Earle Cabell Federal Building
Early evening, downtown at the west end of Commerce, which is a one-way street. That's ironic, isn't it?
Anyway, I looked up Earle Cabell on wikipedia and found he had sort of a double tie-in with JFK. Earle was mayor of Dallas from 1961 until 1964, and during his tenure something famous happened here. Oddly, Earle was the brother of deputy CIA director Charles Cabell who was forced to resign from that post after the atrocious Bay of Pigs debacle. Big coincidence, isn't it? It's easy to see how conspiracy theorists must have obsessed over these little nuggets...
posted by phlegmfatale at 2:05 AM
7 Comments:
And yummy nuggets they are! Do you think the South attracts more conspiracy theory? Well, other than DC.
meg - Glad you enjoyed them - I thought this was fascinating news. First, I think many would argue that D.C. IS technically in the South so would probably be as nutty as the rest of the South. I think D.C. is a kook-magnet, but that's a whole blog post in itself! I think any region has its own stripe of eccentricities that tend to be tolerated, overlooked and ignored. However, I think the South tends more to celebrate its oddballs, and therefore the nattering nabobs here who get all lathered up about something tend to get a lot more serious press and consideration than they might elsewhere.
The whole JFK assassination obsession phenomenon functions as its own construct regardless where Dallas is physically located. After all, people still talk and speculate about the death of President Lincoln 140 years ago. It stands to reason that a young, vibrant, handsome president would inspire people who actually remembered him as a national icon to grapple onto any shred of evidence that might come a little closer to explaining such a brutal and senseless murder. So public and ugly, too, that it's a story that's hard to let go.
Never thought JFK 'plot' could have been anywhere - escept the relative proximity to Cuba seems a bonus - I think if I were to plot it I might have chosen New Orleans. When you say South and eccentricity in one sentence, of course I think of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" - I've only seen the film, but I'd imagine the book would be oh so much more fantastic.
Ditto re. Lincoln; I don't remember which city, but I know it was in a theatre.
So why aren't you a writer?
*L* New Orleans IS a superb place for a plot to be hatched! Lots of people disappear there. I wonder if people ever appear there, though? Hmm... You never hear of that. Midnight in the GardenO.G.A.E was a very entertaining movie, but I never read the book. You know, some of the greatest American characters were brought to life by southern writers such as Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor. Something in the water.
Lincoln was killed in the Ford's Theater in D.C. Mr. & Mrs. Lincoln were there to see a play called "Our American Cousin," which was a farce about a bunch of high-toned English people having their hick American cousin come to visit.
Why aren't I a writer? Hmmm. I've always had a penchant for writing, but keeping my blogs are the first regular practice at the craft I've ever had. No opportunities, I suppose, and I suppose I haven't really sought out opportunities, other than tarting it out here for no pay. I'm enjoying this, though. I would like to be writer, and indeed I'm germinating the seed of a short story right now at the very least, or perhaps something a little longer. Thanks for asking, because it sounded like a compliment.
It is, it is, and germinate and fertilise and sow! I reckon, if not a full-time writer, you should teach writing to children so the fun and joy will multiply in the mysterious South! (Shame, I've never heard of Flannery O'Conner - must search.)
That's so sweet of you to say, meg, and thank you.
Flannery O'Connor was a woman who spun the most incredible tales of irony and bitter, murky humor. My favorite of hers is a short story entitled "A Good Man is Hard to Find." It's a tragic but very funny. And I felt like I knew the characters in the story.
Just saw on the History Channel the documentary, Part 1. The Three Shots that Changed the World. Real TV footage beginning with the President's breakfast with the Chamber of Commerce at Ft Worth, then the flight to Dallas, deplaning at Dallas and onward into the motorcade to the Dallas Trade Mart.
I have seen every movie, scene, book, theory etc. for the past forty years about the assassination of President Kennedy but tonight I saw something new...a huge crowd awaited the President at the Dallas Airport most to see the President and First Lady, but a very large anti JFK crowd too including a huge Confederate Flag and Flag of the State of Texas.
This lead me to google the Mayor of Dallas at the time, hence this comment on your web site.
I am positive what really happened, that is, those who planned and executed this assassination, is weider and more awful than veny conspiracy theorists could imagine.
D. Shatin
Levittown, PA
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