In my continuing effort to draw attention from educators in Texas including those Superintendents of Schools in the major cities to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza poisoning the minds of teachers and students with distortions of history about the JFK assassination, I sent a letter along with my latest book, “Collateral Damage” to Mike Morath, the Texas Commissioner of Education. This is the second time I have done so. If you agree with the facts and conclusions in the letter, please contact Morath’s office and demand changes at the museum to reflect the true events that took place in 1963 or that, best of all, the museum be closed.
Here is the letter:
June 29, 2021
Mr. Mike Morath
Commissioner of Education
Texas Education Agency
1701 N. Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas, 78701
Re: The 6th Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza and Distortions of History Affecting Teachers and Students of All Ages
Dear Mr. Morath,
On August 20, 2020, I sent a letter to you regarding my extensive concerns about the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza distorting history on a daily basis regarding all aspects of the JFK assassination. To date, I have not received a reply.
Based on my latest book, “Collateral Damage,” (included for your reference), the fifth touching on the assassinations adding to my reputation as the foremost expert on what happened in Dallas in November, 1963, I am once again contacting you while copying all those I believe should know about the museum’s failure to update their exhibits and programs, provide a bookstore stocked with books other than those focused on the bogus “Oswald Alone” theory, or close their doors. You, and others in the education community, must protect teachers and students from the museum’s continuing effort to keep that theory alive so that the museum remains relevant and millions of dollars pour into the museum’s coffers.
Below is the excerpt I included in the “Collateral Damage” Epilogue regarding what I call “The Wall of Shame,” those who continue to distort history including authors and other so-called assassination experts despite the knowledge that they are doing so. This is certainly the case with the museum’s board of directors at the Dallas Historical Society and those who run the day-to-day operation, CEO Nicola Langford, Curator Stephen Fagin, and Curator of Collections Lindsey Richardson. (These allegations were fully explained in my August 20, 2020 letter to you.)
While it is important that students and teachers in Texas are provided with all points of view regarding any matters of history including the assassination, deliberately distorting that truth while permitting visitors to believe that the “Oswald Alone” theory is the only truth cannot continue especially when, to date, more than 85% of the American people believe that theory is nonsense as proven in all of my books including the new one and many others. When I visited the museum in 2019, I was abhorred, as noted in the new book, with the outdated condition of the exhibits, some more than five years old, and the programs that the museum sells to schools which have absolutely no ring of credibility to them. In addition, the bookshop stocks only “Oswald Alone” books providing what can only be called a museum that is a shrine to this evil man who was, for certain, only a secondary player in what I, and other experts, have proven was a plot to kill JFK in order to render his brother Robert powerless, which is just exactly what happened.
Despite my pleas and those of others, the powers-that-be have turned the museum into a merchandizing enterprise and cash cow by utilizing what they call a “tribute to the president” as the museum’s calling card when it is nothing of the sort amounting to false advertising. To that end, the museum sends out periodic “dispatches” to its extensive email list promoting “specials” on JFK merchandize while soliciting donations under false pretenses.
During a recent interview on WLIF radio in Dallas with Ernie Brown, I mentioned the distortions of history at the museum. Mr. Brown concurred and the said, “Besides, the museum is boring,” his indication that there is nothing of any accurate historical value in the exhibits, etc. On July 8, I will be appearing at the Allen Library for the third time regarding “Collateral Damage,” and part of my presentation will once again be to let the world know that the museum is an embarrassment to Dallas, a continuing reminder of the death of a president, a stain on the city which must be wiped away for good. Hopefully civic leaders there will take action and force the museum to update the exhibits and alter its program so that Dallas may lose is reputation as “the city that hates,” which is connected to the absurd idea that Oswald acted alone.
What am I asking you to do? Before the fall when schools are back in session, please assign one of your educational experts to visit the museum and to ask the tough questions including why those in charge continue to pound the drum for the “Oswald Alone” theory and deceive, yes, deceive, those students and teachers who visit, as well as the public, with outdated and false information about the assassination. If you do this, and use your authority to put pressure on those in charge to either make the required changes to all aspects of the museum, they may finally do the right thing and stop distorting history.
In my copy of this letter to Stephen Fagin, etc., I am once again requesting, as I have done before, to donate my collection of books about the assassination, including “Collateral Damage” to the museum with the request that they stock these books as well as those by others of note, in the bookstore. I am also asking to speak there so that I may present the most up to date information about the assassination including my proving once again that there was a plot to kill JFK as indicated in the Ruby trial transcripts, the most accurate account of what happened in 1963, which the museum deliberately hides from view..
While not being a citizen of Texas, I have deep love for education and the truth. As I told you in my previous letter:
Further evidence of my credibility has recently been the result of an honor bestowed upon me by a major university requesting to be the archival repository for all of my books, including Collateral Damage, the new one to be published in 2021, research books, manuscripts, notes, papers, USA Today articles, ABC, CBS, ESPN, and CNN television appearances, and presentation videos, photos, etc. One of the intentions is to make students and teachers across the country aware of the educational benefits regarding the five books I have written touching on the assassinations and provide lesson plans for further study. If there is interest on your part in participating in this program, please let me know.
The “major university” is my alma mater, Purdue, and in October of last year, those in the archival department requested to house my body of work as described above. For your interest, here are the links to the press release and the Purdue collection page where my “Papers” will be alongside those of Amelia Earhart and Neil Armstrong. What an honor for sure and certainly my two letters to you will be part of the collection. https://tinyurl.com/yyth7afp and https://archives.lib.purdue.edu/repositories/2/resources/1620
Commissioner Morath, the future of students in Texas is in your hands. That is quite a responsibility, one that requires that you weed out untruths and distortions of history so that these students learn what really happened in Dallas in 1963. At the very least, after your office’s investigation which will prove the allegations I have noted, it will be your duty of warn school administrators and teachers to not permit their students to be brainwashed with false information about one of the most important events in history, one very sad in nature for sure.
As a bestselling author and historian, I will continue to alert anyone who will listen through my books, interviews and presentations. There are, to date, more than 2.5 million YouTube views of the interviews and presentations including 60,000 in less than three weeks for an interview about “Collateral Damage” at the prestigious Commonwealth Club of San Francisco on June10. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc2jGQFjVFs. The Allen Library presentation will also be uploaded to YouTube with my once again exposing the museum’s distortions of history and my attempts to persuade you to take action.
Thank you for the consideration. Please provide me with the courtesy of a response.
Mark Shaw
cc: Ms. Ovidia Molina, President, Texas Parent Teachers Association
Mr. Michael Hinojosa, Dallas ISD Superintendent
Dr. Kent Parades Srcibner, Ft. Worth ISD Superintendent
Mr. Grenita Lathan Houston ISD Superintendent
Ms. Stephanie S. Elizalde, Austin ISD Superintendent
Mr. Eric Johnson, Dallas Mayor
Ms. Rena Pederson
Judge Brandon Birmingham
Mr. Toby Shook, Attorney at Law
Mr. Stephen Fagin
Ms. Nicola Langford
Ms. Lindsey Richardson
Mr. James Hollified
Mr. Plack Carr, Jr.