Assassinated: Part II - Presidents Killed

What are your memories of the JFK assassination?

"I had my hands over my head, tears rolling down my cheeks and my heart was overwhelmed with grief" - Nabi Yaya Sesay, Sierra Leonean

"I recall that even at 6 years of age I understood that to many Texans it was a huge effort to show courtesy to this exotic fellow from the damnyankee north." - Keith Grantham, USA

"I was standing talking to my cousin Brian in the back yard of the school... Suddenly Jerry, one of the tougher young lads in the school, ran out from inside, halted next to Mr Desjardins and yelled, "Holy [f-word]! Kennedy's been shot!" - Jim Diamond, Canada

These are some reactions found on BBC's On This Day website. For many who were alive in 1963, most can say they remember where they were, what they were doing and how they reacted to such shocking and socially-ripping news. John F. Kennedy died 35 minutes after being shot during a Presidential parade down Elm St. in Dallas, Texas.

For those of you unaware of the events, here is a compilation video Dead Sea Media has put together, which includes available footage of the president before he was shot, the infamous Zapruder film of the bullets striking him and the chaos and confusion that occurred after. It can also be found on MetaCafe.



Abraham Zapruder's film was one of 14 known videos taken that day. The others are not as clear and as close to the action as Zapruder. All videos have been recovered except the one by a woman who can be seen in the Zapruder and Orville Nix films, nicknamed the "Babushka Lady" for the clothes she was wearing.

Lee Harvey Oswald was immediately accused of taking the fatal shots from his location in the Texas Schoolbook Depository, although there are a lot of evidence suggesting there were, in fact, two shooters. In any case, four separate US government investigations (including the Warren report) found him guilty of killing President Kennedy and officer J. D. Tippit.

However, five days before the Warren Report was issued by the United States government, and two days after JFK's assassination, Oswald himself was shot dead by a man named Jack Ruby (born Jacob Rubenstein) during a jail transfer. It was also caught on camera.



Rubentein was a Dallas Nightclub owner and had links to the mafia, but when he publicly shot and killed Oswald, Rubenstein claimed he was avenging President Kennedy's death.

The killing silenced Oswald and inspired much controversy and conspiracy theories into JFK's assassination.

President Reagan Assassination Attempt

On March 30, 1981 President Ronald Reagan had been president for a total of 70 days, when leaving the Washington Hilton Hotel was shot by John Hinckley Jr.

The last of Hinckley's six shots fired hit President Reagan under his left arm and barely missing his heart. He underwent emergency surgery and recovered quickly. Also injured was White House Press Secretary James Brady, police officer Thomas Delehanty and Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy.

The events were captured by television network camera man and most recently CBS released the footage below showing the events during and after the shooting.



Death of a President

Do you remember where you were when President George W. Bush was killed?

The 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush was killed on October 19, 2007.

The fictional documentary Death of a President by British director and writer Gabriel Range created a movie based on this premise. Although criticized by media and the Texan Republican Party, it played off a true reality in any president may fear. Many US theatres refused to play it and the film was blasted by Senator Hilary Clinton.

Distributed in the US by Newmarket Films (who also distributed The Prestige and Monster) the film won the International Critics Prize at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival.

Below is the assassination sequence of President Bush, where the film used archive footage, CGI and and staged actors to complete the scene.



The scene lacks the impact an assassination attempt on a President should have. A sniper made the shot, and he died later in hospital. The film was more focused on the politics surrounding the killing than the moment Bush was killed. Surely, in today's online video age, there would be more video evidence of the shooting. More graphic and chaos is expected for the death of a president of Bush's stature. Even in 1963 there was 14 different films available used as evidence. Today, that number would at least double. There would be witnesses everywhere and footage would dominate television news all over the world.

Although we may never see another assassination so real and graphic as JFK's was, the web 2.0 video sharing age allows us access to the front-of-the-line and more frequently makes us witnesses to horrific violence and death everyday of our lives.

Assassinated: Part I - Men Silenced

On January 19, 2007 Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist and editor, was killed by a young male on the streets of Istanbul in broad daylight. Outside the newspaper offices where he worked, Dink's body was covered by a white sheet and blood trail visible to the public.


Dink wrote a weekly column at Agos, a Turkish newspaper. Dink spoke out about the 1915 massacre of Armenians in which he claimed Turkish government refuse to recognize as genocide. In the months leading up to his assassination, Dink received multiple death threats and wrote about the fear he was living with in his final column.



Assassinated for Ideas

Dink's life was taken by the hands of a radical, a person who built up enough hate to kill him. He was first assassination of 2007, adding him to a long list of people killed for sharing their ideas and opinion.

