We have been watching Oswald's Ghost and trying to get to the bottom of the mess surrounding the murder of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963. The Warren Commission, under stress to get to the bottom of the murder, tried to line up the facts and reasons why those facts had happened. The implications of not coming to a lone gunman conclusion being murdered by Jack Ruby (feeling sorry for Jackie Kennedy who almost everyone loved or felt sympathy for) were staggering: the murderer would still be on the loose. So, the Warren Commission did was it supposed to: it presented the government's case for an open and shut case against Lee Harvey Oswald (LHO) just in time for President Johnson to trounce Republican senator Barry Goldwater. 
Early on in the film, it appears to present one possible conspiracy with little evidence but conjecture: why would a leftist (LHO) kill a liberal president deep in the heart of Texas where JFK was deeply hated (given the editorials NOT welcoming the president to Dallas) along with the anti-segregationists and Texas oilmen (see pamphlet to the side). The stuff that we hear on the cable newshows against either Presidents Bush or Obama is nothing new. It was said 40 years ago. Talk of impeaching a president was tossed at FDR, Clinton and many other presidents as well.
Another conspiracy that we heard was that the president was killed by the Cubans for his sponsoring of the Bay of Pigs invasion and the confrontation over the missiles in 1962. LHO's shady past and his passing out of leaflets saying "Hands Off Cuba" provide some plausibility for that scenario. Whether these were pro-Cubans who wanted to kill JFK for the Bay of Pigs invasion, or anti-Castro people who were angry about the Bay of Pigs invasion and JFK' s refusal to support the invasion. The killers could have been Cubans or it could have been Oswald.
In the book, 48 Liberal Lies About American History (That You Probably Learned in School), the #5 Lie was "JFK was killed by LBJ and a secret team to keep Kennedy from getting us out of Vietnam." The author of the book, Larry Schweikart, argued that all of the top military contractors "put together couldn't equal the revenues of a major car comany or a McDonald's" (36). There's some debate as to whether President Kennedy was a strong anti-Communist or not, whether he was willing to stay and fight in South Vietnam. Some staffers stated that Kennedy had expressed uncertainty over remaining there. Therefore, the "military-industrial complex" apparently has so much pull in the government that it can have a president assassinated (yet today, when our military is so much stronger and the U.S. gov't. withdraws from Iraq, not one single president is killed! Amazing!).
In the book, 48 Liberal Lies About American History (That You Probably Learned in School), the #5 Lie was "JFK was killed by LBJ and a secret team to keep Kennedy from getting us out of Vietnam." The author of the book, Larry Schweikart, argued that all of the top military contractors "put together couldn't equal the revenues of a major car comany or a McDonald's" (36). There's some debate as to whether President Kennedy was a strong anti-Communist or not, whether he was willing to stay and fight in South Vietnam. Some staffers stated that Kennedy had expressed uncertainty over remaining there. Therefore, the "military-industrial complex" apparently has so much pull in the government that it can have a president assassinated (yet today, when our military is so much stronger and the U.S. gov't. withdraws from Iraq, not one single president is killed! Amazing!).
Also, there is the mafia involvement scenario. There are a couple of angles on this. One angle is that the assassination was retaliation for Attorney General Bobby Kennedy's attacks on the mafia. They could have used their own killers and used Oswald as a "patsy" like he claimed. According to Schweikart, there's wiretap evidence against some of the top crime bosses in the nation like Sam Giancana (the mob boss whose girlfriend, Judith Campbell, Frank Sinatra had introduced JFK to) among others (37). The other angle has to do with killing JFK b/c he was having an affair w/ Judith Campbell (Exner, her married name). Then there's Oswald doing the murder by himself. Pretty much the evidence points to this scenario. Lawyer Gerald Posner wrote Case Closed in 1993 tackles the absence of other evidence (the lack of more gunshots, the inability of the conspiracy folks to produce any bullets tied to the crime scene besides Oswald's or any other kind of forensic evidence. In Oswald's Ghost, the film makes a very good case about how much LHO was underestimated - that he was too stupid, too incompetent, too this or too that to do any of the things that he had done on his own (get dishonorably discharged from the Marines, defect to the Soviet Union, marry a Russian woman and then return back to the U.S.) w/o the help of foreign governments or their agencies.
Question:
Which JFK murder conspiracy / theory do you personally think has the most credibility? Why? Use info from Oswald's Ghost, article "Death of a President", and outside sources if necessary.
Due Wednesday May 5 - 200 words minimum.
Due Wednesday May 5 - 200 words minimum.
