BOOK WORLD /• DECEMBER 12, 1993
the attention devoted to Al Lowenstein's Lowenstein's Al to devoted attention the
view was intended to. hope that, in time, time, in that, hope to. intended was view
lenges that reality, and nothing in my re- my in nothing and reality, that lenges
ciple, compassion and genuine accomplish- genuine and compassion ciple,
ment. Nothing in William Chafe's book chal- book Chafe's William in Nothing ment.
--extensive research—arrive at nothing more nothing at research—arrive --extensive
Alan Ehrenhalt responds: responds: Ehrenhalt Alan
the '68 campaign, and at the United Na- United the at and campaign, '68 the
in the drive to end the war in Vietnam and and Vietnam in war the end to drive the in
against Al Lowenstein, all of whom would would whom of all Lowenstein, Al against tions. tions.
in South Africa, in Namibia, in Mississippi, Mississippi, in Namibia, in Africa, South in
speech, which my father helped write. May- write. helped father my which speech,
tell him that my father made a difference— a made father my that him tell father helped inspire now work. He could could He work. now inspire helped father ate, where dozens of the young people my my people young the of dozens where ate, the country who worked with or debated debated or with worked who country the
talk to any of the hundreds of people across across people of hundreds the of any to talk
be he could visit the Congress or the Sen- the or Congress the visit could he be
where he will see on a large marble slab slab marble large a on see will he where part of Robert Kennedy's "Ripple of Hope" Hope" of "Ripple Kennedy's Robert of part
errors as it is with psycho-babble. psycho-babble. with is it as errors
haps he should go to Arlington Cemetery, Cemetery, Arlington to go should he haps
voice—of which Joe McGinniss might be be might McGinniss Joe which voice—of
ery quote Chafe uses must be molded, molded, be must uses Chafe quote ery
support this stunningly shallow "insight," a a "insight," shallow stunningly this support
nipped; tucked. and coddled to fit his own own his fit to coddled and tucked. nipped;
proud. The book is as replete with factual factual with replete as is book The proud.
600-page ode to brackets and ellipses—ev- and brackets to ode 600-page absurd. absurd.
second. Regardless of whether or not my my not or whether of Regardless second.
his life, this thesis is insidious, libelous, and and libelous, insidious, is thesis this life, his
father ever had homosexual experiences in in experiences homosexual had ever father
Johnson movement, to name a couple of ex- of couple a name to movement, Johnson
sionate commitments to important issues issues important to commitments sionate
amples, were, if Chafe is to be believed, ex- believed, be to is Chafe if were, amples,
cuses to be around young men first and pas- and first men young around be to cuses
volvement in the co-founding of the Dump Dump the of co-founding the in volvement
to South West Africa in 1959 and his in- his and 1959 in Africa West South to
ever did back to that point. My father's trip trip father's My point. that to back did ever
entire book relating everything my father father my everything relating book entire
ject. Chafe reached the conclusion that my my that conclusion the reached Chafe ject. father was a homosexual, and spends his his spends and homosexual, a was father
than a five-cent psychoanalysis of his sub- his of psychoanalysis five-cent a than
agree with Buckley's assessment of my fa- my of assessment Buckley's with agree say that—for what it's worth—he would would worth—he it's what that—for say
ther, even if he has managed to—despite to—despite managed has he if even ther,
Allard K. Lowenstein was a man of prin- of man a was Lowenstein K. Allard
As far as Ehrenhalt's own opinions, per-. per-. opinions, own Ehrenhalt's as far As
Never Never
Stop Stop
lellgEn. i i lellgEn.
Running Running
TOM LOWENSTEIN LOWENSTEIN TOM
trunk it it trunk
is, in order to to order in is,
Evanston, Ill. Ill. Evanston,
is fair to to fair is
-
r r
documents from New Orleans District At- District Orleans New from documents
give me credit for having unearthed missing missing unearthed having for credit me give
torney Jim Garrison's late 1960s' probe into into probe 1960s' late Garrison's Jim torney
found contradictions in their affidavits, "a "a affidavits, their in contradictions found prosecutor's tactic." Frank does not even even not does Frank tactic." prosecutor's
not dispute the witnesses' honesty, but only only but honesty, witnesses' the dispute not
Castro lea Castro
turer David Ferrie, Frank asserts that I did did I that asserts Frank Ferrie, David turer
Louisiana, where six witnesses later claimed claimed later witnesses six where Louisiana,
to have seen Oswald together with adven- with together Oswald seen have to
anti-Castro connections to that address (the (the address that to connections anti-Castro
by using their former address on his pro- his on address former their using by
desire to embarrass the anti-Castro activists activists anti-Castro the embarrass to desire
Cuban Revolutionary Council), and Oswald's Oswald's and Council), Revolutionary Cuban
strolled by it." Yet Yet it." by strolled
wald simply fancied that address as he he as address that fancied simply wald
Oswald's use of "544 Camp St." on some of of some on St." Camp "544 of use Oswald's
his pro-Castro leaflets by writing "that Os- "that writing by leaflets pro-Castro his
1953 "Youth House Psychiatrist's Report." Report." Psychiatrist's House "Youth 1953 book. He summarizes my discussion about about discussion my summarizes He book.
I cited both Hartog's testimony to the War- the to testimony Hartog's both cited I
Commission, "but not the psychiatrist's im- psychiatrist's the not "but Commission,
ren Commission and his conclusion from his his from conclusion his and Commission ren
pressions from 1953." Again, this is wrong. wrong. is this Again, 1953." from pressions
Kenatus Hartog's testimony to the Warren Warren the to testimony Hartog's Kenatus
That is why I rejected it. My reason for that that for reason My it. rejected I why is That
decision is explained in a footnote. footnote. a in explained is decision worth, after Roberts finally told the story, it it story, the told finally Roberts after worth,
changed "dramatically" with each retelling. retelling. each with "dramatically" changed the young Oswald that I cited only Dr. Dr. only cited I that Oswald young the
with Aynesworth. According to Aynes- to According Aynesworth. with
months. Roberts did not tell the story about about story the tell not did Roberts months.
the police car in the first two interviews interviews two first the in car police the more times during the following few few following the during times more
the day of the assassination, and then three three then and assassination, the of day the
Hugh Aynesworth interviewed Roberts on on Roberts interviewed Aynesworth Hugh death in 1966. However, regarding her sto- her regarding However, 1966. in death
ry about the honking police car, journalist journalist car, police honking the about ry
around 1:00 p.m. and then leaving with his his with leaving then and p.m. 1:00 around
day of the assassination until the time of her her of time the until assassination the of day
jacket is the same story she told from the the from told she story same the is jacket
erts' testimony about Oswald arriving arriving Oswald about testimony erts' serious research is to separate the good good the separate to is research serious
information from the chaff. Earlene Rob- Earlene chaff. the from information
to use her as a witness who saw Oswald Oswald saw who witness a as her use to leaving, wearing wearing leaving,
twic.e outside her house at 1 p.m. and honked honked and p.m. 1 at house her outside
when she reported that a police car stopped stopped car police a that reported she when
He states that I did not find her credible credible her find not did I that states He
nceper at at nceper
(5) (5)
(4) (4)
(3) (3)
When discussing an episode in Clinton, Clinton, in episode an discussing When
Frank asserts that in my discussion of of discussion my in that asserts Frank
L
Frank slights my research for the the for research my slights Frank
but that ten pages later I:was happy . . happy I:was later pages ten that but
fl
ets. ets.
uswaid's Dallas rooming house. house. rooming Dallas uswaid's
a a
jacket." A great pitfall of of pitfall great A jacket."
Case Closed Closed Case
details the the details
' fiat! '
sination; the Cuban Embassy staff who iden- who staff Embassy Cuban the sination;
tified Oswald; the picture of Oswald on his his on Oswald of picture the Oswald; tified
remembered him at the time of the assas- the of time the at him remembered
of the two Australian tourists who saw Os- saw who tourists Australian two the of
wald on the bus to Mexico and who clearly clearly who and Mexico to bus the on wald
toriography? Frank ignores the recollections recollections the ignores Frank toriography?
wald. Since when is novelty relevant to his- to relevant novelty is when Since wald.
visit to Mexico City—and dredges up the the up dredges City—and Mexico to visit
muddy theory that there was a second Os- second a was there that theory muddy terious episodes of Oswald's short life"—his life"—his short Oswald's of episodes terious
brings nothing new to "one of the most mys- most the of "one to new nothing brings
spiracy spiracy
shooter was Oswald, or if there was a a was there if or Oswald, was shooter
could not venture a guess as to whether the the whether to as guess a venture not could
shooter had the necessary time to fire three three fire to time necessary the had shooter
magic bullet was possible. Beyond that he he that Beyond possible. was bullet magic
shots from the rear, and that the so-called so-called the that and rear, the from shots
and did not address the question of conspir- of question the address not did and
cision. According to FAA's Dr. Robert Robert Dr. FAA's to According cision.
acy. I am not surprised at the jury's inde- jury's the at surprised not am I acy.
Piziali, all his work proves is that a single single a that is proves work his all Piziali,
what significance he implies by that, since since that, by implies he significance what
work by saying that the result of the ABA ABA the of result the that saying by work
the FAA work was only a part of the trial, trial, the of part a only was work FAA the mock trial was a hung jury. I am not sure sure not am I jury. hung a was trial mock
matter of public record. record. public of matter
refer to the 1992 ABA mock trial, which is a a is which trial, mock ABA 1992 the to refer the book is false. In the book, the citations citations the book, the In false. is book the
to FAA's work and Dr. Piziali's testimony testimony Piziali's Dr. and work FAA's to
FAA enhancements were commissioned for for commissioned were enhancements FAA
FAA's technological breakthroughs. breakthroughs. technological FAA's
Oswald mock trial, they only broke new new broke only they trial, mock Oswald
the prosecution. What is presented in in presented is What prosecution. the ground with the technological work done for for done work technological the with ground
Closed Closed ated the book's appendix about ballistics. ballistics. about appendix book's the ated
and not only did FAA check the accuracy of of accuracy the check FAA did only not and the defense and prosecution sides of the the of sides prosecution and defense the
Although FAA made presentations both for for both presentations made FAA Although they later assisted graphic artists who cre- who artists graphic assisted later they
my draft chapter on the single bullet, but but bullet, single the on chapter draft my
FAA and expressed interest in utilizing the the utilizing in interest expressed and FAA
work they had put togetherin the prosecu- prosecu- the togetherin put had they work ican Bar Association convention, I contacted contacted I convention, Association Bar ican
on ourtduring e mac t a o ee ee o a t mac e ourtduring on
Harvey Oswald, at the August. 1992, Amer- 1992, August. the at Oswald, Harvey
Jeffrey A. Frank writes that Posner Posner that writes Frank A. Jeffrey
Frank ends his discussion his ends Frank
The insinuation that I claimed that the the that claimed I that insinuation The
. .
of Oswald. Dr, Robert Piziali agreed, agreed, Piziali Robert Dr, Oswald. of
in the case. case. the in
is is
TV d d TV
a a
—en:, work presented presented work —en:,
completely accurate view of of view accurate completely
J c J
th th
GERALD POSNER POSNER GERALD