Wikipedia has a list of people assassinated throughout history. The list is full of political figures including presidents, prime ministers, leaders of political parties, celebrities and, more recently, journalists. On that list are many individuals whose words and ideas could have prevented war, inspired peace and become legendary. Rather, they are known for their death and as victims of extreme measures of hate.

Mahatma Gandhi

Almost 60 years ago, on January 30, 1948 Gandhi was shot dead at point blank range by Nathuram Godse, an activist with a Hindu nationalist organization. Gandhi lived through his political visions of truth and non-violence, derived from strong spiritual and religious views. He condemned both World Wars and taught his followers his founding principles.

"There are many causes that I am prepared to die for but no causes that I am prepared to kill for". - Gandhi

Praised by many, Ghandi's killing came as a shock to the public. One of his biggest followers and first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, broadcasted this message on All India Radio on the day Ghandi was shot.

On January 31, 2007, Muni Jaitly, a young journalist sat down with his grandfather for CBCNews.com to talk about the assassination. Shri Dharam Jit Jigyasu was 33 when Gandhi was shot. By Jit Jigyasu's side at the public prayer was Godse, who, after bowing down and praising Gandhi, shot him three times. Jit Jigyasu says he held Gandhi in his arms as he died. See the interview below.




Inejiro Asanuma

Inejiro Asanuma was the Chairman of Japan's Socialist Party in 1960 when on October 12, 17-year-old Otoya Yamaguchi stabbed him while giving a speech.

Inejiro was famous for speaking publicly about Socialism and economic and cultural opportunities. The footage of Yamaguchi's initial stabbing was later broadcast on national television and caused a strong rift between left and right wing politicians (see below).



Newspaper photographer Yasushi Nagao snapped the photo below as Yamaguchi withdrew the blade from his second stab. In 1961, Nagao won the Pulitzer Prize for the photograph.


Anwar Al Sadat

On October 6, 1981 during a victory parade in Cairo, Egyptian soldiers in a troop truck stopped in front of the Presidential stand. Sadat stood to receive his salute as air force jets flew overhead but instead, soldiers from inside the truck, emerged and threw grenades and fired rounds in Sadat's direction. Lead assassin, Khalid Islambouli, shouted "Death to Pharaoh!" as he ran towards the presidential stand and shot Sadat in the head. Seven others were killed in the attack as well as two of the attackers.






The soldiers were supporters of an Egyptian Islamist group who were against Sadat's peace talks with Israel. Sadat, since his presidential inception in 1970, sought for peace with Israel. However, after Israel refused to withdraw the land it captured during the six-day war, Sadat bulked up the Egyptian army and, along with Syria, surprise-attacked Israel on October 6, 1973 by crossing the cease-fire lines.

Sadat's initial victories restored Egyptian morale and renewed the nation's political significance. In November 1977, Sadat became the first Arab leader to visit Israel and met with prime minister Menachem Begin to again discuss a permanent peace settlement between Egypt and Israel.


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Tomorrow Dead Sea Media will bring you Assassinated: Part II - Presidents Killed. We will take a closer look at the murder of JFK and it's effects to mainstream media.

An Archive of Disturbing Illustration and Photos

Photographs have an undeniable appeal. As if the camera takes advantage of the victims they shoot. But remember there is a person behind every camera taking that picture.

Take a look at this site of archived images.

www.rotten.com - An archive of disturbing illustration

"The soft white underbelly of the net, eviscerated for all to see: Rotten dot com collects images and information from many sources to present the viewer with a truly unpleasant experience."

There are some disturbing pictures here and some may have you questioning your morals. But this is what you will not find in mainstream media, these are the hidden images people should see. Death is human, let us discuss it and not just fear it.

World News Today + Commentary

Gaza Waste Flooding Kills Five

A northern Gaza sewage reservoir collapsed yesterday, sending rivers of human waste into a village, killing five people and destroying 200 homes.

The dead include two elderly women, two young children and a teenage girl, while hospital officials report 35 other injuries.

According to the Associated Press, rescue crews and Hamas gunmen scoured the flooded areas with paddle boats, in search of anyone that may have been buried. Others waded through the dirty water up to their hips.

Interior Minister Hani Kawasmeh visited the village of Umm Naser but was welcomed by angry mobs and gunfire.

Gaza City Mayor Majid Abu Ramadan blamed residents of stealing dirt around the sewage basins so they can sell it to builders. However, with the population producing almost four times as much waste as treatment centers can treat, a large open sewer was built.

Here, mosquitoes breed and water-borne diseases develop. UN officials fear a public health disaster if more flooding occurs.

Iraqi Police Revenge Killings

Shiite militants and Iraqi police raided Sunni neighborhoods and homes in a northeastern part of Tal Afar Wednesday, killing around 60 people.

