Arlen Specter did not propose the "magic bullet theory"
Arlen Specter proposed the "single bullet theory," i.e. that a single bullet passed through the base of JFK's neck and hit Governor Connally. It was based on the observation that a shot from Oswald's position passing through the base of JFK's neck could scarcely avoid hitting Connally, but if it had, then some trace of where it did hit should have been found in the limo. There was none.
Rather, the "magic bullet theory" is what the conspiracy theorists propose, although it might better be called the "single bullet illusion": It asserts that a bullet magically (or through deception) dematerialized after passing through JFK, or that it magically (or through deception) materialized within the limo and passed through JFK front-to-back.
The supposed reason for staging this complicated grand illusion is a bit of a mystery to me, however. Anyone care to take a stab at explaining it?
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That origin of the shot can be inferred directly by from path of the bullet through the body, which was downward into the limo at a slight angle. Not at all surprisingly, it points back fairly precisely to where Oswald's gun, which apparently fired it, was found. You seem to be proposing yet another "magic bullet theory" that says the bullet came from somewhere else but somehow curved around and only appeared to come from where Oswald's gun was found.
And you bring up yet another "magic bullet theory": that the forward head-snap that we see in the Zapruder film in the first frame after the hit was magically caused by a bullet from the front-right, but the "back and to the left" that we see two frames later was caused by some magical delay in transferring momentum from the bullet.
(Much more: http://www.google.com/search?q=jfk+forward+head+snap)
> The official assertion that shots were only fired from a 6th floor window at the rear has always struck me as a bald-faced lie.
Applying actual physics to an accurate observation of what the Zapruder film actually shows, the assertion that the shot came from anywhere other than behind strikes me as a bald-faced lie. There are several possible explanations for the "back and to the left" motion which came later, but since momentum from the bullet would be transferred instantaneously, it is not on that list of possible explanations.
None of the people are moving forward appreciably in the frames before 313, and in 313, JFK is the only one that snaps forward a couple of inches. (This sequence also shows that the "back and to the left" began two frames after the hit, BTW.)
Furthermore, the forward snap is actually noticeable even watching the film in real time. That's how I first noticed it, and I did that first animated gif I posted to prove what it appeared to show. Then, when I started looking around the web, I found that the forward snap has been quite well known in some circles and it had been precisely analyzed long ago.
As for the blur confusing things, here are the results from four different programs that attempt to remove motion blur:
Focus Magic:
Magic Sharpener:
Unblur:
Unshake:
The forward head snap is quite real and it demands an explanation. Fortunately, an easy one is at hand, and it's perfectly consistent with all the other credible evidence, regardless of five decades of obsessing about an apparently imaginary shooter on the grassy knoll.
Response to William Seger (Original post)