JFK: Unanswered Questions After 56 years

Fifty six years ago, November 22, 1963, the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. The official story is that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. It is still unclear whether or not a single or multiple gunmen were involved. What is known is that until around year 2000 over 80% of Americans believed that multiple shooters were involved in Kennedy’s murder. At the 50th anniversary of his death at least 61% of the American people thought Oswald did not act alone. By the way, 61% is the lowest polled number since 1966. These numbers are from Gallup polling company.

There are probably more questions about the presidential murder than there are known answers to the bulk of Americans. There may be some who know and are still silent.

As a youth my family was living in Texas, and students were released from school so they could attend the parade and see the president on November 22nd. My school released all students from school that day and I was among them. Dad was working and my Mother chose for us to stay home and watch the parade on television as we could see more of the parade and have a better view.

We tuned in and watched the news coverage of JFK in Dallas, Texas. It was a big deal then, as presidents didn’t jet around nearly as much as today. JFK was a Boston, Massachusetts yankee coming into much unfriendly territory in Texas. Texas was LBJ (Lyndon Baines Johnson) country, and he was similar to a mafia boss.

We watched as Kennedy left the airport and later as he entered Dealey Plaza. He was smiling and waving as his open topped limousine slowly moved through the plaza area. The news reporters, Huntley and Brinkley, described the scene as jubilant, and then suddenly the world was askew. The television action was now quickly moving, my Mother was screaming hysterically, my senses were heightened, and the world suddenly changed from what was called “Camelot” into a scare.

What happened? The million dollar question. Many things I remember seeing on TV that day I’ve never seen or heard about since. Many observers online and in person have made similar observations. Has there been a conspiracy of silence? Probably so, but by whom and why?

The day of the murder the press stated there appeared to be multiple shooters. Who were they? Where did they go so quickly with that many police around? The press reported the Dallas police indicated a shooter was on the highway bridge in the direction the president was traveling. How did he get away? Other witnesses saw a man behind a wooden fence on the “grassy knoll”. Still another witness said he saw a man with a rifle in the drainage culvert on the curb. Then there was Lee Harvey Oswald, in the Texas Schoolbook Depository. He said he was on a break downstairs while the shooting was going on upstairs. It was total mayhem. I remember all these things being said on the television the day of the shooting.

Who to believe? Who profits? Who has something to gain? Who has something to hide? Who has a reason? Was it an inside job? Was Oswald really a ‘lone shooter’? How many shooters were there really? Can someone really shoot and reload that quickly and then shoot that accurately? Were there multiple people involved murdering multiple people to cover up those who might talk? Did the police do it? Did the mob do it? Did Oswald know Ruby? Why did Ruby murder Oswald? Where are those responsible? What did Earl Warren stand to gain? Why was the Warren Commission so quick to conclude the investigation? Why were there many questions unanswered? The questions never end.

We can speculate all day, but in the end, that’s all it would be. Many had something to profit from the death of JFK. Many could gain advantage somehow. There were also many who had something to hide and were willing to chance a very public murder thinking that nobody is brave or bold enough to do that. But, apparently somebody was bold enough, and I think with several helpers. The key to their plot was how to get away with the whole thing and cover their tracks.

So, Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby, very publicly. No question, Ruby shot Oswald. At least we think he did, right? Kind of like the movies, if you can follow what’s not being shown.

Ruby wound up dead in jail of lung cancer (he told family he was injected with cancer cells). Then the hundreds of mysterious deaths that followed the witnesses for a several years after the assassination. What are the odds of all those witnesses dying within a few of years? Incredibly high, like trillions to one!

These are my memories. We’ve got memories from others in The Standard including veteran, author and Standard writer Dean Allen is in another article.

If you recollect where you were or what you remember leave a comment below or write us a letter or personal testimonial. This is a topic that is not going away as long as we can remember.

 

Michael Reed is Editor of The Standard, a pastor, businessman and conference speaker.