November 22, 2007 marks the 44th anniversary of President John Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas, Texas. There maybe no single event in American History that has fueled as much controversy and misinformation as the death of our 32nd president.
The findings of the Warren Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone and fired the shots that killed the President. Unfortunately, common knowledge seems to incorrectly conclude that is not the case. Within a few hours after Kennedy’s death, conspiracy theories began to emerge. It was only natural. In the midst of the Cold War, anti-communist sediment focused on plots from the Soviet Union, Cuba or red enemies within the country. The Hollywood-like rub-out of the major suspect, Oswald shot by Jack Ruby two days later, added fuel to the conspiracy fire. It was not until after the results of the Warren Commission were published when the basic conspiracy theories began to materialize and take hold. What did not help in the public eye was the haste to get the report done before the 1964 Presidential Election. As a result, the Commission did not cross all of their “T’s” or dot all of their “I’s.” The final report left many unanswered questions, such as the issue of determining the exact second of when Oswald’s first shot was fired. It was fertile ground for the conspiracy madness to begin.
At the heart of the basic JFK conspiracy is the refusal for many in the public to conclude that a down-and-out individual would have the ability to end the life of the world’s most powerful man. Our natural reaction concludes that some mightier entity must be responsible for the crime. With all of these perceptions, the meek Oswald, and the idol Kennedy, conspiracies are easily hatched, and can be constructed as complicated as much as a president is powerful. In this process, most of the facts are twisted, ignored and buried.
Poor Lee Harvey Oswald, he is someone who most believe incapable of masterminding the assassination. It is hard to give him credit. Despite what the hundreds of JFK conspiracy books say, he was an expert marksman in the Marines, more than capable of completing the task. What nearly all the scheming accounts ignore is that the Dallas shooting was Oswald’s second attempt to end the life of someone. Army General Edwin Walker, a high profile Dallas anti-communist, a person who Oswald labeled as an enemy to his communistic beliefs, barely escaped a bullet in his house from the same rifle that killed JFK in April of 1963. Given his history, Lee Harvey Oswald had both the skill and the desire to pull off the president’s assassination.
After reading about Kennedy’s visit and seeing the route published in the local paper, noticing that the motorcade would pass by the Texas School Book Depository, Lee Harvey Oswald decided to kill Kennedy. At least, that is what I believe most likely happened. There was no grand scheme, or encompassing plan. It was just him, planning the crime the day before, and carrying in the bundled package to work on the morning of the twenty second.
The blindness of the true conspiracy believers is remarkable. When asked about his package, Oswald replied: “They are curtain rods.” Without common sense, they actually took him for his word, as they did when he spoke: “I’m just a patsy,” at a press conference at the police station. What else would a true criminal say? Overlooked in their attempts to select the data for their predetermined conclusion are the names of Alex J. Hidell and O. L. Lee. Both aliases used by Lee Harvey Oswald in the past. They want me to believe this man?
So many facts have been distorted from the events of that fateful Friday afternoon. Most notable is “The Single/Magic Bullet Theory.” This is a point many have studied, and expert analysis has concluded that one bullet did indeed pass through JFK and the Texas Governor, based on their positions at the time of the shooting. Conspiracy advocates have boldly rewritten the placements of Kennedy and Governor Connally in the limousine as evidence against the theory. This ‘magic bullet’ ended up on Connally’s left thigh, and has been claimed by the schemers as ‘pristine.’ In fact, it only looks that way when one looks at it normally. What they won’t tell you is when it is seen from the bottom, or top, it is noticeably flattened.
When all the facts add up, I believe it is easy to conclude that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. I have no doubt. Someone, somewhere, somehow would have spilled the beans by now if a conspiracy existed. Over the years, many have claimed a vast government cover-up. Are you kidding! Again, someone would have said something by now, besides can the government keep a secret as well as they seem to run most things?
If you must talk of conspiracies, let us talk about the one where all those women that visited JFK’s bed were hidden from us. Let us talk about the conspiracy that prevented pictures of the president, who suffered from Addison’s Disease, in crutches and wheelchairs from the eyes of the public. Those are truer to the idea of a conspiracy than the JFK assassination ever was.
No comments:
Post a Comment