JFK's Assassination
A nagging question still haunts the minds of many Americans. Did LeeHarvey Oswald really act alone, as the Warren Commission's report stated,or was there a conspiracy, hatched by the Mob, the CIA, the FBI, or someother organization, to kill President John F. Kennedy at the height of hispolitical power' Perhaps the truth will never be known, and PresidentKennedy's real murderer will never be brought to justice. Several of theconspiracy theories refuse to die - here are some of the most popular and New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison's theory is probably themost well known of the conspiracy theories because it was made into a filmstarring Kevin Costner and directed by Irving Stone. Garrison, throughseveral investigative methods, believed a local businessman named Clay Shawwas involved in a conspiracy to kill President Kennedy, and that Shaw'sinvolvement went as high as the national Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). While many historians still believe Garrison's accusations were"groundless" (Holland 10), the legend of his prosecution of Shaw lives on,and there are still some unanswered questions regarding the theory, even
Dubbed the "Warren Commission"because of Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren's presence on the panel, thecommission took only ten months to create a 27-volume report that basicallystated that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination of PresidentKennedy. The American people may never know what really happened in Dallas onthat November afternoon in 1963, but for the most part, the real evidenceleads to the warped mind of one individual, Lee Harvey Oswald, who pulledthe trigger and changed the face of a nation in a matter of seconds. He believed they did this to "make it seem asif the bullets came from the back rather than from the front as he claimedwas actually the case -- arguing that the fatal shots were not fired fromthe Depository Building at all, but from the 'grassy knoll' from whichescape would have been easier" (Rubinstein 15). However, the basic premise ofGarrison's argument, that Shaw was a CIA informant, came from a socialistItalian newspaper, and has since proved false. I believe that it wasinstigated and planned long in advance by fanatical anticommunists in theUnited States intelligence community'" (Holland 10). Notes one author,"Although there are indeed some curious loose ends in the WarrenCommission's case, it does seem overwhelmingly likely that Oswald and Rubyacted alone and that there was no conspiracy" (Rubinstein 15). One historian writes, "Perhaps in part because ofthe enormity of the crime and its impact, Americans are reluctant tobelieve Oswald acted alone. As one historian notes, "It is probablyfair to say that the Mafia has emerged, in recent decades, as the leadingcandidate among conspiracy theorists as the group most likely to havecarried out the assassination" (Rubinstein 15). Thegrassy knoll theory is backed up by several experts, including David F. Evidencethat is supportive of one's position is uncritically accepted, whereascontrary evidence is scrutinized and (subjectively) discredited (McHoskey396). However, there has neverbeen any hard evidence discovered that the Mob had anything to do with theassassination, and Ruby's final connection has never been established,either. The Mafia Theory One of the most credible theories in recent years is the Mob or Mafiatheory. Basically, Garrison's theory was that Shaw was a CIA informant, whotook part in a CIA "coup d'etat" constructed to remove Kennedy from powerbecause of ongoing clashes with the CIA and other government agencies, andthe belief that Kennedy had socialist or communistic leanings. Thus, the same evidence can mean different things to differentpeople, just as the evidence in the Kennedy assassination speaks "lonegunman" to some, and "conspiracy" to others. There is also evidencesuggesting that some witnesses saw gunshots from the grassy knoll area, andfelt the gunman could have escaped through a nearby train yard that wasusually empty during this time of day.
Common topics in this essay:
Kennedy Oswald's,
Oswald Ruby,
Shaw CIA,
Dallas November,
President Kennedy,
Jack Ruby's,
Agency CIA,
Depository Building,
David Lifton,
Warren Report,
grassy knoll,
lee harvey oswald,
lee harvey,
oswald acted,
conspiracy theories,
harvey oswald,
rubinstein 15,
mafia theory,
president kennedy,
warren commission's,
knoll theory,
grassy knoll theory,
assassination rubinstein 15,
shaw cia informant,
harvey oswald acted,
|
Acceptance Essays
