Conspiracy theories range from the feasible to the ridiculous, however it is generally thought that Lee Harvey Oswald, an ex-marine with communist sympathies, was in some way connected to or involved with the killing. However, there is doubt surrounding his guilt. There are also unanswered questions; did he act alone? What were his motives? Why would a school book depository worker murder a president? And, more importantly; was he part of a conspiracy?
John Kennedy was the youngest President elected in American history. He was seen as an icon due to his charismatic speaking. He appealed to everyone; he was universally popular. His young family and glamorous wife Jackie all arouse interest in him. They made him popular with citizens home and abroad. The scandal surrounding John Kennedy’s fascination with other women, namely Marilyn Munroe, also causes interest in his life and character.
Kennedy was President while the Cold War was at its height, and his anti-communist policies made him unpopular with communists and communist sympathisers. The Bay of Pigs incident, when he refused to sanction air cover, thus ensuring its failure, lost Kennedy support from both Hawks and Doves in his government. The Hawks were angry at lack of a full-scale invasion, whereas the Doves were against military operations in the first place.
Not only did his own government now have motives to get rid of their seemingly ‘incompetent’ leader, but also did Fidel Castro. America had induced an operation intending to eliminate the Cuban leader, and who is to say Castro would not have retaliated?
Kennedy’s reputation was partly restored, however, when he was seen to have forced Khrushchev to back down over the Cuban Missile Crisis. This initiated opposition from the soviets, as it appeared to the world that Kennedy had outwitted their leader.
Kennedy continued to send in troops to fight the anti-communist war in Vietnam. However, some suggested that he wanted to withdraw from Vietnam by 1963. He was recorded as saying it was a war he “ didn’t think they could win.” This gave the impression that he was ‘going soft’ on communism, causing annoyance and unrest among the Hawks in the government, as well as anti-communist Americans.
Kennedy’s so-called mafia connections and his determination to use the law to reduce their power gave them a motive for his death. His support of the desegregation of schools and universities to congress was met with great opposition, especially from Southern states, where racism was still a problem. Some, however, did not believe Kennedy went far enough regarding equal rights reforms.
In conclusion, the manner of John Kennedy’s death, his public and private lives, mixed with his public persona, charisma and charm all contribute to the continued interest in his life and demise.
