Sirhan Sirhan may be released tomorrow

[Paul May]

Ahh, some sanity! 

Rory Kennedy speaks out:

Rory Kennedy on Wednesday asked California Gov. Gavin Newsom and prison officials to reject the parole recommendation for the man convicted of murdering her father, Robert F. Kennedy.

“I ask them, for my family and — I believe for our country, too — to please reject this recommendation and keep Sirhan Sirhan in prison,” the documentary filmmaker and youngest child of the senator and presidential candidate penned in a New York Times guest essay.

The 77-year-old Sirhan was granted parole by a two-person panel at his 16th parole hearing last Friday. Sirhan was convicted of fatally shooting RFK on June 5, 1968 in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel. Sirhan was sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life with the possibility of parole.

“My father’s murder was absolute, irreversible, a painful truth that I have had to live with every day of my life — he was indeed taken forever. Because he was killed before I was born, it meant I never had the chance to see my father’s face, and that he never had the chance to see mine,” she wrote. “For America, the price of my father’s life and ambitions cut short has been incalculable — for the thousands of young men who died in Vietnam as the war my father opposed ground on for nearly seven more years; for the millions living in poverty or under the yoke of racism; for the wrongfully convicted who have languished behind prison walls; for the generation of would-be leaders whose hopes and dreams my father carried with him. Who knows what his death has cost?”

[Charles Collins]

Rory Kennedy speaks out:

Rory Kennedy on Wednesday asked California Gov. Gavin Newsom and prison officials to reject the parole recommendation for the man convicted of murdering her father, Robert F. Kennedy.

“I ask them, for my family and — I believe for our country, too — to please reject this recommendation and keep Sirhan Sirhan in prison,” the documentary filmmaker and youngest child of the senator and presidential candidate penned in a New York Times guest essay.

The 77-year-old Sirhan was granted parole by a two-person panel at his 16th parole hearing last Friday. Sirhan was convicted of fatally shooting RFK on June 5, 1968 in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel. Sirhan was sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life with the possibility of parole.

“My father’s murder was absolute, irreversible, a painful truth that I have had to live with every day of my life — he was indeed taken forever. Because he was killed before I was born, it meant I never had the chance to see my father’s face, and that he never had the chance to see mine,” she wrote. “For America, the price of my father’s life and ambitions cut short has been incalculable — for the thousands of young men who died in Vietnam as the war my father opposed ground on for nearly seven more years; for the millions living in poverty or under the yoke of racism; for the wrongfully convicted who have languished behind prison walls; for the generation of would-be leaders whose hopes and dreams my father carried with him. Who knows what his death has cost?”

Thanks for that. I read something today about a proposal by someone in San Francisco to pay violent criminals to not kill. I haven’t learned any details. But on the surface, it makes about as much sense to me as parole for Sirhan. What is the world coming to?

[Jon Banks]

Bugliosi on the RFK assassination:

The door jamb, ceiling panels and a center divider where the other bullets were allegedly lodged were taken from the Ambassador Hotel, scene of the 1975 shooting, to the Los Angeles police department's property department and later destroyed, Bugliosi said.

"The official position of the LAPD is that only Sirhan had a gun at the assassination scene. We now have conclusive evidence that another strange individual" was there.

The man had "attended Nazi meetings in LA. He did have a gun. It was loaded. There was a minimum of two loaded guns in the pantry. That person has not testified. They never test fired his gun and the whereabouts of the gun are not known.

"Sirhan is as guilty as sin. His conviction was a proper one. But it does not exclude the possibility (of a conspiracy)," Bugliosi said.

https://oklahoman.com/article/1964607/sirhan-didnt-act-alone-author-claims

[Tom Scully]

Thanks for that. I read something today about a proposal by someone in San Francisco to pay violent criminals to not kill. I haven’t learned any details. But on the surface, it makes about as much sense to me as parole for Sirhan. What is the world coming to?

What is "the world coming to"?

https://www.startribune.com/ap-sources-intel-shows-extremists-to-attend-capitol-rally/600093004/
AP sources: Intel shows extremists to attend Capitol rally
By MICHAEL BALSAMO , ERIC TUCKER and LISA MASCARO Associated Press SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 — 4:38PM
WASHINGTON — Far right extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are planning to attend a rally later this month at the U.S. Capitol that is designed to demand "justice" for the hundreds of people who have been charged in connection with January's insurrection, according to three people familiar with intelligence gathered by federal officials.

As a result, U.S. Capitol Police have been discussing in recent weeks whether the large perimeter fence that was erected outside the Capitol after January's riot will need to be put back up, the people said.

The officials have been discussing security plans that involve reconstructing the fence as well as another plan that does not involve a fence, the people said. They were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity..."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-capitol-riot-arrests-latest/
What we know about the "unprecedented" Capitol riot arrests
BY CLARE HYMES, CASSIDY MCDONALD, ELEANOR WATSON
AUGUST 11, 2021 / 6:36 PM
"...Authorities have linked more than 80 defendants to extremist groups
Authorities have connected at least 83 alleged rioters to extremist groups and ideologies, including the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, Texas Freedom Force and the conspiracy ideology QAnon."

https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/570452-dhs-worried-taliban-takeover-could-inspire-extremist-violence-in-us
DHS worried Taliban takeover could inspire extremist violence in US: report | TheHill
John Cohen, the head of the DHS Office of Intelligence and ... Friday that white supremacist and other violent extremist groups have been ...
4 hours ago

https://www.rawstory.com/white-supremacists-extremists-align-taliban/
US officials alarmed after white supremacists cite Taliban as a model for waging domestic war in US: CNN
Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis chief John Cohen cited the "great replacement" conspiracy theory that ...
5 hours ago


https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/04/white-supremacists-terror-threat-dhs-409236
DHS draft document: White supremacists are greatest terror ...2020/09/04 › white-...
Sep 4, 2020 — The Homeland Security Department headquarters. None of the DHS drafts POLITICO reviewed referred to a threat from Antifa, the loose cohort of ...

