Opening Files on Assassination

As an independent free-lance journalist in California to interview material witnesses to the assassination of President Kennedy that the official investigators failed to question, I take exception to Richard M. Mosk’s contention (“Distortions Will Continue No Matter What,” Commentary, April 6) that, “few of those who so easily accept conspiracy theories have bothered to review even the report.”

When the Warren Report was issued in 1964, the 26 volumes of testimony and exhibits were only published at the insistence of congressional commissioners. Many thousands of students and independent researchers not only read the report and “supporting evidence,” but continue to follow up on leads and information subsequently released and uncovered over the years. No, we don’t expect the files to contain any “smoking gun.” But it is the principle of open archives in an open society that matters.

We do not need any government commission or report to tell us the truth. We know basically what happened in Dealey Plaza on Nov. 22, 1963, and the obstruction of justice that has occurred.

The major distortions regarding the assassination stem from the inadequacy of the official investigations, all of which were compromised and ineffective.

Congressional legislation to release the House Select Committee on Assassination (HSCA) files was first introduced in 1981, but never got out of committee because of opposition from Louis Stokes and G. Robert Blakey, the third chairman and second chief counsel of the HSCA.

Although two other bills have been introduced in this Congress to release the J.F.K. files, Stokes and Blakey, with the assistance of Mosk and David Belin, have authored their own lengthy bill, the one referred to by Mosk.

So the individuals who have opposed the release of the files for so long have co-authored this bill that, if passed and approved by the President, will create yet another appointed commission to review the files and determine if the public has a right to see them in our lifetime.

We don’t need any more commissions or lies. Just open the archives.

WILLIAM E. KELLY, Co-founder

Committee for an Open Archives

Ocean City, N.J.