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Why Another Journal?

by Jan Stevens

(written October 1995)

Given the existence of other newsletters and journals, including The Investigator, Probe, Dallas '63 (from the United Kingdom), Backchannels, The Fourth Decade, and Open Secrets (the COPA newsletter), one may wonder why The JFK/ Deep Politics Quarterly enters the fray at this time. At the outset, let it be said that we are not in "competition" with any of the aforementioned, all of which vary in their content and focus. We hope this quarterly will carve its own niche, and occupy its own space within the research community. There is room for us all.

We have no preconceived agenda or political ideology to put forth, other than our shared conclusion that President Kennedy was murdered by a conspiracy which wasfollowed by a tightly controlled official cover-up, which continues even today.

So, what do we hope to do?

Primarily, we hope to be able to add to the corpus of knowledge about the death of John Kennedy and the investigation into that murder. We hope to create another forum for responsible analyses and viewpoints, new document information, and new research. We hope to bring to the critical community news and observations appropriate to our studies--not only about the JFK case, but also those of Robert F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other analogous cases if and when relevant. Ostensibly, we hope to present material that may highlight various intelligence and "deep politics" activities (past and present) and publish it all in an intelligent, highly readable and interesting format. Our focus will be not only on research articles, (although that is a primary element), but on the media's role, on developments within the research community, on news items, and on past literary and video productions--whatever can contribute to our understanding of these cases and their historical significance. We are uninterested in personal attacks, rantings, and vitriolic rhetoric in which some have engaged of late. There's been too much of it already; although, sadly, there will no doubt be more. We think it is time to stop calling names and try to start naming some, as responsibly as possible.

We will attempt to promote unity and networking as much as is possible within these pages, knowing that like America itself, our diversity can add to our strength. At the very least, we can always agree to disagree, and perhaps learn something in the process.

Our commentary will not be devoid of ideas on the lighter side, either. While tragic, the events under study will have their humorous sides revealed as needed, especially when it comes to those who have pursued these studies. The enormity of these events will never be a matter of humor, but human foibles and human character are. Let's face it: did any of us ever imagine years ago that we would hear someday about ol' J. Edgar Hoover in a dress? As co-editor Walt Brown offered in the introduction to his "Sound bites From the Warren commission" tapes: On April 25, 1962, President Kennedy presented an inscribed beer mug to long-time assistant Dave Powers. The inscription said: "There are three things that are real: God, human folly and laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension, so we must do what we can with the third."

Our concern is as deep for the life of John Kennedy as it is for the events related to his death. We care deeply that our fundamental democratic processes were sadly damaged and maligned after this man of compassion and vision was taken away from us. We care deeply that officialdom (assisted by the media) doesn't give a damn any more about the ever-elusive truths of the murders of JFK, and Bobby and Dr. King. Wecare about the often deceptive and uninformed arguments, half-truths, and even falsehoods presented so cunningly by some of the Warren Commission apologists and those who put forth similar spurious arguments in other political venues. But we also lament the misinformation, disinformation,outright lies, character assassination and irresponsible illogic that have, on occasion, masqueraded as "research."

We care about the children who will grow up hearing the same old lies about the assassination(s) if we don't continue the good fight and pass on what we know as a community in better, bolder, and more creative ways. We care about those who did not understand the fatuity of, for instance, the single bullet theory, until a Hollywood director made a controversial film.

There is a very long and often rich history of thirty-plus years of writings on the JFK case and its resulting phenomena since those six seconds in Dallas, and we encourage readers and contributors to weigh all of it inclusively, "eating the chicken but spitting out the bones," so to speak. Many have been welcomed into our ranks only since Stone's film, and we're glad for their input, but there is a need to go back and see what came before -- from both sides. In just about all aspects, there is an often undefinable lack of balance within our ranks. John Kennedy himself once remarked that we should not be afraid of the free exchange of ideas in the market place.

This journal's editors were both of age when JFK was killed. Both have individually studied it for at least 25 years, both have lectured, both have taught college courses and both have written and published material on it. Walt Brown just had his fourth book on the JFK case released.

We are as concerned with the ,validities of what was discovered thirty years ago as we are with what is now being pried loose in the current "document releases." It all forms a continuum which forces us to think more selectively and objectively. We look forward to your articles, ideas, and commentaries, your input and (hopefully) your good-natured opinions. We hope to add a fresher, newer dimension to what's already out there and perhaps with your help we can explore "new frontiers."

Let's get on with it!

Used by permission. All rights reserved. JFK/DPQ PO Box 174 Hillsdale, NJ 07642


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