On November 22, 1963, our president
at the time, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated during a motorcade parade in
Dallas by who many who believe to be Lee Harvey Oswald (“Who killed JFK? The
Kennedy conspiracy theories explained”). The well-spoken and poised president
was brutally shot and killed in an open roof Limousine during the parade in the
company of his wife and the rest of the United States watching (1). After the
verdict arose that Lee Harvey Oswald was the only person involved in the
assassination, many conspiracy theories have been formed that try to pin the
act on several different associations (1). Some conspiracy theories that have
come to light that try to explain the three gunshot sounds in the video of his
assassination is that there was one bullet that pierced JFK in the neck and
badly wounded Governor John Connally or “the Magic Bullet theory”, that the
illuminati was involved in the assassination and that the CIA was behind the
entire assassination with the most likely of these to be the CIA’s involvement
in the case (1). Many believe that the government is behind some of the most
famous conspiracy theories that exist within society and that they try to cover
up anyone who may set them back as a whole or expose their reputation. Let’s
examine the case itself and the possibility of the CIA being behind one of the
most gruesome assassinations in the history of the United States.
John F. Kennedy was the 35th
president of the United States of America and was born in Brookline,
Massachusetts on May 29th, 1917 (John F. Kennedy, The White House).
Kennedy was a brave and courageous man and when his PT boat was sunk by a
Japanese destroyer, he led the remaining survivors of the crash to safety (1).
When he came back from the war, he became a Democratic congressman from Boston
and eventually advanced to Senate in 1953 (1).
Kennedy set out in his campaign to
try to get America moving and his Economic programs led the country during its longest
expansion since World War II (1). Kennedy also led plans for an attack on
privation and property, and he also took action in the field of equal rights,
where he called for a new civil rights legislation (1). As a white man, it was
very uncommon for someone like him to be concerned with the issue of equal
rights in society, especially in his time period. (2) Kennedy was also very
courageous when he called Coretta Scott King to express his sympathy for Martin
Luther King Jr when he was leading a protest in Atlanta, Georgia and was able
to help get Martin Luther King out of Jail with the help of his brother, Robert
F. Kennedy (2). His plans for America were based on increasing the prominence
of national culture and arts within society and his plan was for America to
continue to try and be the first nation centered on human rights (1).
John F. Kennedy was a man who often acted out
in times of need when his country needed him the most. During the Cuban missile
crisis, Russia planned to put in place missiles in Cuba to fire at the United
States, and he imposed a quarantine on all weapons that could potentially
attack the United States or surrounding countries (1). While everyone was
afraid of the possibility of nuclear war, Kennedy took action and was able to
neutralize one of the most potentially dangerous threats the United States has
ever been exposed to (1).
John F. Kennedy was not like a
stereotypical president and some of his actions and decisions as President of
the United States were controversial as he tried to achieve his goal of
creating, “a world of law and free choice, banishing the world of war and
coercion.” (1). The beliefs of the average white American were strongly based
on segregation and white superiority compared to the African American race.
Since John F. Kennedy was like no other president, it is possible that his
unorthodox way of achieving his goal led to his assassination at a motorcade in
Dallas, Texas on November 22nd, 1963 (1). John F. Kennedy was also a
very talented speaker who was able to connect to individuals within the United
States and call to action the next generation of the leaders of America and
those who were uneasy about war and violence (John F. Kennedy, History). John
F. Kennedy had to endure the stress that comes with dealing with strong nuclear
powers such as the Soviet Union but he was able to make a decision that shaped
history during a period of turmoil and country wide panic. Kennedy also made a
horrible decision that was very spontaneous and outright with the Bay of Pigs
invasion in 1961, which led to over a thousand former Cuban citizens having to
surrender to Cuban forces (6). In his attempt to overthrow communism, Kennedy
caused major resentment towards the United States from the small nation of
Cuba, which could have ended in a Third World War if it wasn’t stopped from the
source (6). This event shows how his spontaneous decision affected not only
those living within the United States but also those seeking help from our
massive nation. He was also pressured into trying to advance a country through
technology with the Space Race against the Soviet Union, which put pressure on
him to try and increase spending on Government program like NASA to achieve his
goal of landing on the moon by the end of the Decade. Kennedy’s decisions were
not always accepted by everyone within the United States and a few people
didn’t like how he planned to eliminate communism around the world through the
Cold War Effort (3).
