. |
Well, there you have it, folks. And here is Hershel's surprising response:
"Well TK, I can't argue with what you wrote... not one word of it."
"So... I was either flying way, way out on a distant cloud when I concocted that essay... or I was going for something entirely different."
"What do you think it could have been?"
This Boomer has some ideas:
"I find it fascinating that so many otherwise reasonable and seemingly intelligent Boomers reacted as they did to this essay. I know we have been deceived and dissuaded from any thoughts of conspiracy in the JFK assassination. However, we have come too far to the opposite extreme of assigning the label "conspiracy" to events which are simply and undeniably coincidence or pure accident. I believe Mr. Chicowitz did a fine job of satirizing and illustrating the absurdity of the belief that "everything is a conspiracy." This label is so easily applied to any occurrence involving the Kennedy family especially, because of their high visibility and their continuous and conspicuous involvement in the political atmosphere of our country. Lighten up people, and enjoy this essay for what it is."
If you want to write more, we're open to offerings from other boomers. If you have something to say of interest to boomers, write it as well as you can in 700-900 words, and send it to us. We can't guarantee we'll publish it, but we'll surely consider it.
For more of Hershel's essays, check the BBHQ Archives or the Boomer Essays.
Hershel will have something else to say on August 9; mark your calendar to come back to BBHQ every Monday.
| The BBHQ Album of the Month is "Old Friends Live on Stage (Deluxe Edition) (2 CD/1 DVD)," by Simon & Garfunkel. If you were fortunate enough to see them in concert last year, I do not have to sell you. The concert was terrific! This album collection includes 55 songs, plus their new recording, "Citizen of the Planet," and one of the songs sung by the Everly Brothers during the concert. The DVD was recorded during their concert in Madison Square Garden in 2003. For any S&G fan, this is a must have! But then, you knew that already, didn't you? |
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The BBHQ Book of the Month is
"Vinyl Highway," by
Dee Dee Phelps. You remember her as Dee Dee, of Dick and Dee Dee.
Together, they took a decade long ride on the rock and roll roller
coaster. It was a heck of a ride! Dick Clark, Quincy Jones, the Beach
Boys, Glenn Campbell, Dionne Warwick, Bobby Vinton... Dick and Dee Dee
rubbed shoulders with all of them. This is her "behind the scenes" story.
It's pretty cool.
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