Rename it, then? Toss out what is implemented, influenced by experience? Treating Sirhan similarly to any other convict of similar conviction record and behavior and achievement while incarcerated is in the best interest of everyone in California, especially those tasked with prison administration.

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Department_of_Corrections_and_Rehabilitation
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is the penal law enforcement agency of the government of California responsible for the ...

[Jon Banks]

Rory Kennedy speaks out:

Rory Kennedy on Wednesday asked California Gov. Gavin Newsom and prison officials to reject the parole recommendation for the man convicted of murdering her father, Robert F. Kennedy.

“I ask them, for my family and — I believe for our country, too — to please reject this recommendation and keep Sirhan Sirhan in prison,” the documentary filmmaker and youngest child of the senator and presidential candidate penned in a New York Times guest essay.

The 77-year-old Sirhan was granted parole by a two-person panel at his 16th parole hearing last Friday. Sirhan was convicted of fatally shooting RFK on June 5, 1968 in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel. Sirhan was sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life with the possibility of parole.

“My father’s murder was absolute, irreversible, a painful truth that I have had to live with every day of my life — he was indeed taken forever. Because he was killed before I was born, it meant I never had the chance to see my father’s face, and that he never had the chance to see mine,” she wrote. “For America, the price of my father’s life and ambitions cut short has been incalculable — for the thousands of young men who died in Vietnam as the war my father opposed ground on for nearly seven more years; for the millions living in poverty or under the yoke of racism; for the wrongfully convicted who have languished behind prison walls; for the generation of would-be leaders whose hopes and dreams my father carried with him. Who knows what his death has cost?”

For those who aren't convinced that Sirhan is remorseful or believe he has lied for 50 years about not remembering committing the crime, what is your explanation for why he would lie?

What did he gain from pleading Guilty while saying he doesn't remember anything about the assassination?

[Richard Smith]

For those who aren't convinced that Sirhan is remorseful or believe he has lied for 50 years about not remembering committing the crime, what is your explanation for why he would lie?

What did he gain from pleading Guilty while saying he doesn't remember anything about the assassination?

He was guilty and had no hope of being found not guilty.  Caught with the smoking gun literally in his hands.  This is the time honored tactic of criminals in prison to garner sympathy.  Like getting religion.  He is trying to cast doubt on his guilt for the rubes who will take up his cause.   Like James Earl Ray he is playing to the conspiracy theorists to get him out of jail.   He also claims to have been drunk when he killed RFK and likely has some mental issues.  So maybe his memory of events is not clear and he harbors some delusion that he didn't do it or was under mind control. 

[Charles Collins]

By contrast, I read about a case where a guy was sentenced to 70-years (25 to be in prison) for assaulting and kidnapping his ex-wife. He plead guilty.

Sirhan was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He only narrowly escaped the death penalty because California temporarily did away with it. In my opinion, these circumstances should mean he never leaves prison.

[Jon Banks]

He was guilty and had no hope of being found not guilty.  Caught with the smoking gun literally in his hands.  This is the time honored tactic of criminals in prison to garner sympathy.  Like getting religion.  He is trying to cast doubt on his guilt for the rubes who will take up his cause.   Like James Earl Ray he is playing to the conspiracy theorists to get him out of jail.   He also claims to have been drunk when he killed RFK and likely has some mental issues.  So maybe his memory of events is not clear and he harbors some delusion that he didn't do it or was under mind control.

Sure but he hasn’t gained anything from denying any memory of the event. He couldn’t predict that CA would ban the Death Penalty or that he might eventually get parole.

The insanity defense didn’t work for Sirhan because he’s clearly not mentally ill.

The physical evidence, not Sirhan’s claims of amnesia, is why many still believe there was a conspiracy.

Vincent Bugliosi believed Sirhan was guilty but also believed others were involved.

Bugliosi on the RFK assassination:

The door jamb, ceiling panels and a center divider where the other bullets were allegedly lodged were taken from the Ambassador Hotel, scene of the 1975 shooting, to the Los Angeles police department's property department and later destroyed, Bugliosi said.

"The official position of the LAPD is that only Sirhan had a gun at the assassination scene. We now have conclusive evidence that another strange individual" was there.

The man had "attended Nazi meetings in LA. He did have a gun. It was loaded. There was a minimum of two loaded guns in the pantry. That person has not testified. They never test fired his gun and the whereabouts of the gun are not known.

"Sirhan is as guilty as sin. His conviction was a proper one. But it does not exclude the possibility (of a conspiracy)," Bugliosi said.

https://oklahoman.com/article/1964607/sirhan-didnt-act-alone-author-claims

Investigators were never able to match Sirhan’s gun to the bullets that wounded Kennedy.