During
John F. Kennedy’s City on a Hill Speech he addressed the General Court of
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States (John F. Kennedy, Massachusetts
Court, City on a Hill). Kennedy addresses his ethics and beliefs during the
speech when he quotes John Winthrop by saying, “”that we shall be as a city
upon a hill – the eyes of all people are upon us”, constructed and inhabited by
men aware of their great trust and their great responsibilities (4). The speech
shows how Kennedy was such an influential speaker that he was able to make an
account that applied to American life years beforehand, relevant to modern day
experiences and the standard the United States is constantly held against.
Kennedy was a very strong speaking man and he was able to state exactly what he
wanted out of our nation, by giving a call to action to those living in the
United States, and anyone who looks up to our nation. During this speech, he
addresses the fact that America is under a lot of pressure to succeed and
everyone is looking at the city on a hill because it is held to the highest
standard and there isn’t a single thing that goes unnoticed (4). He uses this
opportunity to show his bravery by speaking out to a crowd of people and
expressing his ideas. John F. Kennedy is described in a personal account by
Kenneth O’Donnell taken by Arlen Specter in 1964. Kennedy's decisions are
described in the interview when Kenneth O’Donnell says,” There was a party
problem in Texas that the President and the Vice President felt he could be
helpful, as both sides of the controversy were supporting President Kennedy,
and they felt he could be a bridge between these two groups, and this would be
helpful in the election of 1964,” he describes Kennedys motivation for coming
to Dallas, Texas which eventually led to his death (Spartacus Educational).
In the previous quote, Kennedy is
described as being motivated to help others and create a bridge between two
groups of people to try and strengthen the connection with those in society
(5). The Warren Commission report not only shows how John F. Kennedy’s actions
affected other people, and whether or not his decisions are wise, but it also
shows different opinions people have of him when it states,” for the Secret
Service to arrange a route which would, within the time allotted, bring the
President "through an area which exposes him to the greatest number of
people."” (5). The report shows the unwise decision of choosing an open
vehicle when he is trying to get exposure to the greatest amount of people
which would expose him and his wife to anyone that would want to attempt to
kill them (5). This Report also shows how Kenneth O’Donnell opposed the
motorcade at first and the decision by everyone else to go ahead and go through
with the motorcade affected him when it writes, ”Everyone agreed that, if there
was sufficient time, a motorcade through downtown Dallas would be the best way
for the people to see their President. When the trip was planned for only one
day, Governor Connally had opposed the motorcade because there was not enough
time.” because he felt like it was his fault that President John F. Kennedy was
assassinated (5). Kennedy shows his bravery in this account by exposing himself
to every citizen that could either praise Kennedy for his efforts as the
current President of the United States or anyone who disliked him for his rash
and spontaneous behavior. Kennedy was the youngest president ever elected into
office, aside from Theodore Roosevelt who became president after President
McKinley was assassinated, so it was devastating to lose such an influential
and young president for our Nation (7). This account shows how one small
decision could affect many others and it shows how a small action involving a
single person can affect millions of people for years to come (5).
John F. Kennedy was a brave and
courageous man who believed in his own teachings so much that he died trying to
express them to people and help influence them to create a better nation for
everyone. Kennedy was one of the most influential and strongest speaking
presidents of the 20th century and his actions during his presidency
have shaped and continue to influence many in today’s Society.