Sources:
1. Timeline of JFK and LHO's lives from PBS's website for Oswald's Ghost: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/oswald/timeline/
2. Review of Gerald Posner's Case Closed, http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/parnell/sl2.htm
3. Norman Mailer, Oswald's Tale: An American Mystery
4. Josiah Thompson, Six Seconds in Dallas: A Micro-Study of the Kennedy Assassination
5. The Warren Commission - http://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/warren-commission-report/index.html
6. Robert Dallek, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917 - 1963
7. Priscilla Johnson McMillan, Marina and Lee
8. Edward Jay Epstein, Inquest
9. Mark Lane, RUSH TO JUDGEMENT
2. Review of Gerald Posner's Case Closed, http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/parnell/sl2.htm
3. Norman Mailer, Oswald's Tale: An American Mystery
4. Josiah Thompson, Six Seconds in Dallas: A Micro-Study of the Kennedy Assassination
5. The Warren Commission - http://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/warren-commission-report/index.html
6. Robert Dallek, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917 - 1963
7. Priscilla Johnson McMillan, Marina and Lee
8. Edward Jay Epstein, Inquest
9. Mark Lane, RUSH TO JUDGEMENT
37 comments:
Jim Weitzel Hour #3
I personally believe that Lee Harvey Oswald killed the president by himself. There are some evidence discrepancies that I think point towards having three different shooters, like shooting three bullets in six seconds. Oswald may have had experience at sharpshooting; winning a sharpshooter certification in the marines, it is impossible that he fired three bullets in those six seconds. I think it all comes down to luck. All the other evidence does point to just being Lee Oswald that killed the president. After all this time, how come no other evidence or stories have popped up? Unless this was a top priority government or mafia hit, one of the three shooters would escape from being killed by the agency. They would have written it down somewhere, a diary for example. By now their relative or relatives will have found it and announced it to the US. Another shred of evidence is that Jack Ruby had sent a telegraph to a somewhat dubious place, the day of the murder of LHO. Jack Ruby may have stuck to his story but it just doesn’t add up, why would he want to go see what’s happening, if the murder had been covered for three days straight? These are questions that time will never answer, because everyone that was potentially involved are dead now.
Jan Thon
3rd hour
I think the conspiracy of Leo Oswald killing John F. Kennedy by himself has the most credibility, because it has the most evidence of any of all these conspiracies. I believe that Oswald had the skills to plan such an assassin; he might have learned everything he needed in his time in the Marines. With his weapon skills he was able to shot the President from a long distance even if he wasn’t the best in the Marines, you can always improve your skills with practice. The Warren commission also proofed that it was possible to shot three bullets in nine seconds from the building Oswald was supposed to be. Despite is dishonorable past, drop out at school and the Marines, he was able to do a lot of stuff by himself. He managed to travel and live in the Soviet Union, although he was an American, the worst enemy of the communist country at that time. He was able to live there for a year and to learn more about Marxism and its roots. Finally he returned to the United States, with a new wife. He was able to get a Russian woman out of the Soviet Union at this time, a task which seems impossible if you look at the hatred between the US and the Soviets.
So all in all, everybody who says that it is impossible to shot and organize such a terrible crime such as the Kennedy assassin is probably wrong, you have to look at the evidence and it will give you a pretty clear picture how Oswald was able to do what he did at November 22, 1963.
Austin Rovinski
2nd hour-Wickersham
5/4/10
The assassination conspiracy that I believe is that Lee Harvey Oswald was the sole killer of President Kennedy. Even if the Warren Commission’s decision was rushed, there is more and more evidence that is piling up that supports the theory of LHO being the sole conspirator. There is not much to say that Oswald couldn’t have been working with someone else, but there is no evidence that proves this point. LHO was definitely the killer in this case; his fingerprints were on the gun, the bullets from the murdered police officer matched his, and the bullets were fired from the building where he worked. There is no denying that Oswald was the killer, but there could be doubts as to the fact that he was working alone. I believe that if he wasn’t working alone, however, then the information would have come out by now. Oswald is underestimated and it is hard to see him as the sole conspirator, but he was able to defect to the Soviet Union, join in the marines, get married and take his wife back to the US without any help from any agency. If he is able to do this, then why is he not able to plot to kill the president? There are also questions to his motives, but I believe a mind that has been under the right (or rather, wrong) stress is capable of not thinking clearly, or not using logic.
Lauren Sikorski
The conspiracy I believe has the most credibility out of all of them is the Lee Harvey Oswald doing killing John Kennedy himself. I believe like the film, Oswald’s Ghost, mentions that he was underestimated. Anything is possible no matter how preposterous it is. The magic bullet theory, when it is broken down, makes a lot of sense, but there also is the conclusion about how the trees were in the way so he could not have gotten off a clear shot.
If the ‘mob theory’ were true, then I don’t believe the mob would assassinate him the way he got assassinated. I think they would have thought of a more clever way to assassinate him. The mob was just on the long list of suspects. Oswald’s theory is also more plausible because of the location of his apartment building gave off the perfect shot.
I think the Warren Commission is the most credible conspiracy of John F. Kennedy's death. The shots which killed President Kennedy and wounded Governor Connally were fired from the sixth floor window at the southeast corner of the Texas School Book Depository. Evidence show that three shots had been fired. Although it is not necessary to any essential findings of the Commission to determine which shot hit Governor Connally, there is very effective evidence from the experts to indicate that the same bullet which came through the President's throat also caused Governor Connally's wounds.The shots which killed President Kennedy and wounded Governor Connally were fired by Lee Harvey Oswald. History and research shows he was a troubled teen. Oswald also killed Dallas Police Patrolman J. D. Tippit shortly after the assassination. After, Oswald resisted arrest at the theater by attempting to shoot another Dallas police officer. The Commission did not find any evidence that either Lee Harvey Oswald or Jack Ruby were part of any conspiracy, domestic or foreign, to assassinate President Kennedy. Throughout the entire investigation the Commission did not find any evidence of conspiracy, subversion, or disloyalty to the U.S. Government by any Federal, State, or local official. Based on the evidence before the Commission, it concludes that Oswald acted alone.
