General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Has DU Turned The Corner On The JFK CT BS? Apparently So. [View all]struggle4progress
(118,278 posts)If you read his Warren Commission testimony, it's not entirely clear exactly who he's saying he fears, until one reaches the passage I quoted in #182
If you don't regard Ruby as credible, that's really fine with me: none of my views pivot on Ruby's credibility. On the other hand, you seem to want us to take a few snippets from Ruby's testimony, as evidence that he was somehow in fear of some mafia -- but Ruby never said anything like that: what he actually said was that he was afraid of the Birchers
It's simply impossible to make any sense of testimony if one ignores context. In your #155, you not only ignore the immediate context of Ruby's other testimony that day, but you also completely ignore an external context that sheds light on Ruby's statements. When, for example, we read
Mr. RUBY. Gentlemen, my life is in danger here. Not with my guilty plea of execution.
what exactly is Ruby talking about? On 14 March 64, Ruby was sentenced to death for the pre-meditated murder of LHO. convicted of murder with malice, for which he received a death sentence. The most natural guess is that the prospect of execution was high in Ruby's mind when he gave his Warren Commission testimony a few months later on 7 June 64, since he was eager to discuss his trial with the Commission:
Chief Justice WARREN. I understand.
Mr. RUBY. Different things came up, flashed back into my mind, that it dirtied my background, that Mr. Belli and I decided--oh yes, when I went to say that I wanted to get on the stand and tell the truth what happened that morning, he said, "Jack, when they get you on the stand, you are actually speaking of a premeditated crime that you involved yourself in." But I didn't care, because I wanted to tell the truth. He said, "When the prosecution gets you on the stand, they will cut you to ribbons." So naturally, I had to retract, and he fought his way to try to vindicate me out of this particular crime.