These acts of revenge come after insurgents blew up two trucks in Tal Afar yesterday killing at least 55 people and injuring 25 more. One bomb was hidden in a truck arriving at a market with a full load of food supplies. BBC reported.

According to hospital officials, the dead were men between the ages of 15-60 and shot in the back of the head.

According to the Associated Press, army troops have moved into the Sunni areas to stop the violence and a curfew was put on the town.

Dead Sea Media Commentary

In total over 100 people were killed in these cases of international death. Whether it be by a small village disaster caused by the flooding of human feces or large scale attacks on rival religious groups, many people have died.

Major news agencies in the world do not pay enough attention to these cases. The BBC article of the Iraqi attacks reads " Gunmen kill dozens in Iraqi town". The word "dozens" does not draw interest or read IMPORTANT. CNN tagged the story "Police accused in sectarian revenge killings" but does not stress how many people got killed. They are simply reporting it under the mask of an objective lens.

Sure international news coverage may not have the impact like local news stories will. In order for this "ideal" world of "peace and unity" to be reached people must develop their knowledge in the news around the world. Globalization of companies have made international relations more important than ever, so a unity of profit-making solutions are on most organization's agenda. Not a unity of peace.

Anna Nicole Smith

Today Dead Sea Media will try and recap the events through video after Smith, 39, collapsed at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida on February 8, 2007.

Anna Nicole Smith died of an “accidental overdose” according to autopsy reports and analysis of evidence Medical Examiner Dr. Joshua Perper and Broward County, Florida police announced yesterday.

Perper said Smith died of "combined drug intoxication" with the sleeping medication chloral hydrate as the major factor. She mixed the drug with other prescribed drugs such as methadone for pain, Valium, as well as anti-bacterial medication.

Paramedics rushed Smith’s body to Memorial Hospital after she collapsed in the hotel lobby but was announced dead on arrival at 2:29. This video on YouTube shows the footage of the final moments her life, which sold for more than $500,000 after a media bidding war.



News broke on Fox News after her death was confirmed by her lawyer.



During the course of the day, Smith’s body was moved to the Medical Examiner’s wing of the hospital. This is where she was initially examined by Perper.



After her death, many people turned to her boyfriend, lawyer Howard K. Stern, for answers. ET had an exclusive interview with him a day after Smith’s death.



Almost immediately after Anna Nicole’s death, a battle for her remains was brought to Florida court. Anna Nicole’s estranged mother, Virgie Arthur, wanted her to be buried in Texas, while Stern, wanted her remains laid to rest in the Bahamas next to her son, Daniel. The matter was further complicated by ex-boyfriend Larry Birkhead, who claims to be the father of Anna Nicole’s new born daughter, Dannielynn.

According to the BBC, Judge Larry Seidlin heard from all three of the key players, plus witnesses including a former bodyguard. On February 22, he awarded custody of Anna Nicole’s body to her daughter and her guardian, Attorney Richard Milstein.



Speculation grew when Anna Nicole’s death certificate was leaked online on February 28, which listed Howard K. Stern "Nominated Executor" rather than boyfriend or partner.



As well, the video below that shows Anna Nicole covered in clown makeup and tending to a baby doll in a stroller. Many people believe the person mocking her in the video is Stern, saying, “This footage is worth money”.







On March 2, and after three weeks after deliberation over her remains, Anna Nicole was given a funeral carried out in the Bahamas and her body was laid to rest next to her son. He mother was booed by the crowds of people after trying to appeal the judge’s decision.



The ordeal is not over yet for Stern and Birkhead who both battling custody of Dannielynn, each of claiming to be her father. As well, many celebrities and video sharing users are mocking the trials with parodies of the situation.

Below a video that reveals that OJ Simpson claims to the father. Now that’s just ludicrous. Many more comedy spoofs can be found on YouTube, MetaCafe, and DailyMotion.



Stern’s and Birkhead’s DNA has been tested, and after court proceedings on April 3 the public will finally know the father of Dannielynn.

Rest in peace Anna Nicole Smith.

Even Cricket Can't Escape Death

The 2007 Cricket World Cup is currently being held in the West Indies. It started on March 19, 2007 and will run until the final championship match on April 28, 2007.

The theme song for this year's event is "The Game of Love and Unity"

This year, over 100,000 people are expected to make the visit to the islands hosting the games. So far, two unexpected powerhouses in Pakistan and India have been eliminated in the first round.

On March 18, 2007, a day after Pakistan's loss to Ireland, eliminating them from the tournament, their coach Bob Woolmer was found dead at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica.

