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Should we use the term, "CT" ?

Since we use the terms, CT, CTer, CIA-did-it CT, and CIA-did-it CTer, we should probably explain our usage of these terms. The first, semi-official recognition of these terms in the English language, to the best of my knowledge, occurred in 2002 by the well-known novelist and historian, Thomas Mallon. His book, Mrs. Paine's Garage, recognizes the terms "CT" (Conspiracy Theory) and "LN" (Lone Nut) in his chapter entitled, "History" (p. 157ff).

Thomas Mallon brings the history of JFK research up to present time as he recognizes the massive archives of JFK literature already stored in Internet Archives, and discussed endlessly in Internet newsgroups and on blogs like this one. In that literature, Mallon finds the terms, "CT" and "LN" to be common abbreviations.

Further, Mallon recognizes their developments, "CTer" (Conspiracy Theorist) and "LNer" (Lone Nut Theorist). There is a further development, the term, 'Nutter" (Lone Nut Theorist). So, these are common abbreviations in the English language now, semi-officially recognized --- and used -- by Thomas Mallon as early as 2003. We did not make them up. They are not neologisms from the current decade. These abbreviations are at least 20 years old.

As for the term, CIA-did-it CT, we refer to the most common (by far) of the JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theories, namely, that the CIA killed JFK.

When Jim Garrison first announced his JFK CT in 1968 as District Attorney of New Orleans, he sought to show that Clay Shaw, alias Clay Bertrand, was a CIA agent, and aware of every detail of the JFK Assassination. This was the first CIA-did-it CT that was reported by the mass media. Jim Garrison lost that case. Yet his legacy lives on in a massive literature that attempts to prove that Jim Garrison was right. Here is the root of CIA-did-it CT literature.

Oliver Stone's movie, JFK (1991), gave a tremendous boost to CIA-did-it literature. Yet we must frankly admit that the JFK Assassination is now more than 54 years behind us, and the CIA-did-it CT has failed to obtain closure. No smoking gun. No material evidence has yet proved that the CIA killed JFK.

Jason and I want to highlight this fact in letters 50 feet high and lighted with neon. The CIA-did-it CT has failed to produce what it boasted it would produce for a half century. What a waste of time, scholarship and media!

The material evidence, on the contrary, even within the pages of the Warren Commission documents themselves, point plainly to a Dallas-based plot to kill JFK in Dallas. In a special sense, the CIA-did-it CT has misdirected researchers away from Dallas Officials. The CIA-did-it CT continues to pretend to be "on the trail" of the assassins, and they continue to hold the majority of CTers spellbound. They continue to dismiss any hint of a Dallas plot.

By using the terms, "CT" and "CTer" we are clearly addressing a community that goes back a quarter-century, at least to the time of Oliver Stone's, JFK. For the rest of our readers, we welcome you to the vast and contradictory literature of the JFK Assassination CTers.

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