Jfk: Was It a Conspiracy?

JFK: Was it a Conspiracy?

The death of President John F. Kennedy has brought about many controversial conspiracy theories and rumors. I intend to prove in this paper that there was only one “shooter”, Lee Harvey Oswald, and all conspiracy theories can be debunked. Rumors and theories have ranged from the ordering of Kennedy’s fateful death from Fidel Castro due to the Cold War which sparked from the lack of help from federal government to Lyndon Johnson being a strong political figure ordering his death so that he could take over as President. To date not much has changed when the public is polled on this subject. While the assassination of Kennedy continues to be debated on web sites, movies, television shows and books one thing still stands true, the evidence will show that Lee Harvey Oswald did indeed act alone on November 22, 1963.

Lee Harvey Oswald led a strange and bizarre life during his 24 years of life prior to killing President Kennedy. Oswald’s ultimate death by Jack Ruby two days later was a dramatic ending to that bizarre life and the beginning of speculation and rumors. Oswald has been described as a loner and avid Marxist during his teenage years. After turning 16 he decided to join the Marine Reserves in addition to learning Russian with intentions of immigrating to the Soviet Union. “While in the Marines Oswald never did receive ranking higher than PFC but was court martialed and convicted twice, once for profanity to a non-commissioned officer and the second for failing to register a weapon.” (Rubenstein, 1999) During his Marine service he was deployed to Japan in which he did receive a rifle ranking of ‘sharpshooter’, the second highest of rifle ratings.

In 1959 Oswald went to the US Embassy in Moscow to renounce his citizenship in the US. The knowledge of this news caused the Marine Reserves to dishonorably discharge him. In the latter part of 1959 Oswald did successfully immigrate to the Soviet Union where he married Marina Pruskova while also deciding to “turn in his US passport and produced a document pledging his allegiance to the Soviet Socialist Republic”. (Rubenstein, 1999) During his stay in the Soviet Union Oswald wrote to “Governor John B Connally Jr. and the Secretary of the Navy to demand reversal of his dishonorable discharge in which reversal was denied.” (Rubenstein, 1999)

In 1962 Oswald decided to re-emigrate to the United States thus writing a letter to the senator of Texas, John G. Tower, claiming he had wanted to leave the USSR for some time but, that “the Soviets refuse to permit me and my wife to leave.” (Rubenstein, 1999) The US State Department decided to help Oswald by lending him “$435.71 for travel expenses.” (Rubenstein, 1999) Upon returning to the United States in June 1962, Oswald, Marina and their young daughter landed in New Orleans where Oswald tried to join an anti-Castro group.

Oswald continued his strange behavior such as ordering the infamous Italian made rifle and revolver that was used to kill Kennedy and Tippit under an assumed name. The rifle was tried out first on Edwin Walker, a former Marine General, in the late spring of 1963. Oswald then began “labeling himself as a hunter of fascists.” ("President Kennedy killed by rifle shots in motorcade in Dallas; Vice President Johnson sworn as President," 1963) By mid-summer Oswald went to New Orleans where he “founded a pro-Castro organization called the ‘Fair Play for Cuba Committee’, which he was the only member.” (Rubenstein, 1999) After the fiasco in New Orleans, Oswald went to Mexico and visited the Soviet Embassy trying to get a Cuban visa but was denied leaving Oswald feeling useless and demoralized. In early October 1963, Oswald would get his last job making $50 a week at the Texas School Book Depository as a warehouse worker.

John F. Kennedy, the second son to Joseph P. Kennedy, was born in Brookline, Massachusetts on May 29, 1917. His father was Great Britain’s ambassador during Roosevelt’s administration. Graduating from Harvard in 1940 he then joined the US Navy where he received a citation of valor and distinguished bravery for rescuing crewmen after their boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer. John Kennedy after coming home from the Navy decided to join the Democratic Party in which he ran for the US House of Representatives. Kennedy continued to climb politically winning a US Senate seat in 1952. As ambitious as he was politically he was just as ambitious with the love of his wife, Jacqueline Bouvier.

Kennedy’s love of politics and long blood line of political family members he put together a group of political aides which included his brother Robert F. Kennedy to help him manager his campaign for the 1960 Presidential election. John Kennedy won the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party with Senator Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas