Marc H. Spinelli When we consider the identity of the author of the July 8th 1974 Red Phantom letter, we have to consider the person they are addressing and what do they stand for. The letter states "Editor: Put Marco back in the hell-hole from whence it came- he has a serious psychological disorder- always needs to feel superior. I suggest you refer him to a shrink. Meanwhile, cancel the Count Marco column. Since the count can write anonymously, so can I----the Red Phantom (red with rage)".
The obituary of Marc H. Spinelli began with "Marc H. Spinelli, better known to Chronicle readers as Count Marco, a columnist who gave outrageous advice to women for 15 years. As Count Marco, Mr. Spinelli was a star performer in a circulation war in the 1960s between The Chronicle and other Bay Area newspapers. At the height of his fame, he wrote his newspaper column, appeared on his own daily television show, wrote three books, won prizes and developed a huge audience that was either amused or appalled by his words" sfgate.. Most of the people dissatisfied with his newspaper column were disgruntled women, appalled with his views they deemed as male chauvinistic and sexist - so a good case can be argued that the author of the Red Phantom letter was likely a woman fighting for women's rights, upset by his perceived superiority complex. On the flip side, it could be the Zodiac Killer angered by the columnist for putting women down, despite the fact he had no problem murdering them.
His book 'Beauty and the Beast' was littered with distasteful comments towards women, such as 'Someone once asked me, "do you really believe a husband should beat his wife?" And I answered "Yes, most emphatically. There are times when she should not only be beaten, but kicked when she's down". Other examples can be readily found in the newspaper columns running up to the Red Phantom letter of May 8th, shown here in the 'Ten Days of Count Marco' by Zodiac researcher Michael Cole. Two such examples are "Female comics, she says, must play the role of ugly duckling or half-wit in order to get laughs. The real uglies of course are the ones who don't make a living at it: the average American housewife who prowls the public streets with her hair in rollers and her stretch pants defying all laws of container control" and "Besides, if a stewardess can't handle a flippant male passenger, then I don't think she's strong enough to open an emergency door".
So, it wouldn't be too surprising if the author of the Red Phantom letter was a woman with aspirations of equal rights and respect, who was familiar with the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper and despised the views of Count Marco, rather than a serial killer known for stabbing women in the back, and widely portrayed in many Zodiac circles as a man who vented most of his anger towards the women he encountered. This dichotomy, however, is largely disregarded, when the overarching desire is to believe the Zodiac Killer resurfaced in 1974 for phase two of his 'escapades'. Having previously poured huge doubt on the February 3rd 1974 S.L.A letter as Zodiac material (likely authored by a female member of the Symbionese Liberation Army), and questioned the authenticity of the Badlands or Citizen card, we shall now examine the Red Phantom letter from a similar perspective. We shall also look at the origin of the anonymous signature "Red Phantom (red with rage)"
The obituary of Marc H. Spinelli began with "Marc H. Spinelli, better known to Chronicle readers as Count Marco, a columnist who gave outrageous advice to women for 15 years. As Count Marco, Mr. Spinelli was a star performer in a circulation war in the 1960s between The Chronicle and other Bay Area newspapers. At the height of his fame, he wrote his newspaper column, appeared on his own daily television show, wrote three books, won prizes and developed a huge audience that was either amused or appalled by his words" sfgate.. Most of the people dissatisfied with his newspaper column were disgruntled women, appalled with his views they deemed as male chauvinistic and sexist - so a good case can be argued that the author of the Red Phantom letter was likely a woman fighting for women's rights, upset by his perceived superiority complex. On the flip side, it could be the Zodiac Killer angered by the columnist for putting women down, despite the fact he had no problem murdering them.
His book 'Beauty and the Beast' was littered with distasteful comments towards women, such as 'Someone once asked me, "do you really believe a husband should beat his wife?" And I answered "Yes, most emphatically. There are times when she should not only be beaten, but kicked when she's down". Other examples can be readily found in the newspaper columns running up to the Red Phantom letter of May 8th, shown here in the 'Ten Days of Count Marco' by Zodiac researcher Michael Cole. Two such examples are "Female comics, she says, must play the role of ugly duckling or half-wit in order to get laughs. The real uglies of course are the ones who don't make a living at it: the average American housewife who prowls the public streets with her hair in rollers and her stretch pants defying all laws of container control" and "Besides, if a stewardess can't handle a flippant male passenger, then I don't think she's strong enough to open an emergency door".
So, it wouldn't be too surprising if the author of the Red Phantom letter was a woman with aspirations of equal rights and respect, who was familiar with the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper and despised the views of Count Marco, rather than a serial killer known for stabbing women in the back, and widely portrayed in many Zodiac circles as a man who vented most of his anger towards the women he encountered. This dichotomy, however, is largely disregarded, when the overarching desire is to believe the Zodiac Killer resurfaced in 1974 for phase two of his 'escapades'. Having previously poured huge doubt on the February 3rd 1974 S.L.A letter as Zodiac material (likely authored by a female member of the Symbionese Liberation Army), and questioned the authenticity of the Badlands or Citizen card, we shall now examine the Red Phantom letter from a similar perspective. We shall also look at the origin of the anonymous signature "Red Phantom (red with rage)"
"The United Federated Forces of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) was an American left-wing militant organization active between 1973 and 1975 that considered itself a vanguard army. The group committed bank robberies, two murders, and other acts of violence. In his manifesto "Symbionese Liberation Army Declaration of Revolutionary War & the Symbionese Program", Donald DeFreeze wrote, "The name 'symbionese' is taken from the word symbiosis and we define its meaning as a body of dissimilar bodies and organisms living in deep and loving harmony and partnership in the best interest of all within the body. "This political symbiosis DeFreeze describes means the unity of all left-wing struggles, feminist, anti-racist, anti-capitalist, and others. DeFreeze wanted all races, genders, and ages to fight together in a left-wing united front, and to live together peacefully". Wiki.
