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The very presence of a Kennedy on the grassy knoll on November 22, 1997 spoke volumes. Kerry McCarthy, a cousin to the slain president, was there that day, and that night was the special speaker at the JFK Lancer-Mary Ferrell Awards dinner.
She thanked those in the audience for being at the conference. "Your continued desire to find truth, and to understand history, and finally, to demand the very best of your government, is an inspiration to each of us around the nation who will one day finally thank you for your dedication." She singled out the efforts of Debra Conway and Tom Jones of JFK Lancer "for reaching out to those who need to know." She also thanked Lancer's George Michael Evica. "He lends great import to this event, because of his enthusiasm, his knowledge, and his delight in life."
McCarthy also lauded archivist Mary Ferrell, and "the scholars who take the time to study the end of the journey that John Kennedy took on this earth. To some of you, it has been a beginning to find John Kennedy. To others, it is thought of as his last moments here. But obviously he is destined not to leave us for many many years --- especially while we still wonder, who took him from us?
"I offer the respect that is so richly deserved to those of you in the research community, and to all of my fellow speakers who have made the effort this weekend to remind us that a crime took place."
McCarthy also said that JFK would have respected the work of the research community, for the effort "to bring history into focus, and to present that history into factual terms." Had he not gone into politics, McCarthy said Kennedy would have remained a writer. "To see those of you publishing your ideas and your thoughts and theories at an event such as this, I think, is a fine tribute to a man who inspired people to think, but a man who worshiped ideas."
She invoked Kennedy's Profiles in Courage, and its stories of people finding courage in the face of adversity. "The most remarkable thing they did was to not quit. And I urge you tonight: Do not quit in the work that you do. For we need you."
But perhaps her most arresting comments were those bearing directly on the conspiracy behind her cousin's death. She said she had heard conference attendees speaking together in the halls during breaks. "You have a life that is unknown to many of us. You have a life that is filled with facts and figures, with trajectories ... an understanding of facts that we have not been privy to, even though, in hushed tones in my family, scenarios have been discussed, and rumors have been flowing. There have been times that Bobby's depression and sadness over his brother's death brought out conversations --- perhaps feelings of guilt --- so I may know things said and overheard by a child that may be different from what you know. But what we all know is, none of us know it all yet...
"His death was not an act of anger. It was the premeditated murder of our nation's leader, motivated for very specific reasons, and benefiting those who ordered it. The people of this nation know that, and they still hope for answers."
At the beginning of her speech, Kerry McCarthy had complimented a group of researchers whose work had been honored with JFK Lancer-Mary Ferrell awards. "Your presentations have been remarkable in their scope," she said, "but most importantly their sincerity has touched my heart and that of my sisters. And if it means that I have embraced the research community, what the heck has taken the Kennedys so long to do it?"
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