Some of you may be familiar with the longstanding story of a pedophile sex ring, based in Nebraska, which serviced prominent members of the Republican party during the 1980s. The ring was -- allegedly -- run by a locally-prominent GOP bigwig named Larry King, later convicted in a massive fraud case involving a credit union.
One of the Republicans mentioned prominently in these accounts is none other than George H.W. Bush, the former president.
The whole complex narrative has been told many times, most completely in John De Camp's underground bestseller, "The Franklin Cover-up."
I've spoken to people in Nebraska who followed the unfolding scandal as it happened, and who became convinced that the witness testimony was concocted or exaggerated. The main witness, Paul Bonacci, once fell into the company of a religious extremist, and one can only guess how that association might have tainted his recollection. There are many claims loosely connected to this case which I simply cannot believe -- at least, not without a great deal more evidence.
As some of you may know, there exists a sizable subculture of troubled individuals who make wild claims about child sex, ritual abuse, mind control, and sundry other activities. Many of these assertions come from attention-seeking individuals who should be regarded very, very skeptically.
Even so, fairness dictates that each case should be judged individually. I hope you will take the time to view a suppressed documentary on the Nebraska affair. The 1994 film is called "Conspiracy of Silence,." It was originally intended to be broadcast on the Discovery Channel in the U.S. and on Yorkshire television in the U.K.
At one time, many believed that no copies of the film remained in existence. However, a work print of the film survives and can now be seen online. A few shots are missing, as are the opticals. (The musical temp track is highly appropos, and shuld be quite recognizable to David Lynch fans.)
It was one thing to discuss -- and perhaps dismiss -- the veracity of de Camp and his witnesses when they remained inky abstractions on the printed page. This film, however, gives us a chance to judge body language, vocal timbre, demeanor, and other subtle indicators of veracity.
I'm still not quite sure what to make of this case, and I've no intention of devoting much of this column's space to this or allied controversies. But I must admit that "Conspiracy of Silence" makes its argument in a striking and compelling fashion.
The film does not directly mention Bush (except in a glancing reference to Iran/contra). But "Poppy" looms large over the investigation, particularly during the closing sequences.
Watch this documentary, seek out information from all sides, and make up your own mind.
1 comment:
I tend not to believe it.
It sounds as if this "documentary" was British-produced, and I regard it at about the same level of credibility as the crackpot one of Marilyn Monroe which was based on Anthony Summers' awful book.
If Congress put pressure on the Discovery Channel, it was probably because the most sensational of the allegations weren't true.
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