I just returned from a trip to Roswell- Alamogordo- Carlsbad- Odessa- Midland and Dallas and at Dallas I stopped in again at the Sixth Floor museum. Before entering, I had a chat with Michael Brownlow, an assassination eyewitness who diligently tells his tale from the grassy knoll to all who will listen, even on a July day long before the big crowds of the November convergence. I had a nice talk with him, going over things like the railyard tower where Lee Bowers, a fellow eyewitness later found dead under unusual circumstances, had worked; other eyewitnesses who had likely been slain; the arrest of the tramps in the railyard (my interest, since one of themmay have been Fred Crisman.) He warned me off the museum since it primarily presents the Warren Commission view and doesn't allow photography. I had not been up in the book depository for a while,though, so I decided to check it out.I had the reaction that Brownlow predicted, disgust at how the Sixth Floor Museum distorts reality. I have it every time I'm there. It culminates at the gift shop when I'm looking at the "Don't Mess With Dallas" buttons. How bold is that? I filled out a complaint card, with only the two obvious observations that I had the patience to write down: the trees had been trimmed in such a way that they framed an "X" down on Elm Street where JFK was shot (this was in the window next to the actual sniper's nest window, which has box crates surrounded by acrylic walls, with no representation of Oswald in it, perhaps the museum's most truthful exhibit, since Oswald was on the second floor sipping a Coke); and that all the footage shown in the museum stops just before the headshot from the picket fence. Here is the response I got upon my return from Gary Mack, the Museum'scurator, who at one time at least presented himself as a skeptic of the Warren Commission:

Dear Mr. Thomas,

Thanks very much for writing us with questions about the Museum and Dealey Plaza. The "head shot" sequence in the Zapruder film is not shown in our exhibit. That decision was made before we opened in 1989. The primary reason was the simple fact that a significant number of visitors would be children for whom such gruesome images may or may not be appropriate. Since there is no way to warn parents or children of the upcoming scene, and since there are no places to simply step aside, we elected not to show that part. Another reason is that, simply stated, the Museum is about President Kennedy, the assassination, and related subjects-not about analyzing the Zapruder film. Our visitors can easily do that at home or on their computer with any of the many copies of the film thatare easily available. As for the tree height, ironically, just days ago, the trees of the Elm Street side of the Plaza were trimmed back closer to the way they appeared in 1963. This was accomplished during work to maintain the health of the trees with specialized nutrients and soil preparation. There is no safe way to trim the trees to their exact height in 1963,for such a drastic pruning would likely kill them. The trees today are still a good ten feet or more taller than when President Kennedy was shot. The truth is that, as far as the trees are concerned, the shots were even easier then they are today. Thanks for visiting and taking the time to ask your questions.

Best regards,

Gary Mack
Curator

Of course, I expected his explanation about the film-it's one that has covered up a multitude of sins over the years. Still, it's a museum about a bloody assassination. Not only are there any number of ways of shielding children from its most gruesome aspects without removing the most important part of its visual aspect, any real concern would prohibit children from coming in at all. As for the trees: the trimming very obviously framed that "X". It had nothing to do with their health, and as Mack himself points out, there is no way to trim them back "to the way they appeared in 1963".