WI Sirhan Sirhan creates a mystic backlash?

[Orville_third]

I know the title looks weird, but it can be explained.
As we all know, Sirhan Sirhan was accused of shooting RFK. The official motive was for RFK's support of the Palestinians. But upon reading his notebooks, he makes a number of references to various mystical organizations, including the Rosicrucians and Illuminati. What if this thread was followed, and occultic organizations came under greater scrutiny as a result?

[RogueBeaver]

Let me straighten a few things out.

1) That shows you how loony Sirhan really is- Israel had little to do with it, because all the candidates supported Israel, Humphrey being the most effusive.

2) Kennedy had been flamebaited by the media (most prominently, the Times) for a few years and insinuated that he was anti-Semitic, which was a disgusting slander without a shred of evidence. RFK's own position more closely resembled that of George H.W. Bush, which is not anti-Semitism except to AIPAC fanboys. That is why he donned the skullcap in Oregon (to escape the flamebait) which according to Sirhan provoked him- that is the day he purchased the .22 ammo box.

3) Sirhan was a loony who quite literally stalked Kennedy across the country- had written that he had to kill him before June 5 because it was the 1st anniversary of the 1967 war.

In sum: most would discount the ramblings of a highly disturbed individual who likely wanted to become famous by killing someone who already was.

[Orville_third]

All that's understood. What I'm curious about, and I should have stated this clearer, is this: What if the general public didn't consider Sirhan Sirhan to be a "lone nut", but someone who was brainwashed or warped by mysticism and alternative religions?

[RogueBeaver]

I don't think they would, but handwaving and assuming they did, it would become even more taboo than it already was. Mysticism was somewhat fashionable among the wealthy in the Victorian era, not among Middle Americans in 1968.

[RogueBeaver]

I hope you weren't hinting at (Ian-forbidden) conspiracies with "suspected". Sirhan was convicted of 1st degree murder in 1969 and sentenced to death. In 1972 the California SC struck down the death penalty as it then was administered (gas chamber) and all death row inmates' sentences reverted to life. Reagan declined to legislate a different method. Sirhan has been denied parole ever since, among other reasons he's never showed remorse. A few books have been written, similar to Case Closed that debunk any conspiracy theories.

[Orville_third]

So am I suggesting someone else killed RFK? It's possible, but as Sirhan himself hasn't even brought up the possibility (unlike James Earl Ray), it's probably unlikely. Sirhan likewise hasn't brought up the possibility of hypnosis, which means he either killed RFK or just wanted to kill him.