The John F. Kennedy Assassination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The John F. Kennedy Assassination - Essay Example That moment in American history has lived on in popular memory, not just because of the shocking nature of an assassination a serving President in the middle of the Cold War, but also because there were many questions raised about the way the police, FBI, CIA, the justice system and the press handled the event. Many people believed then that there was more behind this event than the official verdict that the President was killed by a gunman acting alone, and in the years since then theories, and also large amounts of new evidence, have been put forward to support the view that some kind of conspiracy lies at the heart of this tragic event. The day began as usual for the President and his entourage with a morning arrival by plane into Dallas airport followed by a visit to his hotel, and then a journey by motorcade towards a lunch appointment at the Trade Mart. The car carrying the President came under fire when it turned into Elm Street, and many witnesses who were present confirmed t hat several shots were heard. One gunman was observed in a nearby building and he was quickly arrested and taken away for questioning. That man was Lee Harvey Oswald, born in 1939 in New Orleans some two months after his father’s death. ... (Benson: 1993, pp229-330) With two older brothers pursuing careers in the military, Lee Harvey Oswald had similar ambitions and from the age of about 17 he developed an interest in all things communist: â€Å"It is suspected that, even at this early age, Oswald was already preparing himself for a life in the world of counterintelligence.† (Benson: 1993, p. 331) He was accepted into the Marine Air Control Squadron at Atsugi Air Force Base in Japan, as a radar operator, and from there continued his interest in Russia. This background lends weight to suspicions that there was a political motivation, and perhaps even some kind of conspiracy involving espionage and international intelligence forces with whom Oswald had contact over the years before the assassination, and many researchers conclude that Oswald was involved at some level in espionage. (Marrs, 1989, p. 189) The subsequent shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald has also been construed by many as further evidence that there was a conspiracy afoot, since it conveniently removes the one person who could give information to the authorities on involvement of other individuals, and provides a scapegoat who can attract all of the responsibility and blame, thus releasing any other co-conspirators from being hunted down and prosecuted. It is astonishing that such a high profile suspect as this one was left to the mercy of a raging mob, and another â€Å"lone gunman†, and this extraordinary lapse in protocols adds to the mounting evidence that a number of agencies and individuals, including possibly also local police and other law enforcement agencies might have been involved in staging, or at the very least, condoning such an event. One piece of evidence has provided food for thought on the whole event on