Oswald in the doorway: the blog of the Oswald Innocence Campaign, by Ralph Cinque

Alex Foyle

On Sunday, October 16, 2016 at 4:14:19 AM UTC+2, Ralph Cinque wrote:

> Of course, I'm not really calling his father a murderer. He shot at
> Oswald, but he didn't use a real bullet.

Of course, Ralph, of course ... and why exactly would Bookhout shoot at
Oswald but not use a real bullet? 

Ralph Cinque: 

That's actually a fair question. I suspect it is because it was too dangerous. How would you like to be handcuffed to a guy who someone was going to rush up and shoot? And at an angle that was pointing towards you? Things can go wrong. They often do. I am reminded of some dialogue from No Country For Old Men, yet another favorite movie of mine. 

You know Charlie Walser? Hes got that place out east of Sanderson?

You know how he used to slaughter steers? He'd hit 'em right there (points to his forehead) with a maul...truss 'em and slit their throats.

Charlie's got one all trussed up, all set to drain him.
...and the steer comes to, thrashing around.

Six hundred pounds of very pissed off livestock.

Charlie grabs a gun, and shoots the thing in the head...
...but with all the swinging and thrashing, it's a glance shot that
ricochets, and hits Charlie in the shoulder.

You go see Charlie; he still can't
pick up his right hand for his hat.

  
The point being, that even in
a contest between man and steer...

...the outcome is far from certain.