One of the most memorable moments in US history was the assassination of the 35th President of the United States of America, John F Kennedy. When making a judgment about the controversies surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Despite the apparent political and personal weaknesses that were universally acknowledged within the year prior to his death, Kennedy was still an individual that had transformed the nation, was seen more than an appealing celebrity and his violent death left the nation in shock. In order to make a judgment about the truth of JFK’s death, the contestability of the event must be explored. Some of the conspiracy theories include second gunmen, umbrella man, and an inside job. Fifty years after his assassination, Kennedy is still commemorated, both nationally and internationally, for his optimism and ability to inspire others.
A conspiracy theories that is contested by the public is thought of whether there were one or two gunmen in the assassination of Kennedy. There is an ongoing debate where some tend to believe in the Warren Commission’s finding, concluding that Oswald was the assassin, whereas, many tend to agree with the House Select Committee on Assassinations report, which adds to Warren’s finding, where there was a second gunman involved in the act. After the research undertaken in 1979, the House Select Committee on Assassination released reports consist of their findings. This finding was based on a sound recording produced at the time of the assassination. The recording picks up live audio of a policeman that unintentionally left his radio’s microphone on. Although the location of a policeman was not specific, it is presumed that he was present in Dealey Plaza at the time of the assassination. A scientist hired to analyse this theory claimed they were able to identify “four gunshots on the recording — three from the Texas School Book Depository and one from the grassy knoll”[1]. The scientist’s claim is suggesting that shots were fired from two different location meaning there’s were two gunmen. Coupled with the scientist’s report, this theory is further consolidated through an eyewitness’s account, “I heard what I thought was a motorcycle backfiring, but it was the first shot. There were three shots.”[2]. However, others disagreed with these findings and debate the Warren Commission's finding is what had occurred. After an extensive ten months of investigation, drawing on the FBI reports, eyewitness accounts, Kennedy’s autopsy, scientific reenactments and expert testimonies, they have finally concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald, a trained Marine marksman, acted alone, fired three shots from the sixth floor of the school depository building killing Kennedy and wounded John Connally, former Governor of Texas. The commission was unsuccessful of finding any evidence that anyone assisted Oswald in planning or carrying out the assassination nor was he employed, or convinced by any government group. The Commission review if the rifle used was able to fire three rapid bullets, where two had been shot within 7.9 seconds apart. After testings, experts said it was possible as “One FBI agent testified that the crosshairs on the telescopic sight were off just enough to enable the assassin to hit his moving targets without having “to take any lead whatsoever.”[3]. This lead to the conclusion that the rifle used by Oswald, Mannlicher-Carcano is capable of firing accurate and rapid shots. Furthermore, his prior experience in the Marine as a marksman aided in how he was able to fire three rapid shots. This act has considerably impacted the nation, leaving it in a sense of grieve as the nation’s most secure individual has been killed. A poll was created to see the citizen’s belief about Kennedy’s death. It responded with 61% believing that others were involved, and 33% that one man killed Kennedy. Consequently, the contestability of whether Oswald had acted alone or not had immensely gasped the nation in which the majority believe that others were involved in the assassination of the president after being presented with the investigation reports.