After initial specualtion that the death was related to Woolmer's health (he was a type 2 diabetic and suffered from breathing problems), Jamaican Police announced he was strangled. His body was found in his hotel room, where he lay half-naked with only a towel on.

Now treating the incident as a murder, a Jamaican police officer told the Jamaican Gleaner "A bone in the neck, near the glands, was broken, and this suggests that somebody might have put some pressure on it."

There is speculation people involved in match-fixing were at the heart of the murder, but Woolmer's wife Gill denied these claims. "He had nothing to do with the match-fixing controversy and any such person being involved is highly unlikely. We never got any threats as far as I know"

Police interviewed and collected fingerprints and DNA samples from the entire Pakistan cricket team before letting them leave the country on March 24.

A Time magazine article focuses on the scandals Cricket has been involved in recently. Simon Robinson writes,

"Cricket is neither gentle nor even that noble these days. Over the past decade international cricket has been shaken by a series of scandals — match fixing, doping, illegal bowling actions (a cricket ball must be delivered with a straight arm; a bent elbow as in baseball's pitching action is impermissible) — that have sandpapered away much of the honor and decency that the game once embodied."

In the article, Robinson mentions that Woolmer was working on a book in which some commentators speculate would expose match-fixing within the Pakistani team.

The Associated Press reported that authorities said there was no sign of forced entry, suggesting Woolmer likely knew the killer or killers.

Police are currently analyzing security cameras from the hotel to get a better idea of who was on the same floor as Woolmer's room at the time of the murder

Man Ends Life on Web Cam

A British man video streamed his hanging on a online chat room service, his body was found by police late Wednesday.

London's Times Online (also see London Lite's online story) described the course of action in their lead:

"Kevin Whitrick logged on to an internet chat room and announced that he was going to commit suicide. He then switched on his webcam, stood on a chair, smashed through his ceiling to expose a joist, tied a rope around his neck and hanged himself."


Whitrick created a chatroom group on the chatting service Paltalk.com called "kels FRIENDLY insult chat for evrbody [sic]". This type of "insult" chat room would be set up for people to join and insult each other with no hard feelings.

Whitrick, a 42-year-old electrical engineer from Wellington, England, was logged in with about 50 other chatters in room that combines people chatting via text, microphone or web cam. As Whitrick (whose Paltalk user name was shyboy_17_1 and has almost 11,000 views) revealed his suicide plan when he stood on a chair, tore into his ceiling to reveal a joist and tied the rope around his neck, some users "egged" him on while others tried to convince him to stop.

Whitrick is a father of two twin girls, but it was believed he was depressed after suffering serious injuries in a car accident in July 2006 and recently divorcing from his wife, Paula. He was also distraught from the recent death of his father.

Below is a picture leaked on LiveLeak captured by paltalk.com user puma121, whose profile lists as a 50-year-old male from Ireland. The capture shows Whitrick hanging from the rope while some disturbing comments on the left hand side show people's encouragement, concern and ignorance.


User GNAW_HER_BATTIE (no profile posted on Paltalk) comment was "Get done in ass hole" "itll help".

User KEL29 (a 41-year-old Male from the UK) said "call the police".

User angelofthenorth38_1 (a 57-year-old female widow from the UK) said "hope hes insured" "lol".

Although a chatter in the chat room did call Wellington police, who did not reach the man's house in time to resuscitate him, the lack of concern by most of the users is disturbing. Do people find online chat services act as "escape" from their real lives? Or is there a desensitization towards suicide in today's society?

Suicide rates of the men in the UK are falling according to Great Britain government statistics website. However, since 1997 the highest rates have been in the 15-44 age group.

Other Cases

This is not the first case of a live web cam-streaming suicide. The biggest case is of and has almost 11,000 views) revealed his suicide plan when he stood on a chair, tore into his ceiling to reveal a joist and tied the rope around his neck, some users "egged" him on while others tried to convince him to stop.

Brandon Vedas, who, on January 12, 2003 died of a overdose on prescription drugs while streaming his web-cam to a chat room on IRC. In this case, fellow chatters cheered him on while he overdosed on Klonopin, Restoril and a large amount of Methadone (used for the treatment of a narcotic addiction).



BradonVedas.com was set up by Bradon's brother Rich Vedas. On the site he sheds light on what happened that night by making the chat logs available to the public as well as describing how the people involved could have helped.

Rich Vedas said in an interview, "It seems like the group mentality really contributed to it. These people treat it like somehow it's not the real world. They forget it's not just words on a screen."

This incident raised concerns about the responsibility of online chatting services, but little has been done.

In Whitrick's case, chat room moderators on Paltalk closed the feed from his webcam once he was dangling from ceiling overhead.