The office of the President of the United States is a dangerous position. Four presidents throughout the nation’s history have been assassinated. The facts surrounding these assassinations remain clear except for one. The assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
The 1960s was a period of massive upheaval. The Cold War was being fought between America and Russia. Additionally, civil rights activists were battling for equality while technological innovation was sweeping the globe. As a result, the American public was desperate for a strong leader. Disappointed with the antiquity and corrupt political behavior of President Nixon, the youthful exuberance and the modern ideals of John F. Kennedy appealed to the American public. Kennedy along with his family were the embodiment of the perfect American family. At the age of 43, he was the youngest elected president in American history.
On November 22, 1963, the presidential motorcade of John F. Kennedy drove down Main Street in Dallas Texas. His wife Jacqueline sat beside him in the back seat of the presidential limousine. Texas Governor John Connely and his wife Nelly sat in the front seat. The energy of the crowds resembled that of fans attending a long-awaited concert of their favorite rock band. As the limousine passed the Texas Schoolbook Depository, three shots rang out. The President grabbed at his throat and fell forward as pieces of brain and bone matter and bone matter exploded from his head.
Lee Harvey Oswald was a former marine and a communist sympathizer. He was an employee at the Texas School Book Depository. After the three shots rang out, he left the Depository. However, he was apprehended by a police officer by the name of J.D. Tippit. Oswald shot and killed him. Dallas police detained Oswald and charged him with the murders of President Kennedy and J.D. Tippit. The Dallas Police transported Oswald into the basement of the Dallas jail. Live camera crews were at the ready to capture the scene. As police moved Oswald, a shot rang out. Jack Ruby, a local nightclub owner shot and killed Oswald. Ruby was charged with the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald.
The Warren Commission was assigned to investigate the assassination. The investigation took 10 months. The commission declared that Oswald was responsible for the murder of President Kennedy and that there was no evidence of a conspiracy. The assassination of President Kennedy left a profound impact on the lives of Americans. He is regarded as one of the most popular presidents. His death and the incidents surrounding it are the center of much controversy and discussion. 70 percent of Americans are skeptical of the conclusion given by the Warren Commission.
The Warren Commission concluded that Oswald fired three shots from an Italian Carcano Fucile di Fanteria Mod. 91/38 rifle within three seconds from the top floor of the Texas School Book Depository. The commission states that he was the only perpetrator. Many are disenchanted with this conclusion. It would be nearly impossible to fire 3 shots in three seconds based on the bolt action design of the rifle. Chambering a bullet, sighting, and firing is a lengthy process, and doing this three times in three seconds is unlikely. The Warren Commission conclusively states that the lethal gunshot wound was fired from behind Kennedy’s head. However, various video recordings of the assassination show that the first shot knocked Kennedy’s head forward while the second and third shots knocked his head backward. This provides evidence for another shooter to the front of Kennedy. This contradicts the Warren Commission’s claims of one shooter from the back of Kennedy’s motorcade.
Many theories have been circulated claiming that the President was assassinated by disgruntled CIA agents over his unsuccessful handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Others claim that the American Mafia was seeking retribution on the president for his brother Bobbie’s war on the Mafia. The facts surrounding the assassination are nebulous at best and will continue to be a source of ambiguity for years to come.