Sandra Toma
Michele Snyder
3rd hour
There are many different theories to how President John F. Kennedy was killed. Such as the CIA conspiracy, Cuban conspiracy, Mafia conspiracy, Lyndon Johnson conspiracy, that there was more than one gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald did it on his own, and quite a few others. The one that makes most sense to me, that I believe is what happened is that Lee Harvey Oswald did it by himself with no conspiracy. Oswald always got the short end of the stick in everything he did. People always doubted him that he couldn’t do many things he did on his own. Critics believed there was a conspiracy until Warren Commission publicized their conclusion stating that there was no persuasive evidence that Oswald was involved in a conspiracy to kill JFK. The House Select Committee on Assassinations agreed with Warren Commissions that Oswald was one of the shooters, HSCA concluded there were two shooters, and they also concluded that there were at least three shots taken and that a conspiracy did exist. I disagree with the House Select Committee on Assassinations, when they say there was more than one shooter and a conspiracy because I believe that Oswald just got lucky because no other evidence of a possible killer that has come up and in the 1960’s most people kept diaries of there thoughts and actions and someone would have most likely wrote in there journal or diary what had happened on November 22, 1963.
Blog #31- JFK Assassination Conspiracies
Eli Suris
3rd hour
5/4/10
Out of all of the countless theories as to who killed JFK and why, there is only one theory that holds any weight in the argument; Lee Harvey Oswald acted as a lone gunman. Period. All of the other conspiracy theories (Cuba and Castro, the mob, the CIA, Lyndon B. Johnson, the Soviets, Narnia, the Vietnamese, the Fourth Kind, etc.) are way too far-fetched and certainly untrue. Not to mention each theory’s staggering lack of any proof or evidence makes them even more unlikely to be true.
The main recurring point on the tongues of the believers of every conspiracy’s (besides the LHO theory) arguments is something like “JFK had a connection with them” or “JFK did something/is doing something to make them mad.” Well, Kennedy was the President of the United States, and he was among the most powerful, influential and famous men in the world; so of course he’s going to be associated and connected somehow with people, groups, and countries with considerable amounts of influence and power; and of course he’s going to make decisions that will make people mad and hate him! It’s completely impossible to be in a position as powerful and influential as the President of the United States and not have a whole group of people—either domestic or foreign—who will hate you and your decision/actions.
The Oswald Theory is the only true theory in this whole fiasco. Not only is it the most logical, but it is backed up with evidence, proof, and reasoning. Oswald had the intelligence and the drive to plan and execute a plan like this all on his own. This was clear from his defection from America to the USSR, his time in the Marines, his marriage to a Russian woman, and his avid studies of Communism and Marxism. Oswald was smart enough of a man to know that if he pulled off something as monumental as killing JFK and was put on trial, he would be a man of incredible power and influence. It would almost be like when Zeus and his Olympian brothers and sisters toppled the Titans’ empire and their father Kronos in order to take control and rule the universe themselves; thereby bringing an end to what was known as “the Golden Age.” I can’t help but feel like Oswald was smart enough to see the similarities between the myth and his own visions and actions as well during the last few months of his life when he was planning the assassination.
Liza Bondarenko
2nd hour
It is very difficult to choose the most credibly theory about J. F. Kennedy’s death, because even now no one knows the right answer for this question. I can say for shore that like most people I don’t trust the theory that Oswald shot the president all by himself. This was an official version from American government, but more than 70% of people didn’t believe in it. It is hard to believe that one man could kill the president without anyone’s help. The fact that Oswald was shot on the second day after this event also makes me believe that his murder was not just revenge. For someone it was very important to keep the true about Kennedy’s murder, that’s why they killed the only suspected man, the one who knows the true, - Oswald.
I also think that the theories that there were people from other countries, Soviet Union or Cuba, who supported Oswald, are not enough credibly. Of course there is a possibility, but I don’t think that this is the most believable theory. Even that Oswald lived a period of time in Soviet Union and came back to America with Russian wife.
So I came up with two theories that, in my opinion, have the most credibility. One of them is that Oswald was supported by the mafia. Because there were found some ways how Kennedy could be connected with people from mafia. Before the day when he was shot, he called many times to woman, who knew a member of the mafia, also there is support that Oswald was killed by another mafia member. Mafia is enough powerful and risky organization to plan and organize president’s murder. Or another theory, which I mostly believe, that someone very important in American government took part in Kenny’s murder, because the way that they tried at first to prove that Oswald made it all by himself is frighten and strange.
I personally for one think LBJ with the help of the CIA killed off the president. I personally think the most likely scenario is Cuba striking against the U.S. The problem with this, is besides are poor relations with Cuba, and our many failed attempts at assassinating Castro, little other evidence points at Cuba. I personally think the mafia involvement has a very good possibility. JFK talking to Judith Campbell, who was a top mafia boss’s girlfriend, and with Jack Ruby, a club owner and supposedly low level mafia member, I think it is very possible the mafia killed JFK. But where does that leave LHO? Was LHO apart of the mafia? I don’t think he would if he had been in the mafia and in the military and then defected to the Soviet Union and then defected back to the U.S. But if LHO had acted on his own, why on a politician on the left if he himself was such a leftist? I personally think then this opens up the box that maybe LHO was apart of the mafia, and we just don’t know about it. That would explain why Jack Ruby killed LHO. Ruby’s grilling after the shooting of LHO and him talking about how he just accidentally walked into LHO and decided to kill him just sounds like a lie. That is the main reason I believe the most in that Ruby killing LHO after killing JFK was the mafias doing.
