JFK assassination folklore

In December 2006, I documented graffiti along the fence of the famed "Grassy Knoll" - the focus of conspiracy theories involving the JFK assassination. Graffiti can be an expression of folk beliefs and attitudes and the inside of the fence provides an excellent canvas for people to express their beliefs.

This photo, for example, shows the setting of the fence and the knoll as well as a larger piece of graffiti that reads "THE FBI DID IT."

This image also shows the setting - and its clear view of the street where Kennedy was shot. A smaller piece of barely-visible graffiti reads "Janet Reno" - referring to the Attorney General under Clinton.

A fine selection of graffiti is visible in this image including the prominently displayed "Tell The Truth!!!"

This image includes the message that the Military Industrial Complex was to blame.

Another panel calls on divine wrath. A thank you to "Oliver" refers to Oliver Stone's film on the assassination.

This image provides a context for the Grassy Knoll and the fence, as seen from across the street. The car on the road follows the path that the presidential limousine took on November 22, 1963.

Yet another expression of popular attitude comes with the editorializing on this Texas historical marker attached to the book repository where Oswald worked. The word "allegedly" has been underlined by someone who felt there was a need for emphasis.

One doesn't often think of graffiti as a form of folklore, but it can be a valuable way to understand popular attitudes - and it is a way for people to express themselves, removed from the more tightly-controlled options of mass media and publications.