Found a wild stat about the JFK shooting that threw me off

I was down a rabbit hole on a historical archives site last night and saw that only 5% of the witnesses at Dealey Plaza actually testified before the Warren Commission... how does that even work with a 'thorough investigation'? Has anyone else stumbled on a weird official number like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_ryan17d ago

Is it weird that I used to think the Warren Commission was pretty thorough, but hearing that only 5% of witnesses actually spoke to them really changes my view? I always figured they talked to everyone who was there, not just a tiny slice of people. That gap between what i thought was a full investigation and the real number is honestly bugging me now.

patricialee25d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that's wild. I mean, I can barely get 5% of my coworkers to agree on where to go for lunch, let alone testify about a major historical event. That number just feels... off, right?

victor_adams25d ago

That 5% number reminds me of how every time there's a big city council meeting about something that affects everyone, maybe 10 people show up to speak. It's like people assume someone else will handle it so they don't bother. I've seen it with my own HOA board meetings where decisions get made by the same 3 people every month while 200 other homeowners complain on Facebook later. So yeah, the Warren Commission basically got the quiet voices of history, not the full picture.