A maims doh. SE FieNcilico %ad.), F.mair. and Chloride SAN FRANCISCO Dallas museum gives conspiracy
Free speech goes EXAMINER amok in displays debunking America theories a run for By David Barbosa &w YORK mss * * Sunday. May 28. 1995 C-9 DALLAS — The voice coming from the television monitor tells of a vast conspiracy to control the White House. It says the Warren the money Commission Report was "born long before the president was as- piracy Museum, an exhibit space sassinated." It even asserts that hat opened last month just three Lee Harvey Oswald is still alive. blocks from Dealey Plaza, where Make another selection on one Kennedy was killed in 1963. of six video monitors and the omi- In highly conspiratorial tones, nous voice will declare that the the museum traces America's his- "umbrella man," who is seen in the tory of assassinations back to the most complete film footage taken age of Andrew Jackson, who was of the assassination, actually shot a the target of a failed attempt on his poison dart into President John F. life. Kennedy's throat and that the The museum is the pet project White House is controlled by a of a Harvard-educated architect, group of financiers, warmongers RR. Cutler, a self-proclaimed "as- and government bureaucrats, la- sasainologist." Cutler, 81, who Is beled the "Professional War Ma- from a -wealthy family that made chine." its money in the fertilizer business, Glance to the left or right, and says he has spent about $400,000 there is a 108-foot-long mural cov- on the museum, which promotes ered with abstract bloodstains that and displays his theories. is meant to illustrate several more The museum is in the right far-out theories, all of which co- place. City officials say about 6 alesce around one overarching con- million people visit the Dealey Pla- spiracy: a conspiracy that binds all za area each year. More than 1,200 conspiracies, from the death of people have visited the museum Mary Jo Kopechne at Chappa- since it opened April 4. quiddick (a plot to keep Sen. Ed- "If we could export the Kennedy ward Kennedy from the presiden- assassination to Japan," said one cy), to the downing of Korean Air- of the museum's three staff mem- lines Flight 007 (a CIA plot to bers, Ron Rice, "we'd be instant prolong the Cold War). millionaires."
It's really strange' Assassination sites "It's really strange," Linda Mc- In recent years, attendance has Cabe of nearby Plano said recently nearly doubled at the Sixth Floor, as she turned away from a monitor. the permanent exhibit on the Ken- "I think you'd really have to be into nedy legacy that opened in 1989 in, conspiracies to come here." the former Texas School Book De- Another visitor advised on a • pository, on the floor from which • comment card, "Seek help." the Warren Commission said Os- The videos are part of the Con- wald shot Kennedy. Several ph-
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A maims doh. SE FieNcilico %ad.), F.mair. and Chloride SAN FRANCISCO Dallas museum gives conspiracy
Free speech goes EXAMINER amok in displays debunking America theories a run for By David Barbosa &w YORK mss * * Sunday. May 28. 1995 C-9 DALLAS — The voice coming from the television monitor tells of a vast conspiracy to control the White House. It says the Warren the money Commission Report was "born long before the president was as- piracy Museum, an exhibit space sassinated." It even asserts that hat opened last month just three Lee Harvey Oswald is still alive. blocks from Dealey Plaza, where Make another selection on one Kennedy was killed in 1963. of six video monitors and the omi- In highly conspiratorial tones, nous voice will declare that the the museum traces America's his- "umbrella man," who is seen in the tory of assassinations back to the most complete film footage taken age of Andrew Jackson, who was of the assassination, actually shot a the target of a failed attempt on his poison dart into President John F. life. Kennedy's throat and that the The museum is the pet project White House is controlled by a of a Harvard-educated architect, group of financiers, warmongers RR. Cutler, a self-proclaimed "as- and government bureaucrats, la- sasainologist." Cutler, 81, who Is beled the "Professional War Ma- from a -wealthy family that made chine." its money in the fertilizer business, Glance to the left or right, and says he has spent about $400,000 there is a 108-foot-long mural cov- on the museum, which promotes ered with abstract bloodstains that and displays his theories. is meant to illustrate several more The museum is in the right far-out theories, all of which co- place. City officials say about 6 alesce around one overarching con- million people visit the Dealey Pla- spiracy: a conspiracy that binds all za area each year. More than 1,200 conspiracies, from the death of people have visited the museum Mary Jo Kopechne at Chappa- since it opened April 4. quiddick (a plot to keep Sen. Ed- "If we could export the Kennedy ward Kennedy from the presiden- assassination to Japan," said one cy), to the downing of Korean Air- of the museum's three staff mem- lines Flight 007 (a CIA plot to bers, Ron Rice, "we'd be instant prolong the Cold War). millionaires."
