John F. Kennedy's Assasination Under New Light By Leonardo Rabago

Introduction

           People screamed as a piercing sound of a bullet emerged through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. One of the most influential presidents to ever exist, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in the afternoon of November 22, 1963. His life was taken when supposedly Lee Harvey Oswald, a former marine, shot him in the front of the head from a six-story window above a book depository during a Dallas campaign visit. However, years later, the development of science and technology puts the assassination under new light revealing new information that was previously not put into account. Let’s examine the theory that John F. Kennedy’s assassination did not go the way people believed it to go the way people imagined it.

Character Analysis

John F. Kennedy was a hard worker who had improved the United States in several ways. Kennedy had tried several ways to aid the economy of the United States. Anirudh, a novelist, explained that the United States had undergone a recession when Kennedy took office and had created his own executive anti-recessionary acceleration program (Anirudh 1). Among other things, the most significant tax reforms since the New Deal were carried out including a new investment tax credit (1). John F. Kennedy had worked hard to improve the state of the United States’ economy. The hard work that Kennedy had put into benefiting the United States had impacted the economy by increasing the wealth of the average citizen after his unexpected death. “GDP which had grown by an average of only 2.2% per annum during his predecessor Eisenhower’s presidency, expanded by an average of 5.5% from early 1961 to late 1963, when Kennedy was assassinated,” explained Anirudh (1). During his term as president, Anirudh also added that John F Kennedy established the Peace Corps on March 1, 1961 by Executive Order 10924 (1). This program would eventually benefit other people around the globe by providing assistance in different types of areas in need of assistance. This was further explained by Anirudh, “ American volunteers would help underdeveloped nations in areas such as education, farming, health care, and construction” (1). This program would eventually help change society for the better and make this world a better place for future generations. John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States had helped secure the country by contributing to the development of the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty:

“To slow down the nuclear arms race and to protect the environment from radioactive contamination, JFK began negotiations with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev for a treaty to address these concerns,” mentioned Anirudh. “This resulted in the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty that was signed by the governments of U.S.S.R., U.K. and the U.S. in Moscow on August 5, 1963.”(1)

John F. Kennedy achieved several accomplishments over his first and only term he served due to the assasination. Kennedy had helped the United States economy tremendously during his term and helped change the world for the better by initiating the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the Alliance For Progress, and increasing the GDP of the whole country by about 3% (1). Kennedy accomplished several feats that aided our country in times of despair and struggle.

 John F. Kennedy grew to be a captivating speaker who influenced many people throughout history.  Robin Lindley, a Seattle writer and attorney, had talked about the early days of Kennedy, when he was inexperienced in the field of speech,

“He was not the skilled orator and politician that we came to know during his years as president. In early appearances on Face the Nation, and in a radio appearance he made when he was fresh out of college to promote his book [Why England Slept -- 1940], you hear that his pattern of speech was different, his delivery was monotone, and he sounds like he’s reading prepared material -- far from the extemporaneous speaker we know from his presidency” (Lindley 1).

 Richard Green, an author and speech coach, had mentioned that “John F. Kennedy gave the world some of the most memorable speeches of all time” (Green 1). He added, “ Imagine how much more he could have inspired us had he been allowed to finish out his term and perhaps win another. 2,920 days of JFK speech genius, instead of just 1,000. Historians generally say that JFK’s “Ask Not” Inaugural was his greatest. It was, in fact, voted to be the 2nd greatest speech of The 20th Century” (1). As proven with this information, John F Kennedy was once a timid, inexperienced speaker with not a very unique tone but soon became one of the best speakers known to man today. Several decades later, the words of John F Kennedy are still remembered in people’s hearts to this day as explained by Dr Max Atkinson, a rhetoric expert and author of several novels, “The fact that so much of the speech is still remembered around the world 50 years later is a measure of Kennedy's success in knowing exactly what he wanted to say, how best to say it and, perhaps most important of all, to whom he should say it” (Atkison 1).  Kennedy had major success in the art of speech, causing people to remember the words that he spoke several decades after his untimely death. The speeches that Kennedy had given had also impacted the world we live in and improved our society. Ted Sorenson, a highly respected writer, lawyer, and presidential adviser further elaborated:

“Nevertheless, Kennedy's inaugural address was world-changing, heralding the commencement of a new American administration and foreign policy determined upon a peaceful victory in the west's long cold war struggle with the Soviet Union over the world's future direction. JFK had five personal objectives embarking upon that speech, and achieved them all.”(Sorenson 1)

 As explained by this quote, the speeches that were given by Kennedy were not only memorable and greatly spoken, but allowed our world to change for the better. John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, had faced an obstacle. He was faced with the task of giving speeches for all to hear, and with devotion, dedication, and determination soon became a speaker many still remember to this day. His speeches changed the world. Kennedy had started timid and inexperienced, and by the end of his life had become one of, if not the most, memorable and greatest speaker known to mankind.

