25th Anniversary of Reagan Shooting

I am not trying to be mean, but is there anyone here who has ever wondered if Reagan was actually shot by Hinkely. Rachel Maddow was talking about the shooting this morning. For the record Rachel did not suggest that Reagan was not shot. However, After hearing her talk about the incident and the information she gave I somewhat believe that Reagan was not shot by Hinkely. According to Maddow Hinkely first shot Reagans guards. Hinkely supposedly shot off four shots. His first three were in the Secret Service and a DC police officer. The fourth supposedly hit the Presidential limo first then ricoheted and hit Reagan. Beyond that at first the Secret Service did not think Reagan was shot. One of the Secret Service personnel said he rubbed his hand under Reagan's jacket and through his hair and that he did not find any wounds. Supposedly, after the limo was on its way to the White House Reagan began to spit up blood.

I know this is a little silly, but a few months ago I watched the movie "The Interputer". There was a line in the movie that said "a nearly assissinated leader is more dangerous than an assissinated leader". I think the point of the statement was that a leader who was nearly assissinated could always bring up the assissination attempt and use it to get what they want. This somewhat makes me think that the Reagan Administration might have realized that even if Hinkely had missed shooting Reagan they could use it to their advantage by making out that Reagan was this great leader who survived the attempt on his life. They may have thought he could get anything they wanted. Years later he was reelected by a wide margin.

Just like he faked having Alzheimer's to avoid prosecution for Iran-Contra.

Some people say.

It's not any sillier than that whole Vince Foster thing the right-wing keeps talking about.

Reagan 'faked Alzheimers to get out of Iran-Contra'--faked it for over 10 years, ruining the rest of his life, any family time he had left with his kids, good times with his many friends, and the rest of Nancy's 'golden years' and all their memories together????????

Just like the Bush-JFK shooting connection. Then there's the Bush-Hitler connection. And the Bush-Iran Contra connection. And the Bush-9/11 Bin Laden connection. The Bush family seems to have an unhealthy connection to so many bad things.

Read the Hinkley's book, what Reagan said in the hospital--it was typically a joke he'd make--and what his doctors and Nancy said afterwards. Nobody is going to listen to a word we say if we keep reaching for the most far outside conclusions that we can about all things rightwing.

I grew up and went to school only a few miles from Hinkley. The newspapers of the day did lots of local stories about what he was like, how he spent his time in the small motels along Colfax, going back and forth across the USA etc.

Hinkley didn't give a crap about Reagan's world position, or how he'd look if he survived--the guy had a serious thought disorder and there was nothing logical about his course of action and why he took it. Do you know that he'd sat in Ted Kennedy's ante room waiting for HIM, but he'd been delayed somehow--or the Kennedy's might've lost a 4th son?

Politics were different back then--and Hinkley didn't care one way or the other. It was actually Reagan's driver that took him to the closest hospital rather than Walter Reed? Bethesda? that saved Reagan's life. The man WAS shot under the arm and his lung was collapsing--he almost died.

Let's get ahold of ourselves, here...

P.S. There's a video of the shooting--the shots were going quite wildly--and several other people got shot at the same time. Hinkley wasn't putting his life in danger from defense by the Secret Service, but being careful where he aimed! (Nor was Reagan, in the FEW minutes it took to drive to the hospial as he was losing the ability to breath, cooking up any plot with lights, camera, and action--all with the perfect quotes, Nancy in attendance, just as he walked into the ER to faint dead away...)

I did not say anything about politics regarding Hinkley. I never said that Hinkley might have attempted the assiassination of Reagan because Reagan was a Republican. Also I never mentioned a joke by Reagan or anything Nancy Reagan or the doctors said. In addition, according to the version I heard it was the Secret Service who order the driver to the nearest hospital. You never examined the points I actually made. Why is it that Hinkley shot off four shots and none of them directly hit Reagan. His first shots were directed at the Secret Service and a DC Police Officer. Also, the Secret Service person checked Reagan and did not think Reagan had been shot. Maybe I am wrong, but why is it not possible to think that may Reagan and his people not Hinkley or anyone else decided to make something out of nothing. Finally, how do you know Hinkley was waiting for Kennedy in his ante room? How is it that Hinkley was able to get into the room? I am not the biggest conspiracy theorist, I just find some of the points of this story flawed and questionable.

"I did not say anything about politics regarding Hinkley. I never said that Hinkley might have attempted the assiassination of Reagan because Reagan was a Republican. Also I never mentioned a joke by Reagan or anything Nancy Reagan or the doctors said."


***No, you did not say those things--I DID.


"In addition, according to the version I heard it was the Secret Service who order the driver to the nearest hospital."

***I said driver--he might well have been Secret Service.That doesn't matter.


"Why is it that Hinkley shot off four shots and none of them directly hit Reagan. His first shots were directed at the Secret Service and a DC Police Officer."


***Hinkley was a bad shot, the Secret Service etc. were between him and Reagan--and the tall S.S. agent very roughly pushed Reagan into the limo and rather fell on top of him protecting him.


"Also, the Secret Service person checked Reagan and did not think Reagan had been shot."


***They had only a few minutes to get him to the hospital--there sure wasn't time for anything BUT a quick check.


"Maybe I am wrong, but why is it not possible to think that may Reagan and his people not Hinkley or anyone else decided to make something out of nothing."


***You may think anything you prefer, but if we wish to have credibility, we must sound credible.


"Finally, how do you know Hinkley was waiting for Kennedy in his ante room? How is it that Hinkley was able to get into the room?"


***I believe I read it in a book (no, I don't recall the name--and it only shows Hinkley was walking around D.C. with a gun--something that's already proven) about the Kennedys as they were speaking about his very justifiable fear of being assassinated (and by 'ante room' I meant his office waiting room).

No matter. Here's my thought on the subject: Ronald Reagan is a dead man.

So there actually WAS quite a bit of writing about Hinkley, by Hinkley, by his doctors, family, schoolmates etc.

the WAPO ran a timeline after Reagan was shot. At approximately 4:30 Richard Nixon picked up the phone and talked to Jim Baker. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation.

:tinfoilhat:

"There's this California guy I'd like to bring with me. Real solid Republican - show business background. Sorta reminds me of Ronnie, bless him."


(Reply to: Virginia Dare (423 posts) Thu Mar-30-06 09:15 AM
Response to Original message
9. I noticed something very interesting this morning..
the WAPO ran a timeline after Reagan was shot. At approximately 4:30 Richard Nixon picked up the phone and talked to Jim Baker. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation.)