Another conspiracy theory that is made controversial surrounding the involvement of an “umbrella man” in the act of the assassination of Kennedy. The theory received its name from many speculations of why there was a man with an opened umbrella on the sunny day of Kennedy’s assassination. Reviewed footages revealed that he was in close proximity to Kennedy when the first bullet struck Kennedy. As Kennedy’s limousine arrived, the person opened and raised the umbrella above his head and as the limousine drove from east to west, the umbrella had rotated in the same direction. Before the “umbrella man” had come forward, many theories were speculated including a diagram from a published book, as Thompson explained in an interview, the diagram was of a rigged umbrella allowing there to a be “an aiming device with a rocket tube that you could fire a flechette directly into Kennedy’s throat”[4], Josiah “Tink” Thompson from The House Select Committee on Assassinations who lead this investigation, appealed to public for the identification of the “umbrella man”, after fifteen years, a man named Louie Steven Witt, came forward and claimed, he was the umbrella man. Witt came to Washington with the umbrella and testified before the House Select Committee on Assassinations. In his testimony, he explained the reason why he abnormally stood there with his umbrella out that day. According to Witt, the umbrella was intended as a visual protest, not protesting against John Kennedy himself but rather his father, Joseph P. Kennedy, America’s ambassador to the United Kingdom. Kennedy’s father had greatly supported the British Prime Minister of that period, Neville Chamberlain. Chamberlain was involved in issues regarding the Nazi party, which required him to travel to Hitler’s territory and deal with the Hitler himself. Despite the great bravery Chamberlain had, people who opposed his actions begun to mock his known accessory, the black umbrella that was always seen by his side. Witt’s intent of waving the black umbrella at Kennedy was for him to be able to recognise its symbolism and understand its significance if he saw it. Witt declared that he had no prior knowledge of the assassination and was just as shocked as the rest of the nation. He also concluded his testimony with statement that clarifies his innocence, “I think if the Guinness Book of World Records had a category for people who were at the wrong place at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing, I would be No. 1 in that position,” he said to the HSCA. “Without even a close runner-up.”[5] This had economically impacted the nation as many books were published surrounding the “umbrella man” theory during fifteen year period before Witt was identified. As a result, money was profited off the sales of these book to concerning citizen who wanted to gain knowledge of the speculation. Subsequently, the controversy surrounding the “umbrella man” involvement on the day of the assassination was deemed false after fifteen years of bewilderment.
The final conspiracy theory that is debated by the public is of whether the assassination of President Kennedy was an inside job. Kennedy’s presidency was questionable, many opposed with his decision and believed he didn’t acquire the required characteristics in order to lead the nation, whereas, others disagreed and thought that he was capable of leading the nation. Many had opposed his position as a president for the few major events where Kennedy was at fault. These events included the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Hence, with this affliction, the US Government could have retaliated by assassinating Kennedy. Despite the fact the many theories of Oswald acting alone or with a second gunman, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, his brother, believe that a normal human could not have acted alone in assassinating the president. On the other hand, Dr John McAdams, an associate of political science, who considers himself as a debunker of conspiracy theories. McAdams, amongst the many, believe that Oswald was a lone gunman, presented with the physical evidence, but the involvement of the CIA can’t be ignored. Oswald was not known to the US government until after the assassination. After serving four years in the Marines, Oswald was honourably discharged in 1959. In the same year, Oswald was discharged, he travelled to the Soviet Union (Russia) in an attempt to become a citizen there. After failing to become a citizen, he returned to American in 1962. He also travelled to Mexico to meet with the Soviet Embassy in an attempt to obtain a Russian citizenship. Throughout the whole journey, Oswald was monitored by both the FBI and CIA up until the assassination. However, the results of what the FBI and CIA monitored of Oswald’s stay in Mexico remains unclear. Furthermore, the works of a deceased CIA agent, George Joannides, who monitored Cubans that were against Fidel Castro, former Prime Minister of Cuba, a group that had an interaction with Oswald. As a result, Jefferson Morley, a former Washington Post reporter believes the CIA agents were watching closer than they had reported and are suppressing potential revelations important to history. Morley also quotes “I think it’s premature to rule out a conspiracy involving CIA people”[6] The CIA did not comment on this lawsuit, but the claim was soon dismissed with its involvement in a conspiracy to kill Kennedy. This disputable theory has immensely impacted the politics of the American Government that further documents in relation to Kennedy’s assassination were just recently released by the current president of America, Donald Trump. Evidently, it is settled that contestability of the US government's involvement in the assassination of Kennedy is not proven to be true, making it an act by a lone gunman.
To conclude, the controversies surrounding the assassination of the 35th President, John F. Kennedy has incredibly impacted the nation politically, socially and economically. The theories that were left unanswered until after years of investigation, people speculated theories such as multiple gunmen, umbrella man and an inside of job, of which many either disagreed or agreed to. Over 50 years after one of the most memorable moments in the US history, despite the conflict against Kennedy, he is still commemorated and acknowledged by the newer generation of today’s society.