JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theories By: Ashtyn Hall

Just after noon, November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was shot dead while being driven through Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas. Major news stations across the nation were interrupting regularly scheduled programs to inform the public that shots were fired, President Kennedy had lost his life, and former Marine Lee Harvey Oswald was to blame (“November 22, 1963: Death of the President.”). In the aftermath, as more information surrounding his death became public, many people noticed faults in the story provided by the authorities, leading a considerable number of citizens to believe there was much more to this case than meets the eye. How did the bullet, shot from where it was, hit President Kennedy at such an angle? If Oswald fired only two shots, how was Governor Connelly also hit considering the position of the men and the bullet’s trajectory? These inconsistencies sparked countless theories. Most commonly mentioned is the “Two Shooters” theory, claiming that Oswald did not act alone. Many believers of this theory say that there must have been a second shooter at a nearby grassy knoll in order for the bullet to hit the places it had hit (Cullen, Terence). Another is the “Umbrella Man” theory, claiming that Louie Steven Witt had immobilized Kennedy by firing a poison dart from his umbrella, giving Oswald a better chance at hitting his intended target. Another more believable suggestion is that Lyndon B. Johnson was behind the attacks in order to retain his place of power after Kennedy stated that Johnson would not be his vice in the election of 1964. All of these theories have varying amounts of credibility and plausibility, but not all of them can be true. Let’s delve deeper into the facts and analyses to find out what really happened on the sunny morning of November 22, 1963.

            President John F. Kennedy had his whole political career ahead of him. A country to run, responsibilities to uphold, international issues to address, and the hopeful gaze of every American citizen looking for a light in the midst of crisis. President Kennedy was an ambitious, charismatic leader with high hopes, willing to bear heavy burdens for the sake of the country’s security (Kennedy, John F. 1). He carried himself with a confident aura, letting people know that he was in control at any given time. This, combined with his youthful good looks, made him a charmer and assured that everyone listened to what he had to say no matter what their political standing or personal opinion happened to be.

            Kennedy was remarkably selfless. During World War II he became a lieutenant in the navy and commanded a PT-109, that was destroyed by the Japanese. In the immediate aftermath, he swam a long six miles dragging a severely injured man, Pappy McNulty, the whole way in his teeth. At the same time, he managed to lead his entire squad to safety on a deserted island where he then worked tirelessly to flag down passing ships for a rescue and even trekking to another island entirely to find human contact. Thanks to his quick thinking and bravery, all lives but two were saved (“JFK's Message - Still Relevant 5o Years Later.” 1). These traits and acts of selflessness are all the qualities one could want in a leader.

            During his presidency, Kennedy was an advocate for civil rights, racial equality in particular, and worked with civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr in order to bring humane treatment and equal opportunity to people of color.  “Today, we are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free.” Kennedy says in reply to the racial tensions of the period. “It ought to be possible, in short, for every American to enjoy the privileges of being American without regard to his race or his color” (Nguyen 1). These open-minded, inclusive views were constant throughout the rest of his term as president. His open support for the African-American community gained him many votes and supporters, further increasing his popularity and brightening his image.

             Those that were close to the late president spoke highly of him, recalling good memories. “I can remember playing under the big wooden desk in his office.” Says John F. Kennedy Jr., “My mother didn't like us to chew gum, so we'd go into his office, and he'd feed us gum under the desk.” Caroline Kennedy, JFK’s daughter, recalls not only her own good memories, but also the accomplishments and ambitions of her father. “I think one of my father's great legacies is the people that he inspired and the generation that he inspired transformed America through civil rights, women's rights, equal justice, and they've passed that on to their children and grandchildren,” (Top 25 Quotes by Caroline Kennedy 1). She has spoken on multiple occasions of her father’s strides to forward the civil rights movement.

            If all these things are true, then what could possibly have warranted his assassination? Was it simply the actions of one man with a gun and a statement to make? Or was it the result of something so much more sinister? With the ongoing threat of the Cuban Missile Crisis, communist defectors becoming increasingly common, and the country’s almost black-and-white division over how the matter of civil rights and segregation should be addressed, there was clear discourse among citizens and their approval, or lack thereof, of the reigning President Kennedy.

            When such an influential political figurehead is tasked with highly controversial and dangerous matters to address, there are bound to be people who disagree with their action whole-heartedly, even to the point of taking drastic measures. The circumstances surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy however, are rather suspicious when looked into. Though the authorities were quick to point fingers and say they found the killer quickly, the evidence against their claims assured that the true cause may remain forever a mystery.

As more information began to leak regarding Kennedy’s assassination, such as Zapruder’s film, analyses quickly went against what the official statement regarding his death had claimed. Perhaps the least credible proposal is one known as the “Umbrella Man” theory. Suspicion arose after photos of the event showed a man carrying a black umbrella, despite the fact that it was a clear day. These photos led some to believe that this suspicious character played a large role in the assassination of the late President. Supporters of this theory claim that the “Umbrella Man”, later identified as Louie Steven Witt, was in fact carrying a tranquilizer gun disguised as an umbrella. He used this supposed tranquilizer to sedate Kennedy and halt his movements in order to make the shot easier for Oswald to take. When confronted about his possible role in the assassination of Kennedy, Witt claimed he simply brought the umbrella to spite Kennedy and had absolutely no intention of harming him. Supposedly, a black umbrella was a sort of “trademark” for Neville Chamberlain, a Nazi sympathizer associated with the Kennedy family during the second World War. Upon being informed about the theories involving him and his umbrella that day, he stated that he was entirely unaware that he was even a subject of discussion (Miller, Micheal E.).