It's really strange' Assassination sites "It's really strange," Linda Mc- In recent years, attendance has Cabe of nearby Plano said recently nearly doubled at the Sixth Floor, as she turned away from a monitor. the permanent exhibit on the Ken- "I think you'd really have to be into nedy legacy that opened in 1989 in, conspiracies to come here." the former Texas School Book De- Another visitor advised on a • pository, on the floor from which • comment card, "Seek help." the Warren Commission said Os- The videos are part of the Con- wald shot Kennedy. Several ph-
457";0)..,,DMF.,.454f7,477M'7,-."MM7 I • • • •••••••••,',",M7:*1-.•.`">,"'IWIpz,6.... "'"WATISVM vete companies now offer tours of "Case Closed," was widely praised "It's a Conspiracy" and "Unsolved other assassination sites, including as a convincing argument that Os- Texas Mysteries" and "Paranoid" the rooming house where Oswald wald worked alone, said Cutler was magazine. stayed. known for constructing one of the Admission is $7 and includes a• But for hard-core theorists, the most thorough maps of Dealey Pla- walking tour with Rice, a former •Conspiracy Museum is the only za. But,. Posner added, "Even police officer who says he has spent place that aggressively examines among conspiracy theorists, he's 18 years researching the assassina- the plot. Whereas the atmosphere not in the mainstream? tion. Apart from the museum's "of- in the Sixth Floor is tight, profes- The museum is short on arti- ficial" theories, Rice has a few of sional and historical, that in the facts and long on suppositions, his own, and will show some fuzzy Conspiracy Museum is loose, free- which are explained in its art work, pictures as proof of his case. thinking and speculative. diagrams and "video kiosks." The On the museum videos, Cutler's Gerald Posner, whose book, bookstore is stacked with titles like voice can be heard saying things
like, "Clear the Oswald name of all hear somebody's opinion," said guilt," and, "You must never for- Henry Thomas of Fort Worth. get, the Warren report is a lie." More visitors, though, are like Cutler, who practices Zen, ends Jay Wilson, an oil man from Ste- each voice-over with the word, phens, Ark., who says that al- "ohimsa," meaning not forceful. though he does not accept the mu- While Cutler said one purpose seum's theory of the Kennedy as- of the museum is to help people sassination, he also doubts the come to peace with the events of government version. November 1963, some visitors "There's one thing for sure," he leave more confused than ever or said, turning to his wife, Fay. "We frustrated with the spare displays. know it didn't happen like they "I can't believe I just paid $7 to said it happened."
vete companies now offer tours of "Case Closed," was widely praised "It's a Conspiracy" and "Unsolved other assassination sites, including as a convincing argument that Os- Texas Mysteries" and "Paranoid" the rooming house where Oswald wald worked alone, said Cutler was magazine. stayed. known for constructing one of the Admission is $7 and includes a• But for hard-core theorists, the most thorough maps of Dealey Pla- walking tour with Rice, a former •Conspiracy Museum is the only za. But,. Posner added, "Even police officer who says he has spent place that aggressively examines among conspiracy theorists, he's 18 years researching the assassina- the plot. Whereas the atmosphere not in the mainstream? tion. Apart from the museum's "of- in the Sixth Floor is tight, profes- The museum is short on arti- ficial" theories, Rice has a few of sional and historical, that in the facts and long on suppositions, his own, and will show some fuzzy Conspiracy Museum is loose, free- which are explained in its art work, pictures as proof of his case. thinking and speculative. diagrams and "video kiosks." The On the museum videos, Cutler's Gerald Posner, whose book, bookstore is stacked with titles like voice can be heard saying things
like, "Clear the Oswald name of all hear somebody's opinion," said guilt," and, "You must never for- Henry Thomas of Fort Worth. get, the Warren report is a lie." More visitors, though, are like Cutler, who practices Zen, ends Jay Wilson, an oil man from Ste- each voice-over with the word, phens, Ark., who says that al- "ohimsa," meaning not forceful. though he does not accept the mu- While Cutler said one purpose seum's theory of the Kennedy as- of the museum is to help people sassination, he also doubts the come to peace with the events of government version. November 1963, some visitors "There's one thing for sure," he leave more confused than ever or said, turning to his wife, Fay. "We frustrated with the spare displays. know it didn't happen like they "I can't believe I just paid $7 to said it happened."