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CNN Live Saturday

Kelly Wallace Reports From Dealey Plaza

Aired November 22, 2003 - 12:12   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: November 22nd, 1963, another date that will live in infamy. 40 years ago today, John F. Kennedy, the nation's 35th president was assassinated as he rode in a motorcade in Dallas. The loss of the young president shattered the nation's innocence and crumbled, what was known as "Camelot."
CNN's Kelly Wallace is joining us live how from Dealey Plaza where the fatal shots were fired.

Hello, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have been seeing people coming throughout -- through this area throughout the day. Fair to say though, right now, the biggest crowd we have seen, over the last few days, while we have been here. People coming from throughout Texas, from around the country, even from around the world. We saw a group of men from Japan coming here. People coming here to remember the late president. Some leaving flowers, some leaving notes. One man leaving a note saying, "Mr. President, we miss you, 40 years later." But, you also have the sense that a lot of people are coming here still looking for some clues. You see groups of people gathered around here, talking to various conspiracy theorists who are on hand, all displaying pictures, videos, talking to various people about their various scenarios about what they believe happened here, 40 years ago.

And, we stumbled upon someone, somewhat of a celebrity, former Minnesota governor, Jesse Ventura, who came here. He told us it's his second time, here. That he found out about the news regarding John F. Kennedy, back in 1963, when he was in -- 12 years old in the seventh grade. He describes his feelings after that and how he has a lot of doubts about what the government has told him about what happened here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSE VENTURA, FMR. MINNESOTA GOVERNOR: We went home that day and, of course, sat frozen by the television, really numb, and then watched Ruby kill Oswald on Sunday and then got the good fortune of watching my government give me a scenario that says: a lone nut killed the president and a lone nut killed the lone nut. And, they ask me to believe that.

WALLACE (on camera): And you can't believe that?

VENTURA: No, I can't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And a lot of Americans seem to agree with Jesse Ventura. You look at a poll that was taken just two weeks ago, a Gallup Poll. 75 percent of Americans saying that they cannot believe that one man, Lee Harvey Oswald, was responsible for this national tragedy -- Catherine.

CALLAWAY: You know Kelly, we'll have much more on that poll coming up in just a moment. Interesting that people are still so strong in their feelings that Oswald did not act alone.

What about the Dallas residents that you've talked to there, Kelly? Certainly not the way any city wants to be remembered.

WALLACE: No. And, you bring up a very good point, because this plaza, called Dealey Plaza, was named after a prominent civic leader, a prominent newspaper publisher, George Bannerman Dealey. He was someone that wanted to create an area that would be the gateway to Dallas, known as "Dallas' Front Door," an area of civic pride. Well, in 1963, of course, this area became forever known as something else: A source of the city's greatest pain, the place where John F. Kennedy was killed. Many people around the country blamed Dallas. People in Dallas could tell stories about getting hung up on or verbally assaulted. So, a lot of concern on the part of Dallas residents. Through the years, though, no official ceremony taking place every year. In part, the Kennedy family wants the president to be remembered for his life, not the way he died. There is an exhibit at a museum in the former Texas School Book Depository building, an exhibit remembering the president and the former first lady through very intimate pictures. And then tonight, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, for the first time, will be performing Leonard Bernstein's "Mass," this is a very complicated theatrical and musical production that Jackie Kennedy commissioned for the opening of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. back in 1971. So, that is how the city is trying to remember. But, again, a stain, many people say, on this area that was once considered, really, the pride of Dallas.

CALLAWAY: And you know Kelly, I've been to that -- to Dallas a number of times and that area seems almost frozen in time, that one location.

WALLACE: That is one of the major observations people have, how this area looks almost exactly as it did in the video clips and photographs of 1963. Again, you have the Texas -- the former Texas School Book Depository building, it looks almost exactly as it did back in 1963 and that sixth floor window where Lee Harvey Oswald is believed to have fired the fatal shots. You have the grassy knoll area behind me and the fence -- a fence in this area, long seized on by conspiracy theorists who think there could have been a second gunman firing shots from just across the way. So, it is somewhat eerie that this whole area has been almost, as you said, frozen in time, almost exactly as it was 40 years ago. And, there is a movement, on the part of -- sort of, the National Historic Landmark Advocates to keep this area as much intact and as much as it looked like back in 1963. CALLAWAY: Kelly, than you so much. That's Kelly Wallace in Dealey Plaza. And, as she mentioned in her report, just a moment ago, many Americans are still focused on how President Kennedy died. There are countless conspiracy theories, the official conclusion is that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing the president, but most Americans just don't believe that. In the Gallup Poll that Kelly mentioned, 19 percent of respondents say that one man was responsible for Kennedy's death, but 75 percent say no. When asked who may have been involved in any conspiracy against President Kennedy, 37 percent of respondents say the Mafia and 34 percent blame the CIA.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired November 22, 2003 - 12:12   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: November 22nd, 1963, another date that will live in infamy. 40 years ago today, John F. Kennedy, the nation's 35th president was assassinated as he rode in a motorcade in Dallas. The loss of the young president shattered the nation's innocence and crumbled, what was known as "Camelot."
CNN's Kelly Wallace is joining us live how from Dealey Plaza where the fatal shots were fired.