Drew S.
Ellie Toth
2nd hour
The conspiracy about the secret team killing Kennedy is the one that I believe has the most credibility. In the movie, "Oswald's Ghost," it shows evidence of Oswald being mentally unstable like where he came from and stories his wife told to the press; however, the whole assassination was too well planned. The shots were too accurate, and the suspect was too easily guilty with his coincidence of working in that building and his obvious bad state of mentality. Also, the Warren Commission closed the case on Oswald doing it alone very quickly. They would never admit to the government planning it, it would cause too much harm and insecurity to our country. The fact that the government and CIA planned it was an easy way of them never being accused of actually doing it. They wouldn’t accuse themselves and although maybe the Warren Commission knew, they would never have the guts to actually accuse them of it. The CIA or the secret team knew they would never be caught because it was hard for most people to believe that government would actually order something like this. This assassination did not happen spur of the moment. It was very much planned and too well planned to have the person who planned it be unstable and know exactly when and where to shot.
I think that Lee Harvey Oswald was personally responsible for the murder of John F. Kennedy. Although there does seem to be evidence that another conspiracy theory COULD be true, most of the evidence and studies point to LHO as killing JFK by himself. First of all, I feel that when a tragedy such as this happens, people begin to talk and what can basically be described as rumors begin to evolve. As different stories spread, people begin to believe them and study up on other possibilities of the cause of such a tragedy. So, in this case, when these conspiracy theories first began, people studied them and were able to find evidence behind them. However, I think that any theory could be proven because a connection could be made in some way or another to the death of JFK. Here are some examples of why I believe LHO had acted alone in murdering JFK.
In the video Oswald’s Ghost, a man (whos name I forget) was questioned. During the questioning, this man admitted to having something to do with both LHO and the killing. However, this man was under the influence of sodium pentathol and hypnosis, so to believe this mans claims would be somewhat absurd.
In Stephen E. Lewis’s review of Case Closed he states “There is simply no evidence to date that there was a conspiracy.” This comes from a man who has studied and researched this over and over again, and most likely knows his facts quiet well.
Lastly more evidence pointed to Oswald because of his past. In the video, there were statements from his wife, saying that the day of the shooting, he had said goodbye to her, left her money, and walked out without his wedding ring, and something bundled up in his arms. There is also the fact that Oswald had weapons sent to him under a fake name in 1962 (shortly before the shooting). There is more evidence that Oswald had planned the shooting and had acted on it alone, with no help or orders form anyone else.
Brad Benghiat 2nd Hour
Allison Levine
3rd hour
Some people think that Lee Harvey Oswald isn’t capable of pulling off an assassination alone; they underestimated his knowledge and abilities. I personally think that the Oswald theory has the most credibility. Oswald was a very independent person and isn’t the kind of person to work with other people and create a plan/conspiracy to kill JFK. Just because he didn’t do well in school, didn’t mean he didn’t have any intelligence; he had the capability to come up with this plan and carry it out. He was able to get into the Marine Corp, went by himself to the Soviet Union and lived there for a couple of years, and found a wife while living in the Soviet; all of this without help from foreign agencies, anyone from the Mafia, etc. As for the evidence with the shooting and murder of Kennedy, it doesn’t seem likely that there was more than one shooter. Looking at the direction from which the bullets came, it seems as though they came from the window where he was positioned. Oswald was a skilled shooter from the Marines and it could be possible that he shot off 3 shots in the amount of time he did. Just because he was on the left, doesn’t mean he wasn’t upset with some of Kennedy’s decisions during his presidency. Looking at the evidence that was presented, it seems that Oswald acted on his own.
Jim Stevens
3rd hour
I believe that Oswald committed the murder of JFK. I believe this because there is inconclusive evidence pointing any of the other conspiracies. Also many of the people like the movie had said underestimated him. He was a bright man when it came to politics and appearing on television and explaining his ideas thus concluding he was bright enough to come up with his own plot to kill the President. He also had his own motives to kill commit the crime. He had previously defected to the Soviet Union before he had returned to the U.S. with a wife. His wife had also testified that Oswald had tried to kill someone before. She also said that on the morning of JFK's death, that he kissed her goodbye and had left his money for her and carrying a large object out of the house wrapped up.
Michael Rondello
2nd Hour
I think that Lee Harvey Oswald did indeed kill John F. Kennedy. He killed him because he found out that Kennedy, the CIA and the mafia were all involved in overthrowing leftist governments in other countries as we found out in the 1970s as seen in the video, Oswald’s Ghost. Oswald, being a leftist himself, was infuriated and murdered Kennedy. His plan was to reveal what was really going on to the people of America during his trial. Since it would be controversial, the CIA and the mafia didn’t want him to do so. So their plan was to send Jack Ruby, who had some involvement in the mafia, to assassinate Oswald so he couldn’t say anything. The only thing is: how did Oswald find out what the CIA and the mafia were doing? After his death, his mother kept claiming he was in the CIA himself. Being in the CIA, he must have found out about the overthrowing of leftist governments, and was motivated to murder Kennedy. I do think that the whole thing is somewhat of a conspiracy because Oswald wouldn’t have reacted without some sort of good reason and the same goes with Ruby.
