50 Years Ago

There's little I want to write about the 50th anniversary of November 22, 1963.  Jon Stewart made a semi-releated quip the other day that didn't get much of a laugh, after which he said, "Too soon?"  For me, it sort of is.  (In fairness, I think people didn't laugh because the quip wasn't too funny, though I thought it was amusing.)

I'll just say one thing.

Two of the smartest people I ever knew were WGA members Bob Sabaroff and Fred Haines.  Both utterly brilliant in numerous fields, particularly science, and both wildly independent thinkers. 

Bob had done a great deal of research over the years about the assassination -- he was (it was generally believed) a former member of the CIA who had been involved with the Bay of Pigs...though no one was ever quite sure when it came to Bob. 

Fred worked on a book with Vincent Bugliosi about the assassination.  "Worked on a book" doesn't do it justice.  He was involved with it for at least a decade, probably longer, and his research grew voluminous.  The book at one point turned into something liked a 2,000 page epic.  The publisher had to decide whether to release it in two massive volumes, or what.  Eventually, Fred took his name off the book because the other fellow had really moved things forward in his own way, and also Fred got very ill (eventually passing away maybe 10 years ago), and I think it was in part an act of generosity to someone who was going to be living on.

Fred came to the absolute, 100% certain conclusion that there was only one gun man, and it was the one everyone knows.  I'm not saying that that's the truth or not.  Just that it's what this remarkably brilliant man concluded after maniacal research.  I can't swear to all the details about Bob Sabaroff's opinion.  My recollection is that Bob believed the same, though he was conspiratorial-minded in so many things, and it's possible to convolute his many opinions.  I do know that when there came to a far-right conspiracy, he tended to point the finger at Gen. Curtis LeMay, who many believe is the model for the crazy general in Dr. Strangelove.

Bob Sabaroff, too, at this point has passed away.  But I just wanted to note them both today.  Mainly Fred.  I was closer to Bob, but this became the center of Fred's life work towards the end of his life.  And he -- they both -- were friends of one another and deserve mention.