JFK Assassination
Shelby Murphy
Who, What, When, Where, Why
John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Many people believe that Lee Harvey Oswald was responsible for his death. However, speculations were made whether or not he was the real killer. We will never know Oswald's motive because Jack Ruby murdered him on live television. The nation was shocked by the conspiracies theories that would soon come about the incident.
Innocent or Guilty?
Lee Harvey Oswald. Suspected killer of JFK. Assassinated by Jack Ruby on November 24, 1963. Motive unknown.
Moments before the Murder
This photograph was taken minutes before the 35th president of the United States was killed at Dealey Plaza. Accompanied by Bill Greer, Roy Kellerman, John Connally, Nellie Connally, and Jackie Kennedy.
Theories Created
Many sources began to claim that certain people were responsible for the death of JFK. Conspiracies theories shook the belief of Americans and made them question their trust within the nation.
Perspective #1
The story that many believe is that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone killer. People say he was standing up above 4 stories shooting from an abandoned warehouse. However, people say it was nearly impossible for him to run down 4 flights of stairs in the speed he did. The single bullet theory backs up the reason that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. The warren commission agree that three bullets were fired. One shot hit the concrete, hurting a civilian. Another reason why this theory seems unreasonable is the trajectory of the bullet. One single bullet could not do as many damage as shown in the autopsy. Many people also began to realize the unfathomable connections between Abraham Lincoln's death and John F. Kennedy's death.
Perspective #2
Some skeptics believe that the CIA killed the president of the United States. Apparently John F. Kennedy was upset with the CIA because they were doing things behind his back. The Central Intelligence Agency wanted to kill Fidel Castro. However, the CIA was paranoid that the president may fire the group because they were going against his will. People believe that this was a strong enough motive to kill the president of the United States. This theory especially made civilians uneasy about the protection of our country.
JFK assassination: Cronkite informs a shocked nation
Media Bias Explained
Every different news article had different stories on how JFK was killed. Many conspiracy theories were made. People questioned whether the government was trustworthy or not. The elaboration of the event shocked civilians and made them afraid of what would happen next to the country. Newspaper articles would blame the mob, the CIA, Lee Harvey Oswald, and other sources. The more the story was told, the more messy the situation became. Each time the event of the murder was printed, the harder it was to receive the truth behind what actually happened.
Criticism #1
Historical criticism is the most obvious criticism throughout this situation. The speculations for Oswald's motive all have to do with that specific time period. Back then, the USA was dealing with Fidel Castro. If the CIA truly was responsible for JFK's death, their reason would be dealing with history. John F. Kennedy was an icon for forever changing America. His positive impacts during his time in office affected the United States history. After JFK's death, Lyndon B, Johnson would take position of the next U.S. president.
Criticism #2
Cultural criticism can also be found. Now a days, you would never see a president riding throughout a busy street with the hood of the car rolled down. People would say that a president doing that would be asking to get hurt. Ever since Kennedy's assassination, the government has put more security upon following presidents. Also, the mystery behind JFK's death was so unsolvable because of the lack of technology. If our current president were to be killed, we would find out all most immediately. Security technology has advanced over the years. Cameras, bullet proof technology, and other life saving devices are now available to our culture.
Citations
"November 22, 1963: Death of the President." - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2016. http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/November-22-1963-Death-of-the-President.aspx
"John F. Kennedy Assassinated." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 04 May 2016. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-f-kennedy-assassinated
"Kennedy Killed." NY TImes. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/1122.html