I truly believe that Lee Harvey Oswald killed the president, John F. Kennedy, by himself. The warren commission was rushed but I still think they had enough evidence to prove that Lee Harvey Oswald was the only killer. The investigation showed that his fingerprints we on the gun he shot at the cop and the bullets matched the gun, also the shots came from the building he worked in. People don’t think that Oswald could fire 3 shots in 6 minutes but he was in the marines and he must have knew his way around a gun so I do believe he could have easily fired 3 shots in 6 minutes. The movie we watched in class talked about how the morning JFK was killed Oswald left his house with a large case and he left his weeding ring at home, him leaving with a large case is really saying he took his gun and him leaving his weeding ring at home is a small simple gesture that is really saying that he didn’t think he was coming back home that day. The theory that Oswald killed JFK by himself has the most evidence and is the best answer for what did happen.
Ryan
Brode
3rd hour
I believe that Oswald killed President Kennedy acting by himself. The evidence best supports this theory, making the other conspiracy theories seem more unlikely. Although it might be difficult, I think that LHO was capable of killing JFK alone. He was capable of planning this assassination alone, and evidence shows how three of his bullets can cause the injuries on the scene. He also was able to travel to the Soviet Union as a foreigner, bring back a wife, get into the marines, get out of the marines, and have the necessary skills as a sharpshooter that would be needed for the assassination. I think that because the public underestimated Oswald they think that he didn’t act by himself, so multiple unnecessary conspiracy theories spin out. If one of these theories was true, someone would have found out in the past, uncovering the truth (but, as we know, no such thing happened). The whole assassination seems a little hazy, but I think it’s not the actual murder that’s confusing, but the events surrounding JFK’s death that cause suspicion. Alleged affairs, involvement in Vietnam, and multiple deaths of people somehow related to JFK don’t help either (LHO, many of JFK’s relatives, etc.), but the most rational conclusion is that Oswald acted alone.
Elyse Dumas - 3rd hour
The conspiracy that I believe is that Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK all by himself. There is a lot of evidence pointing at him. Lee Harvey Oswald was said to be experienced at sharpshooting, so it is very possible he fired off three shots in six seconds. Also, the shots hit him in the throat and head, which more then likely both shots came from the same direction, in which Lee Harvey Oswald was standing. Two major pieces of evidence are that his fingerprints matched those on the sniper rifle, and the shells matched those of the pistol he fired on the cop in the movie theater. If Lee Harvey Oswald fired his pistol on the cop that may be convincing that he had something to hide. It was said that Lee Harvey Oswald was underestimated, he was able to defect the Soviet Union, and marry a Russian women and bring her back to the U.S without any help from foreign governments. The only way to know who truly caused JFK’s death was to question the suspects, however Jack Ruby shot the witness at the time, so there was no way of questioning Lee Harvey Oswald, and the truth will never be revealed. So now, we are left with a few conspiracies and not knowing which of them is the real truth of JFK’s death.
Heather Robinson
2nd hour.
Alex Pisano
3rd hour
I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald was the sole killer of John F. Kennedy. All of the other “plots” are too convoluted and lack simplicity. By simple use of Occam’s razor, Lee Harvey Oswald is the logical killer of JFK. The complicated nature of any plot by the Mafia or CIA would leave behind so much more evidence than displayed, regardless of how the Warren Commission rushed the case. All the evidence displayed on the gun points to Oswald being the killer, the murdered police officer, killed with bullets matched to his gun, his fingerprints were on the gun used to kill JFK, and the fact that the bullets were fired from the place where he worked. Sure another person could have helping Lee Oswald, but there just isn’t any proof. Lee Harvey Oswald joined the marines, managed to leave the marines, without a dishonorable discharge, went as a defector to the Soviet Union, and even bring a wife back from the Soviet Union, seemingly without any external help. This shows how badly underestimated he is, maybe he didn’t plan to kill the president all on his own, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t likely. Not many of the theories are based on solid facts; many of them are just crazy ideas, that cannot hold as much water as Oswald being the only killer.
I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK. I believe this because he acted like he would never see his wife again the morning the JFK was shot. Also, Oswald left his wedding ring at home that day. His wife reported that he was carrying something when he left that was bundled up, and it could have been his rifle. Although I do believe that Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK, I still think that there was more than one shooter. It would be almost impossible for him to get off 3 shots in less than six seconds. I think that the mob had something to do with the assassination of John F. Kennedy also, because I believe that mobsters made jack Ruby kill Lee Harvey Oswald in order to hide something that Oswald knew about. He could have found out about the CIA working with the mob in an attempt to assassinate foreign leaders that were against us. We attempted to kill Fidel Castro about six times and we did not succeed any of these times. Oswald could have found out about this and the mob would not have wanted to take any chances with him knowing. Castro retaliating for the attempts made on his life is another viable theory.