Project 3
John
F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was shot and
killed in an open car when he was travelling through Dallas, Texas during a
presidential motorcade (John F. Kennedy). Kennedy was one of the most
influential and well-spoken presidents to ever hold office within our political
system before his assassination on November 22, 1963. Many people believe Lee
Harvey Oswald to be Kennedy’s killer, but there are also many different
conspiracy theories that have developed throughout the years that may spark up
new opinions or ideas about how and why they believe Kennedy was killed (9).
Some conspiracy theories that have risen to popularity try to explain the three
gunshot sounds in the video of his assassination, which was one bullet that
pierced JFK in the neck and wounded Governor John Connally, or “the Magic
Bullet theory”, and that the CIA was behind the entire assassination with the
most likely of these two containing reasonable truths to be the CIA’s
involvement in the case (9).
The
magic bullet theory is based on the belief that a single shell from a sniper
rifle was able to enter in through Kennedy’s back, leave his body through his
throat and strike Connally, in turn breaking a rib and completely shattering
the bones in his wrist (9). The belief that this single bullet had massive
collateral damage is very irrational, because of the trajectory of the bullet
itself. In order for this theory to be more believable, the bullet would need
to turn during impact and follow a different direction than the initial line of
fire. The fact that the bullet would have to physically have its path of flight
altered so much that it has enough impact and velocity to break Connally’s rib
and shatter his wrist makes this conspiracy theory hard to believe. Because the
trajectory of the bullet would have had to change drastically within a split
second of time that it would take to enter and leave Kennedy’s body, some
believe that there could possibly be an additional shooter instead of this
“Magic Bullet” being the sole cause of Kennedy’s death (9). The likelihood of a
single bullet doing as much damage as it is believed to have done, is very slim
and hard to believe so it has led to people to start investigating possible
shooters who were on the ground level with Kennedy (9). The warren commission
debunked the magic bullet theory when they tested the same type of bullets from
the same angle of trajectory on human cadavers and dead animals (11). The
evidence stated previously shows that the magic bullet theory is hard to prove
as credible and any evidence that supports it is based off of autopsy reports
that may have been falsified in order to account for entry through the top part
of the neck with an exit wound through the throat of the president (11).
An
additional conspiracy theory for President Kennedy’s death is the CIA’s
involvement within the case (12). Due to the unlikelihood of the previous
conspiracy theory being a reasonable explanation for Kennedy’s assassination,
the CIA’s involvement with the murder of our 35th president becomes
a lot more believable. One main reason that people believe that the CIA was
involved within the assassination is the fact that many who were CIA agents and
station chiefs in Dallas at the time of the assassination were killed the night
before they were due to testify (12). Also George de Mohrenschildt, who worked
for the CIA at the time of the assassination, was a geologist who drew close to
Oswald in the months leading up to the assassination that was killed in cold
blood the night before he was due to testify (12). Another piece of evidence
that supports the CIA’s involvement within the assassination of John F. Kennedy
is the fact that Oswald learned how to speak Russian while in the marines and
was given money by the state to travel to Russia (12). Oswald not only
travelled to Russia but he stopped off at Japan before coming home which supports
the claim that he was working closely with the CIA in the months before the
Assassination which was most likely ordered to infiltrate Russia as a double
agent.
The
final major conspiracy theory surrounding President John F. Kennedy and Lee
Harvey Oswald is that the Mafia was the original mastermind behind the
assassination (10). Although the other two theories stated that Lee Harvey
Oswald was likely the shooter, this particular theory brings up the fact that
when Lee Harvey Oswald was tested for paraffin on his cheek, he tested
negative(11). Another reason why the mafia was likely behind the hit on John F.
Kennedy is the fact that his brother, Robert Kennedy, was “cracking down” on
crime and along with his US attorney general, their “anti mafia crusade” led to
an increase in the amount of mafia figures that were high up within the
organization (10 &13). This theory is also likely to have happened because
Operation mongoose attempted to work with Mafia leaders from the south due to
casinos in Cuba being shut down under Castro's rule and the CIA has been known
to work with the Mafia for major world operations (10). Another example of when
the CIA used the mafia to clean up messy situations, was when they hired the
mafia to try and assassinate Fidel Castro but were unable to do so after 3
attempts (10). Another coincidence that supports the claim that the mafia was
behind the assassination of John F. Kennedy was the fact that David Ferrie, the
man who was overseeing operation mongoose, was reported to have killed himself
soon before testifying in front of the committee (10). The last piece of
evidence that ties in the Mafia to the assassination of John F. Kennedy is the
death of over 100 people who were believed to be connected to Kennedy's
assassination within only a few years of what has been considered “unusual” by
Penn Jones Jr from the Rebel Magazine (10 & 13). A large amount of people
interconnected with Kennedy's assassination turned up dead and those who
didn’t, ended up in the middle of other conspiracies, so it is likely that they
were blackmailed into not speaking of Kennedy’s assassination at the
expense of their own lives (10).
The Results of a recent survey state
that 90% of people surveyed believed that the CIA was behind the Assassination
of John F. Kennedy, with the Mafia hit being the second most believable
conspiracy theory and the magic bullet theory being the last conspiracy theory
likely to have taken place. The results of the survey were unanimous and not a
single person surveyed believed in the Magic Bullet Theory. The group surveyed
was the majority adults with the exception of some teenagers that were willing
to take part in the survey.
Although
John F. Kennedy was assassinated in cold blood in front of thousands of people
he left thousands, if not many more, witnesses of his death. With an extensive
amount of witnesses and testimonies, the real reason why president John F.
Kennedy was assassinated is bound to surface if it hasn't already. The most
controversial of the three theories is the CIA’s involvement behind the
assassination with the most reasonable of the three to be the mafia’s
involvement behind the case. We may never know the real reason behind the
assassination of John F. Kennedy but the conspiracy that the CIA was behind his
death suggests that the United States government may have something to do with
other major events or assassinations in US history.
John F. Kennedy was assassinated on
November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas while he was driving with his wife and
Governor Connally through a crowd of people in a motorcade. His assassination
has developed into three conspiracy theories:
1. Was John F. Kennedy killed by a Magic
bullet that went through the back of his neck by Lee Harvey Oswald?
2. Was
the CIA behind John F. Kennedy’s Assassination and did they use Lee Harvey
Oswald to get rid of Kennedy?
3. Did
the Mafia originate the hit on John F. Kennedy?
Although there is a large amount of
evidence pointing towards the CIA being behind the Assassination of John F.
Kennedy, the tragedy that took place more than 50 years ago still remains
unsolved.
Works
Cited
1 (S) Freidel, Frank. "John F.
Kennedy." The White House. The
White House, 30 Dec. 2014.
Web.
30 Oct. 2016.
2 (S)"Civil Rights
Movement." - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. N.p., n.d.
Web. 16 Nov. 2016.
3 (T)"John F. Kennedy." History.com. A&E Television
Networks, 2009. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.
4 (S) Kennedy, John F.
"1961-01-09 Massachusetts General Court." MR65-221 Massachusetts General
Court,
January 9, 1961.
N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.
5 (S)John Simkin. "Spartacus Educational."Spartacus Educational. Spartacus
Educational, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2016.
6 (T)"Bay of Pigs Invasion." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.
7
(S) Walsh, Kenneth T. US News. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2016.
8
(T)Goldman, Russell. "The Top 5 John F. Kennedy Assassination Conspiracy
Theories." ABC News. ABC News
Network, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.
9
(S) History.com Staff. "John F. Kennedy." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.
10
(T) "5 CIA Conspiracy Theories That Are Actually True - Locklip." Locklip. N.p., 21 Aug. 2015. Web. 01
Dec. 2016.
11
(T) U.S. News & World Report.
U.S. News & World Report, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.
12
(T)"Who Killed JFK? The Kennedy Assassination Conspiracy Theories." The Week UK. N.p., 21 Nov. 2016. Web. 01
Dec. 2016.
13 "Disappearing
Witnesses." Disappearing Witnesses.
N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2016.
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