            Another theory, a far more plausible one in which vice president Lyndon B. Johnson is involved, suggests that Johnson ordered Kennedy’s death in order to assume role as president (Conspiracy Theories over…). When discussing the next presidential election, Kennedy said that he would be running for a second term but would not be running with Johnson as his vice. “At this time I am thinking about Governor Terry Sanford of North Carolina.” He tells his secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, “But it will not be Lyndon” (Clarke, Thurston). Theorists say that this angered Johnson and that he felt a grudge against Kennedy for threatening his position of power. According to the theory, Kennedy’s decision to find a new vice president inspired Johnson to kill Kennedy before his term was over in order to rise to the position of president. This is further credited by Johnson’s rather hasty attempt to nullify all rumors surrounding his possible involvement once he was in office and his insistence that Oswald acted alone despite evidence suggesting otherwise. Soviet spies residing in the United States also believed the Johnson was behind the killing and even claimed to have documents suggesting that their suspicions were correct (Li, David K.).

By far the most common conspiracy is the observation that, based on the placements of the injuries, number of bullets fired and missed, and the location of Oswald himself, there is no possible way a single offender could have achieved what had been done (Onion, Amanda 1). Dubbed the “Grassy Knoll” theory, these believers state that there was a second shooter positioned behind a fence at a grassy knoll nearby. This is supported by the fact that in the near immediate aftermath, emergency responders flocked to the knoll rather than the building Oswald had had been in. This causes many theorists to believe that the sound of gunshots had come from that area in particular, leading the responders present to assume that the knoll was the location of the assassin. Pictures of the event also show what appears to be a man fleeing the knoll shortly after Kennedy was shot (Organ, Jerry 1). Perhaps the most convincing piece of evidence however, is the fact that Oswald only fired three bullets, with one of them missing their target. That leaves two bullets responsible for three wounds, none of which line up with one another. This in itself makes it impossible for Oswald to have acted alone, since the two bullets he successfully fired could not have inflicted all three wounds from his angle and elevation. The final large piece of evidence in this theory is that Oswald simply had no time to release three consecutive bullets in the time that he had. All three shots occurred within just over an eight second period. Studies conducted by the Italian military concluded that with Oswald’s gun, he could not have possibly delivered that many shots in less than nineteen seconds, much less eight (Shipma, Tim). This theory is the most plausible and has the most collective evidence supporting it, therefore it explains the assassination of President Kennedy best.

            November 22, 1969, was a day that will forever be remembered by the American population. It marks the end of a life and the beginning of an era, an era of grieving, distrust, blame, and conspiracy that lasted for decades to come. Though the majority of Americans believe that there is much more than meets the eye when it comes to Kennedy’s assassination, whether it be multiple killers, and umbrella-toting man, or betrayal within the white house, many still disagree on exactly what happened on that sunny autumn morning.

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

“November 22, 1963: Death of the President.” John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and

Museum, www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/November-22-1963-Death-of-the-President.aspx.

Cullen, Terence. “Five JFK assassination theories that records could finally debunk.” NY Daily News, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, 25 Oct. 2017, www.nydailynews.com/news/national/jfk-assassination-theories-records-finally-debunk-article-1.3587599.

Novella, Steven -. “Why Conspiracy Theorists Are So Obsessed With JFK's "Umbrella Man".” io9, io9.Gizmodo.com, 14 Oct. 2014, io9.gizmodo.com/why-conspiracy-theorists-are-so-obsessed-with-jfks-umb-1646099130.

Kennedy, John F.: "Television and Radio Interview: "After Two Years - a Conversation With the

President."," December 17, 1962. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=9060.

“JFK's Message - Still Relevant 5o Years Later.” Daniel Hill Media, danielhillmedia.com/jfks-

message-50-years-later/.

Nguyen, Vi-An. “5 Quotes from JFK's Civil Rights Address That Still Resonate Today.” Parade,

Parade, 11 June 2013, www.parade.com/21211/viannguyen/5-quotes-from-jfks-civil-rights-address-that-still-resonate-today/.

“TOP 25 QUOTES BY CAROLINE KENNEDY (of 60).” A-Z Quotes, www.azquotes.com/author/7891-Caroline_Kennedy.

Onion, Amanda. “Study: Shot Was Fired From 'Grassy Knoll'.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 26 Mar. 1970, abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=98689&page=1.

Organ, Jerry. “"Smoke" on the Grassy Knoll.” "Smoke" on the Grassy Knoll in the Wake of the JFK Assassination, 2000, mcadams.posc.mu.edu/organ3.htm.

Shipma, Tim. “Oswald 'had no time to fire all Kennedy bullets'.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 1 July 2007, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1556184/Oswald-had-no-time-to-fire-all-Kennedy-bullets.html.

Miller, Micheal E. “JFK assassination conspiracy theories: The grassy knoll, Umbrella Man, LBJ and Ted Cruz’s dad.” 10ADAD, doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.

“Conspiracy theories over JFK assassination; one involves President Lyndon Johnson.” Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam, 26 Oct. 2017, pp. 1–32., doi:10.1515/9781400856824.1.

Clarke, Thurston. “JFK and LBJ: The Influence of Personality upon Politics.” The SHAFR Guide Online, 18 Nov. 2013, doi:10.1163/2468-1733_shafr_sim160050050.

Li, David K. “Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) Taxonomic revision of Rochefortia Sw. (Ehretiaceae, Boraginales). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e7720. https://Doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e7720.” 27 Oct. 2017, doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.