Introduction to Conspiracies

            During the assasination of John F. Kennedy, the legitimacy of the situation was questionable, why was the government fixed on the murderer being Lee Harvey Oswald and what would Oswald gain from killing the president? This oddity caused many to develop theories to better fill the gap of Kennedy’s assassination. As a result of a survey indicating whether or not people believe that John F. Kennedy’s assassination was plotted by multiple people, twenty nine out of thirty people had believed the assasination was orchestrated by more than one person. This shows how relevant conspiracy theories about the past are still in modern times. Among all theories regarding the assassination of John F. Kennedy, two conspiracies stand out: the theory that John F Kennedy was assassinated by multiple gunmen and the theory that Lee Harvey Oswald was framed by none other than the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Theory 1

Throughout the years, after the assasination of our beloved president, conspiracy theorists came to a conclusion that the assasination was acted out by more than one shooter (Elsevier 1). This would make sense as a group of  people can accomplish harder feats than that of an individual. However, this theory is put to question when evaluating the footage of the assassination live. Viewing the footage of the assassination, physics clearly indicate how there could have been one and only one shooter who had killed John F. Kennedy. Elsevier, a team of dedicated scientists who specialize in physics elaborated on the science behind the Zapruder film by stating:

“The Zapruder film shows the President's head moving back and to the left, which Dr. Nalli soon realized was due to a recoil effect. But he also noted that observers had missed one vital part of the evidence: the forward head snap at the moment of the fatal bullet impact. When analyzed using fundamental classical mechanics, the forward head snap, which is visible in the Zapruder film, provides proof that JFK was shot in the head from behind” (1).

Conspiracy theorists believe that John F. Kennedy’s death was orchestrated by multiple gunmen during the shooting, but due to the physics in the video, it is simply not true (1). The theory states that there were two shooters: Lee Harvey Oswald, atop the book depository shot alongside, and someone hidden in the grassy knoll (1).  However, as proven by the physics that accounted for the weight of the bullet, speed, and impact, it is impossible that someone could have shot from the Grassy Knoll in front of Kennedy. There could only have been a single shooter at the assassination of Kennedy, however the identity of the shooter being Lee Harvey Oswald is still put into question. Therefore, this theory is proven false.

Theory 2

An interesting theory speculated by conspiracy theorists regarding the assassination of John F. Kennedy allegedly is that Lee Harvey Oswald was framed by the CIA (Bradford 1). After being put on trial for supposedly murdering John F. Kennedy, the CIA had advised a report on an individual who identified himself as Lee Harvey Oswald (1). They claimed Oswald was trying to contact the Soviet Embassy; however, Special Agents of this Bureau observed and listened to photographs and recording of the individual and concluded that it was not him (1). They concluded that someone was attempting to frame Oswald. This ordeal happened two months prior to the actual assassination (1).  Assuming  Oswald was being impersonated, there must have been someone attempting to frame him for the crime. The one in question could be the CIA as they had the video and footage of the supposed impersonator. This would be the perfect scenario to frame someone as it would make Lee Harvey Oswald appear as a paid assassin targeted with killing John F. Kennedy hired by the Soviet Union. Bradford elaborated more on the possibility of the CIA being involved by stating “What should have been a hot lead to sophisticated conspirators was instead quickly buried—by November 25, FBI memos made no more mention of tapes, only transcripts” (1). Even now, the CIA has repeatedly claims that no tapes have ever been sent (1). A few FBI memos and calls from that time period were also suspiciously erased (1). Therefore, this theory is true and the government must have had some type of involvement in the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Conclusion

As a part of human nature, humans develop different beliefs to help fit inconsistencies in history. These inconsistencies lead to several creations of diverse conspiracy theories that help make sense of particular events in history that seem dissonant. After the John F. Kennedy assassination occurred, two strong conspiracies emerged: the theory that there was more than one shooter at the assasination of JFK and the theory that the CIA framed Lee Harvey Oswald for the murder of JFK. John F. Kennedy’s assassination brought up different conspiracies regarding the subject due to the secretive actions of the CIA and of the recoil effect on JFK before and during his untimely death. The strange conspiracies regarding the death of one of the most influential presidents known to man will forever remain a mystery to all.

                                                          Works Cited

Anirudh, and Learnodo Newtonic. “10 Major Accomplishments Of John F Kennedy.” Learnodo Newtonic, 9 July 2019, www.learnodo-newtonic.com/jfk-accomplishments.

Atkinson, Max. “JFK's Inaugural Speech: Six Secrets of His Success.” BBC News, BBC, 19 Jan. 2011, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-12215248.

Bradford, Rex. “The Framing Of Oswald.” History Matters - The Framing of Oswald, www.history-matters.com/frameup.htm

Elsevier. “JFK Was Not Shot from the Grassy Knoll, Suggests New Research.” Elsevier, 25 Apr. 2018,www.elsevier.com/about/press-releases/research-and-journals/jfk-was-not-shot-from-the-grassy-knoll-suggests-new-research.

Greene, Richard. “The 7 Reasons Why JFK Is One of The World's Greatest Speakers, And What We Can Learn From Him.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 21 Jan. 2015, www.huffpost.com/entry/the-7-reasons-why-jfk-is-_b_6200548.

Lindley, Robin. “A New Film Life of President John F. Kennedy [INTERVIEW].” History News Network, 2013, hnn.us/article/154009.

Sorenson, Ted. “Ted Sorenson: JFK's Inaugural Address Was World-Changing.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 22 Apr. 2007, www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2007/apr/22/greatspeeches1.