Alex Valente
2nd Hour
Lea Martin
3rd Hour
I think that the theory of Lee Oswald killing John F Kennedy alone is the most credibility one. Because Oswald was smart, he went to the Soviet Union by himself and when he decided to come back to the US he managed to bring his soviet wife with him without troubles. This could only be done by someone who knows what he is doing and who is not easily intimidated. Also Oswald joint and left the marines when he wanted. Even though the police said there were 3 shots in 6 second and that this would be almost impossible for one person to do by himself, I think he did it alone and he was a good shooter so he had the possibility to manage that. There was never an investigation about a second or even a third shooter, or more about the mafia and the CIA so everything comes down to Lee Oswald. There was some talking about the CIA planning to kill Kennedy because he wanted to pull out of Vietnam but I don’t think it was the CIA who killed Kennedy. I also don’t believe that the mafia wanted to kill Kennedy just because he talked to one of the mafia’s boss’s girlfriend. So I think Lee Oswald’s theory seems the most believable.
Alex Wong 2nd hour
I believe that lee Harvey Oswald was the only man that was in the plot to assassinate john Fitzgerald Kennedy. He was a marine and a trained killer. He had all of the equipment and the know how about being a sniper. Lee Harvey Oswald’s peers even said that he was capable of doing this and that everyone that thinks he wasn’t doesn’t not know what they are talking about or do not know him. His mother was crazy in my mind and that her thinking that he was a government agent is ridiculous and not noticing the signs of her own son becoming unormal because a normal person does not kill people then she either did not have much to do with him or she did not pay attention. People seem to over look the fact that the president had a back brace and that after being shot that held his relaxed body up right and so instead of going forward like he already was he then went back making people think he was shot from the front, or that’s just what people want you to think because he did want to pull out of Vietnam and that was not going to happen.
Sarah Stempien
2nd Hour
I think that the conspiracy that Oswald killed president JFK on his own has the most credibility. Some people thought that there was more than one person involved in the shooting because of the wounds that JFK had received on the day of the assassination. But in Oswald’s history it showed that he was in the marines and he was considered a “straight shooter” so he must not have needed anybody to help him aim at Kennedy. It also seemed like he had a lot of anger issues. In the movie Oswald’s Ghost it said that one time he had a plan to kill Nixon but his wife had stopped him and locked him up in his room till he calmed himself down. He also tried committing suicide after he was denied entry into the Soviet Union. There is a lot of evidence that is shown about the conspiracy that LHO killed the president on his own.
Norell Kasawdish
Hour 3
I personally think that the JFK murder conspiracy of Lee Harvey Oswald killing JFK himself has the most credibility. The evidence shown makes the most logical sense that Oswald is guilty. Many people underestimated Oswald and thought that he was too stupid to commit such a crime. Research shows that he had a vastly unstable childhood. Many Americans still question whether or not Oswald was part of a conspiracy. The 1964 Warren Commission report on the JFK assassination concluded that bullets were fired from a window on the sixth floor of the book depository warehouse in Dallas, Texas. Oswald had acted alone. He was interrogated many times, but denied everything. The Warren Commission could not ascribe any one motive or group of motives to Oswald's actions. It is apparent, however, that Oswald did not appear to have been able to establish meaningful relationships with other people. He was perpetually discontented with the world around him. Long before the assassination he even expressed his hatred for American society and acted in protest against it. There was also the Single Bullet Theory, introduced by the Warren Commission. This theory concluded that a single bullet caused all of the wounds in President Kennedy and Governor Connally. According to the single-bullet theory, a single bullet fired from the sixth floor passed through President Kennedy’s neck and Governor Connally’s chest and wrist and embedded itself in the Governor’s thigh. The same bullet was then found on a gurney after the assassination, which led to Oswald being the single killer, and acting alone.
Griffin Harms
3rd Hour
Of all the conspiracy theories surrounding JFK's assassination, I personally believe that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone to murder JFK. Even though many other theories sound logical, this case sounds the most possible to me. The speculation surrounding the Cubans and a secret team for JFK's assassination seem unlikely to me because the intent they had was just too complex. Despite the fact that the murder was carried out by the mafia sounds logical, the story gets lost in the details and the chances of everything happening are slim. I believe that all of these stories were composed through panic and blame, and the American public over thought the issue. Even though the three shots in six seconds sounds unlikely, it is still possible, and Oswald was certified by the Marines as a sharpshooter. My final verdict on this subject is that I believe that Oswald was an unstable man that had his reasons, and he assassinated JFK.