The group mailed large quantities of mail to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, and various television and radio stations, as well as many other outlets. They ranged from demands and threats, to spouting off Symbionese Liberation Army doctrine. Their membership was progressive, having a high proportion of female members with a staunch feminist ideology.
Therefore, bearing in mind the S.L.A letter, is it possible one of the female Symbionese Liberation Army members took umbrage over the Count Marco, San Francisco columnist's views on women and mailed a correspondence to him, telling him to get "back in the hell-hole from whence it came"? Or was the Zodiac having a mid-life crisis becoming more liberal with his views - rather than his bullets.
Here is a small fraction of the literature composed by female members of the Symbionese Liberation Army and their struggle for equality in the sexes.
The group mailed large quantities of mail to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, and various television and radio stations, as well as many other outlets. They ranged from demands and threats, to spouting off Symbionese Liberation Army doctrine. Their membership was progressive, having a high proportion of female members with a staunch feminist ideology.
Therefore, bearing in mind the S.L.A letter, is it possible one of the female Symbionese Liberation Army members took umbrage over the Count Marco, San Francisco columnist's views on women and mailed a correspondence to him, telling him to get "back in the hell-hole from whence it came"? Or was the Zodiac having a mid-life crisis becoming more liberal with his views - rather than his bullets.
Here is a small fraction of the literature composed by female members of the Symbionese Liberation Army and their struggle for equality in the sexes.
The 'Woman Question' referred to in the FBI 'Hearnap' (Hearst Kidnap) files "is translated from the French term querelle des femmes (literally, 'dispute of women') refers both to an intellectual debate from the 1400s to the 1700s on the nature of women and feminist campaigns for social change after the 1700s. While the French phrase querelle des femmes deals specifically with the Renaissance period, 'the woman question' in English (or in corresponding languages) is a phrase usually used in connection with a social change in the later half of the 19th century, which questioned the fundamental roles of women in Western industrialized countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, and Russia. Issues of women's suffrage, reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, property rights, legal rights, and medical rights, and marriage dominated cultural discussions in newspapers and intellectual circles. While many women were supportive of these changing roles, they did not agree unanimously. Often issues of marriage and sexual freedom were most divisive". Wikipedia.
The Symbionese Liberation Army women members often referenced a "cell" or "collective", and this leads us nicely on to the meaning behind "Red Phantom (red with rage)".
The Symbionese Liberation Army women members often referenced a "cell" or "collective", and this leads us nicely on to the meaning behind "Red Phantom (red with rage)".
Many have searched for the inspiration behind "Red Phantom" from a Zodiac perspective. Comic designers, movie makers and newspaper editors throughout the ages have attributed pseudonyms to fantasy characters and murderers alike. In other words, they have just been manufactured by the imagination of the creator and not necessarily copied or inspired by something previous. The "Red Phantom" pseudonym may just have been conjured up on the spur of the moment. However, I would like to focus on the only word the author used twice - the word "red." If the letter was written by a female member of the Symbionese Liberation Army with feminist ideals, could the word "red" have been invoked for a deeper meaning.
"The late 60s saw the emergence of the Women’s Movement in Britain. In 1969 in London the Women’s Red Liberation Workshop established itself, developing consciousness raising groups and attempting to articulate and understand the ways in which women felt themselves to be oppressed and exploited. In the same year, a group of socialist women active in the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign started producing a journal called “Socialist Woman”, whose aims were both to impress on the left the importance of the “Woman Question” – to publicise the struggles of women in Britain and internationally and to try to develop a socialist analysis of women’s oppression it was to be distributed through the newly formed Socialist Woman Groups". Redflagwalks. There was also the emergence of the socialist-feminist Red Rag Magazine championing women's rights. These publications inspired women internationally, including female Americans fighting for a better future. Were these publications and the rise of "red feminism", the catalyst for a push-back against the male chauvinist 'pigs' of America, including the Count Marco column of Marc H. Spinelli? Or did the Zodiac Killer undergo a complete transformation after murdering three women (5 people in total) - now rallying for "public sensibilities", despite being attributed with the threatening Exorcist letter just five months earlier?
"the Red Phantom (red with rage)".
S.L.A LETTER NOT ZODIAC - AND HERE IS THE FBI FILE TO PROVE IT
"The late 60s saw the emergence of the Women’s Movement in Britain. In 1969 in London the Women’s Red Liberation Workshop established itself, developing consciousness raising groups and attempting to articulate and understand the ways in which women felt themselves to be oppressed and exploited. In the same year, a group of socialist women active in the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign started producing a journal called “Socialist Woman”, whose aims were both to impress on the left the importance of the “Woman Question” – to publicise the struggles of women in Britain and internationally and to try to develop a socialist analysis of women’s oppression it was to be distributed through the newly formed Socialist Woman Groups". Redflagwalks. There was also the emergence of the socialist-feminist Red Rag Magazine championing women's rights. These publications inspired women internationally, including female Americans fighting for a better future. Were these publications and the rise of "red feminism", the catalyst for a push-back against the male chauvinist 'pigs' of America, including the Count Marco column of Marc H. Spinelli? Or did the Zodiac Killer undergo a complete transformation after murdering three women (5 people in total) - now rallying for "public sensibilities", despite being attributed with the threatening Exorcist letter just five months earlier?
"the Red Phantom (red with rage)".
S.L.A LETTER NOT ZODIAC - AND HERE IS THE FBI FILE TO PROVE IT
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