Hello, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have been seeing people coming throughout -- through this area throughout the day. Fair to say though, right now, the biggest crowd we have seen, over the last few days, while we have been here. People coming from throughout Texas, from around the country, even from around the world. We saw a group of men from Japan coming here. People coming here to remember the late president. Some leaving flowers, some leaving notes. One man leaving a note saying, "Mr. President, we miss you, 40 years later." But, you also have the sense that a lot of people are coming here still looking for some clues. You see groups of people gathered around here, talking to various conspiracy theorists who are on hand, all displaying pictures, videos, talking to various people about their various scenarios about what they believe happened here, 40 years ago.

And, we stumbled upon someone, somewhat of a celebrity, former Minnesota governor, Jesse Ventura, who came here. He told us it's his second time, here. That he found out about the news regarding John F. Kennedy, back in 1963, when he was in -- 12 years old in the seventh grade. He describes his feelings after that and how he has a lot of doubts about what the government has told him about what happened here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSE VENTURA, FMR. MINNESOTA GOVERNOR: We went home that day and, of course, sat frozen by the television, really numb, and then watched Ruby kill Oswald on Sunday and then got the good fortune of watching my government give me a scenario that says: a lone nut killed the president and a lone nut killed the lone nut. And, they ask me to believe that.

WALLACE (on camera): And you can't believe that?

VENTURA: No, I can't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And a lot of Americans seem to agree with Jesse Ventura. You look at a poll that was taken just two weeks ago, a Gallup Poll. 75 percent of Americans saying that they cannot believe that one man, Lee Harvey Oswald, was responsible for this national tragedy -- Catherine.

CALLAWAY: You know Kelly, we'll have much more on that poll coming up in just a moment. Interesting that people are still so strong in their feelings that Oswald did not act alone.

What about the Dallas residents that you've talked to there, Kelly? Certainly not the way any city wants to be remembered.

WALLACE: No. And, you bring up a very good point, because this plaza, called Dealey Plaza, was named after a prominent civic leader, a prominent newspaper publisher, George Bannerman Dealey. He was someone that wanted to create an area that would be the gateway to Dallas, known as "Dallas' Front Door," an area of civic pride. Well, in 1963, of course, this area became forever known as something else: A source of the city's greatest pain, the place where John F. Kennedy was killed. Many people around the country blamed Dallas. People in Dallas could tell stories about getting hung up on or verbally assaulted. So, a lot of concern on the part of Dallas residents. Through the years, though, no official ceremony taking place every year. In part, the Kennedy family wants the president to be remembered for his life, not the way he died. There is an exhibit at a museum in the former Texas School Book Depository building, an exhibit remembering the president and the former first lady through very intimate pictures. And then tonight, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, for the first time, will be performing Leonard Bernstein's "Mass," this is a very complicated theatrical and musical production that Jackie Kennedy commissioned for the opening of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. back in 1971. So, that is how the city is trying to remember. But, again, a stain, many people say, on this area that was once considered, really, the pride of Dallas.

CALLAWAY: And you know Kelly, I've been to that -- to Dallas a number of times and that area seems almost frozen in time, that one location.

WALLACE: That is one of the major observations people have, how this area looks almost exactly as it did in the video clips and photographs of 1963. Again, you have the Texas -- the former Texas School Book Depository building, it looks almost exactly as it did back in 1963 and that sixth floor window where Lee Harvey Oswald is believed to have fired the fatal shots. You have the grassy knoll area behind me and the fence -- a fence in this area, long seized on by conspiracy theorists who think there could have been a second gunman firing shots from just across the way. So, it is somewhat eerie that this whole area has been almost, as you said, frozen in time, almost exactly as it was 40 years ago. And, there is a movement, on the part of -- sort of, the National Historic Landmark Advocates to keep this area as much intact and as much as it looked like back in 1963. CALLAWAY: Kelly, than you so much. That's Kelly Wallace in Dealey Plaza. And, as she mentioned in her report, just a moment ago, many Americans are still focused on how President Kennedy died. There are countless conspiracy theories, the official conclusion is that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing the president, but most Americans just don't believe that. In the Gallup Poll that Kelly mentioned, 19 percent of respondents say that one man was responsible for Kennedy's death, but 75 percent say no. When asked who may have been involved in any conspiracy against President Kennedy, 37 percent of respondents say the Mafia and 34 percent blame the CIA.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com