By the way, u posted blog litterely 1 min after I emailed u last night saying I looked but it wasn’t up yet. That’s just dumb luck/bad timing
I don’t think any of the real jfk assassinations conspiracies hold much ground. I guess you can say that LHO acting alone is a conspiracy, but I see it more as what happened. Until we discussed in class, I didn’t even know there was conspiracy/ controversy over jfk assassination, I thought it was an open and closed case. I had heard something about a grassy knawel once from a show when I was little but I nvr heard a follow through or anything, so I just assumed it was some joke that was “in” at the time. I could be wrong, and maybe a lot of people believe that there is more behind the death than just a man who wanted to kill someone. Maybe I’ve just been shut in my whole life, and there is a whole other world outside from what I see every day, but to me and what seems like a majority of my peers believe that it was LHO that acted alone. There was also no overwhelming proof brought up to support the conspires surrounding the shooting. I think that it is best summed up by one of the greatest minds whoever lived (not literally, but in a fictional world) “when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth” (Sherlock Holmes). Although it wasn’t said in regards to this particular event, it describes it to the T; that despite however unlikely that LHO could/would kill the president, it is the only plausible answer. In turn, it IS the answer. I think that people at the time where making up stories because they wanted to spice up their lives a little. Without the vast range of entertainment we had today, with all the gossip shows and drama we see on the news, is it possible that the US in the 60’s wanted a change in pace? Could they have wanted an M Knight Shyamalan ending to possibly the important event of their lives? I think that it’s not only possibly, I think, that based on human patterns, noting that homo-sapiens are creatures of habit, it is the most logical answer to how such ludicrous theories of a simple case gained such power and support… grrr I got a migraine now casue I got to into this at the end of it once I thought of the Sherlock holmes quote I started watching his shows and stayed up much latter that I should have :P
mark gausstineau 2nd hour
I think that the conspiracy about Lee Harvey Oswald killing John F. Kennedy. I think that it was him because of the evidence that they have found. They found his gun in the boxes of the building. Eyewitness also said that they spotted Oswald in the window. Why would someone leave money and their weeding ring on the counter of their house if they were going to come back? After Oswald what I believe shot JFK went on to kill another man that was a police officer. While yes his mother might say that he was part of the CIA, people can have a plan and part of his plan could have been getting into the CIA to get a good reputation from people or get connections through people. With the fact that they have tested the shots that could have been shot from that building and they aligned most likely to what have might have happen that day. His wife from Russia also said that she locked him in his room one day for talking about killing the president. Although no one may not know for sure who killed John F. Kennedy I would like to think that the CIA that is supposed to guard our country, would not take a part in a action as big as killing our President.
Stefanie Kueck
3rd hour
The conspiracy I think has the most credibility is the mafia involvement. I think the mafia conspiracy has the most credibility because there are a bunch of different stories to it. The first story is that the assassination was a retaliation for Attorney General Bobby Kennedy's attacks on the mafia. Another story is that the mafia could have used their own killers and used Oswald as a "patsy".
I believe that there were other shooters because in the video it looked like JFK was getting different angles. I also believe that Oswald was used as a "patsy" because he was mental and he was killed before he was trialed. The other angle that JFK was killed because he was having a affair with Judith Campbell, which is the mafia bosses girlfriend. AS you can see there were no evidence.
Acari White
Blake Jackson
3rd Hour
I think that the most credible JFK murder theory is actually the mafia theory. While there’s not much evidence offered it has the best motive for the assassination. The next best choice, the Vietnam option, can be proven false simply because JFK had recently said that we would stay in Vietnam. While many people now believe that Oswald acted alone I don’t think that’s true. If it would have been Oswald acting alone then why would we wait 75 years before being able to see the unpublished documents? Wouldn’t it have been easier just to put everyone’s minds at ease and agree with the current beliefs? The Mafia theory also offers two possible reasons for the murder. It even ties in with JFK’s actual personality of being a ladies’ man. I also believe the mob theory because to me Oswald just didn’t seem like the type of person that would commit a crime like that on his own. It also would explain why Jack Ruby killed Oswald only several days later before Oswald could appear on trial. There is also the second reason for the mob suspicion because of how Robert Kennedy targeted the mob. It makes sense as to why mob would want to send a message to one of the Kennedys. If anyone had the most reason for targeting JFK I personally think it was the mob.
Willie Beattie
2nd Hour
The JFK conspiracy theory that I find most credible is that the mob ordered him dead. I think that the mafia very well, could have killed him and used Lee Harvey Oswald as a “pansy”. The mafia obviously had some connections with JFK, like through Judith Cambell who Frank Sinatra introduced to JFK, She was a girlfriend of a high mob boss and maybe he didn’t like her meeting with JFK and for all we know they could have had an affair. Also, why would LHO leave the weapon in the room that he shot from. Any person with some common sense would take it with them or hide it better. The gun was also found with LHO’s finger and palm prints all over. Why wouldn’t he were gloves, unless he was supposed to get caught? On top of all these reason, there are plenty more like the fact that for LHO to kill the president from his vantage point required a very skilled sniper witch he proved he was not when he tried to kill the governor several months earlier. From his vantage point it would be very hard to get off a good shot especially three shots. All of this evidence concludes that the mafia were the ones that organized the killing of JFH.
I personally believe that there were three shooters and the CIA was part of it. They linked these conclusions to all be close to right or just make sense only one of the conclusions that they came up with are right, also I think the man that killed LHO was trying to cover up for someone else or a group, when they took him in, he never told why he killed him or anything that he knew about the murder of president Kennedy. It may have something to do with the mafia and how Kennedy talked to Judith Campbell. There are many solutions to this murder but we don’t know what the truth is, and this was my conclusion.
George Sharrak
The Kennedy assasination bothers me because there are so many strange loose ends and inconsistencies. When a president is murdered you don't expect body parts to disappear, bodies to be flown out of state within hours and suspects to be shot inside police stations. All fertilize the mind for conspiracies.
That said, the conspiracies are at best speculation and at worst junk science. After getting a full dose I can only conclude that the Warren Commission was correct. Oswald was very capable of shooting JFK. The PBS show "Nova" even provded the so-called Magic Bullet theory. Yes, Case Closed.
My memories of 1963 add this afterthought- we were not prepared to belief that an insignificant loser could so upset our view of the world and the viacarious aspirations JFK gave us. We needed to something larger and more sinister was at work.
