As the attendees at the conference will remember, upon discovering the plot to radically change Dealey Plaza so that it no longer resembles how it looked in 1963, CAPA board member Andrew Kreig announced that CAPA would take the lead in opposing this action.
Many wondered if Dealey Plaza was a national historical landmark. After researching this issue online, we discovered that yes, Dealey Plaza is not only a National Historic Landmark but all the surrounding area that incorporates Dealey Plaza was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1993. That includes all structures, terrain, and anything else contained within that district. Here is a link to the information about this designation – it includes a very lengthy article with much information Dealey Plaza on Wikipedia.
The city of Dallas appears to be moving fast on this so time is of the essence in any actions we undertake to stop this from happening. Once you see what their “renovation” plans are, it becomes very clear they intend to remove almost everything that has to do with the assassination. The grassy knoll will be turned into a “promontory” overlooking the area, with picket fence removed, the X removed from the street, etc. I am providing a link to a newspaper article on this issue: https://interactives.dallasnews.com/2022/designers-reimagine-site-of-jfk-assassination-triple-underpass-in-downtown-dallas/e.
Based on many previous official actions in Dallas, CAPA fears this is an attempt by the city to try to erase almost all symbols or evidence of the assassination. If the whitewashing of the crime scene occurs, people new to the research would not be able to see the grassy knoll and other landmarks as they were in 1963 –and so they would not be able to make their own decisions about how this event happened.
CAPA will be working to gather other groups and people to our cause. We plan to contact David Denton, Debra Conway and others about joining with us. If you are interested in being involved in this endeavor – either to a small extent or a larger extent, please let us know. We will establish a committee promptly. Here are two main action items:
- Compile a comprehensive index of the most important news articles (publication, date, link and excerpt if possible) and official planning submission documents and upcoming meeting agendas, etc.; and
- List of the most relevant decision-makers and influencers (officials, reporters, advocates pro and con, including allies) with their titles and contact information.
One need not be on the committee to contribute information. The two goals above are important initial efforts and any help is welcome. Research findings, even partial information, can be sent to Andrew (andrew.kreig@gmail.com) and /or Glenda at visionsoffrance@cox.net. We will be deciding what actions to take at our next board meeting on Feb. 11 and will put out another email with this information.
All suggestions are welcome.
Thank You.
photo courtesy of Michael Barera