I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald killed President Kennedy by himself. His motivations, I believe, come from an internal need to kill someone. He had tried to kill a politician before and failed, this would make him angry and want to try again. He wanted to go down in history by killing the President. If he shot the President and got away with it then he would have his own personal gratification; but if he got caught then he would go down in history books like he has. It was a win/win situation for Oswald. This mentality could have originated in his childhood; his mother was “off” and not completely stable, the townspeople avoided her. More evidence supporting his sole act are the wounds on the president and governor show that he was the shooter. Despite beliefs of there being three shooters present, if we go with the assumption that the bullet ricocheted then it becomes clear that he was the sole assassin. I do not believe that Jack Ruby was part of the mafia or any other conspiracy, but I do consider him a radical. I believe that he too acted on his own when killing Lee Harvey Oswald for his own means.
Dustin O.
I believe that Oswald was the person who shot JFK. I think that he could have been working with some other people but everything seemed to come back to LHO in the end. I also think this is true because LHO was at work that day and no one else was on the floor that he was. They also found his finger prints on the gun. People thought that LHO wasn't intelligent but I think people were wrong, he had been to the marines and I am sure that he was very experienced in handling a gun and shooting one. The warren commission didn't do that good of a job of going through all the evidence, but I think it was pretty clear that Oswald did it. Also people think that Oswald was crazy, for example when he was younger his mother sent him to get help and if anyone shot the president it doesn't seem like they are normal or sane. The most interesting evidence that I think proved that it was LHO were the comments from his wife saying that the day of the shooting LHO had said goodbye to her and walked out with out a wedding band on. Those are the reasons why i think LHO killed President JFK.
Allie Rubin
There are many popular theories behind the assassination of John F. Kennedy that vary greatly from the amount of shooters to the main influences on the shooters. Some popular theories were that the C.I.A. was involved, that Cuba plotted it, and that the Soviet Union caused the shooting. Despite these somewhat believable theories, I think it is likely that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. Many of the conspiracy theories seem plausible; however, none of them have truly been proven. To this day, no one has come forth and admitted to being a part of any greater conspiracy, making it seem like they are false. According to the video "Oswald's Ghost," Lee Harvey Oswald was very interested in politics. His political beliefs were quite the opposite of those of Kennedy. He was a supporter of Fidel Castro and of the Soviet Union. He even spent a period of time living in the Soviet Union. I agree with the speakers in "Oswald's Ghost" reason that Oswald acted out and shot John F. Kennedy to have a chance to publicly express his views on how the government should be run, to gain power, and to become a memorable figure in history. The video also discussed how Oswald was capable of doing things alone, such as living in the Soviet Union, making it likely that he could plot something so major and execute it by himself. Additionally, LHO's experience in the Marines and skills in weapon use make it seem like he was physically capable of shooting.
Katlin Beal
3rd Hour
I believe the conspiracy that the mafia was involved in JFK’s assassination because he was “friends” with one of the top mafia men’s girlfriend. John F. Kennedy made 75 phone calls from just the oval office to this woman Judith Campbell. The mafia would have easily put out a hit on John F. Kennedy for this. The mafia was assumed in many murders and never caught so they could have easily been involved here. The mafia could have used Lee Harvey Oswald as an escape goat, or they could have had him kill John F. Kennedy. Lee Harvey Oswald lived in the Soviet Union and applied to be a citizen in the Soviet Union but was denied. He could have been a trader also. I also believe that there were at least two shooters. In the video, the president went forward then back. His skull fragmented out of the back, and he shot back in a way that looked like it was from the front. This is a major indicator that there was more than one shooter. Also one bullet hit the overpass which suggested another shooter was involved. I believe it was mainly the mafia that killed John Kennedy.
I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald killed president Kennedy with another hit man. the reason why I believe this is because he didn’t agree with the way that the president was running the country, he didn’t like the country in the first place, and most importantly he was mentally unstable. Before he killed the president, he was in the Soviet Union and he studied communism. He seemed as if he didn’t love the United States because he went out of his way to study communism and he wasn’t a patriot. The reason why I think someone else must have been involved is because there is no possible way that a bullet could ricochet like how they claim the bullets did in the murder. It had to involve another person that happened to be lucky enough to get away with it. I feel as if it would be an impossible crime committed alone, but with another person in the mix I could understand it happening. Also It makes sense because if the other shooter was in the right position, he could have shot the president or any other four passengers in the car with ease and if this is true they certainly tricked a nation because of how stumped we were with the whole situation. I think situation has a good amount of credibility for a situation that is definitely plausible.
Brandon V.
Kierra W.
6/18/2010
2nd hr
I believe Lee Harvey Oswald, a socialist possibly, killed President John F. Kennedy. Maybe not by himself though but he did have the qualifications, motives etc. He was well trained in the U.S marines and later went to the Soviet Union, so maybe he could shoot accurately with his left hand. He was a very intelligent men and Shooting three bullets in six seconds would not be difficult. It is believed he was of English, German, Irish, dutch decent. Not only did the warren commission declare Oswald’s assassination on the President but the Dallas police office, too. But, Oswald could have been framed and his own mother believed he was in the CIA or some secret government position. Because of the assassination of L.H.O by Jack Ruby no one will ever truly no why JFK was assassinated and the motives, and others behind it. JFK had a hit race on him and too much trouble all at once: cubans, mafia, or even our government could have killed him to prevent him from backing out of the Vietnam war. All of these are still possible suspects in the nations eyes and therefore this case will never really be closed.
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