Who shot John F. Kennedy?

Axis Kast · Post by **Axis Kast** » 2003-08-09 11:31am

The eternal question.

Who do you believe shot John F. Kennedy, and more importantly, why?

The "obvious" suspects:

The Mafia, an organization the government was reputed to have sometimes relied upon for "dirty work" - especially in Cuba -, but which might have lacked the force of will - not to mention the profusion of cash - with which to carry out "the deed".

The Central Intelligence Agency, which certainly had reservations over Kennedy's approach to the Cold War - and probably the resources to kill him -, but is partly absolved by the impracticability and unliklihood of a wide-ranging conspiracy theory (especially one quite so successful).

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. A clear Cold War adversary, with very visible reasons to want Kennedy dead. We often screen them out of suspicion by virtue of precedence however. Would they really want to "open the door" to murders of their own leadership?

The Cubans. Like the Mafia, it's questionable if they would have had either the contacts or the determination, but we know Castro was targeted rather frequently himself.

Lee Harvey Oswald. Please specify if alone or with a companion. Note that this means he would have been unaffiliated with any organization.

Other. Again, please explain.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-08-09 12:12pm

The mafia, in my opinion. It's not an invalid theory that the Mafia got JFK elected (the 1960 election was absolutely loaded with vote fraud, via Sam Giancana among others), and the Mafia no doubt was very unpleased with RFK's jihad against them. Got his brother killed, he did.

Raptor 597 · Post by **Raptor 597** » 2003-08-09 12:17pm

3 French assassins from Marche. As the opium kingpin in France told us was hired by someone who he doesn't know(or claims too) to kill Kennedy. They supposedly stayed a week after the assassination and went to Cananada and got on a boat too France. 2 of them were killed in drug wars and the last was on the run in 1980s so he must be dead or hiding in some shithole.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-08-09 12:53pm

The Mafia. They thought they'd bought themselves a President in '60, and when they found out he wasn't sold (this was probably due to a miscommunication via JFK's ailing dad with his "good ole' pals" or something of that sort as opposed to actual corruption on JFK's part--maybe. I wouldn't rule that out, either.), bang-bang went John.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2003-08-09 02:07pm

I think I posted this question earlier...

Are we closing in on November again already?

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-08-09 02:25pm

It was a guy from X-Files, Cigarette Smoking Man.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-08-09 03:52pm

It was ordered by the FBI she-male in charge JEH,with assistance of the CIA.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-08-09 04:02pm

I will never understand the macabre fascination that Americans have with JFK's assassination. So somebody shot the guy; why must there be vast conspiracies to explain this?

Iceberg · Post by **Iceberg** » 2003-08-09 04:09pm

Darth Wong wrote:I will never understand the macabre fascination that Americans have with JFK's assassination. So somebody shot the guy; why must there be vast conspiracies to explain this?

The version I've heard is that people want to believe conspiracy theories because they'd rather believe that their government is malicious than incompetent.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-08-09 04:12pm

Darth Wong wrote:I will never understand the macabre fascination that Americans have with JFK's assassination. So somebody shot the guy; why must there be vast conspiracies to explain this?

Like i said a few months back,we`ll know in 2030 something who did it when the documents will be available to the public.

Solamnus · Post by **Solamnus** » 2003-08-09 04:13pm

Darth Wong wrote:I will never understand the macabre fascination that Americans have with JFK's assassination. So somebody shot the guy; why must there be vast conspiracies to explain this?

JFK is no mere mortal in the American psyche; he is almost deified. The Kennedy's are the closest thing America has ever had to royalty. Also, having countless conspiracy theories, and Stone's "JFK" movie doesn't help one bit to put it to rest either.

Typhonis 1 · Post by **Typhonis 1** » 2003-08-09 04:24pm

Mafia did it I do believe that one Don went so far as to say "We should have shot Bobby not John"

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-08-09 04:28pm

Darth Wong wrote:I will never understand the macabre fascination that Americans have with JFK's assassination. So somebody shot the guy; why must there be vast conspiracies to explain this?

You have to suspend the laws of physics for their not to be some sort of conspiracy (not necessarily a government one, however).

And I think it's a perfectly valid interest, I mean, we want to know who shot and killed the President, a mystery that's never been solved.

Joe Momma · Post by **Joe Momma** » 2003-08-09 06:19pm

Darth Wong wrote:I will never understand the macabre fascination that Americans have with JFK's assassination. So somebody shot the guy; why must there be vast conspiracies to explain this?

Here's a couple of possibilities:

1) Stephen King suggested in his book Danse Macabre that people ironically found the idea of the assassination conspiracy comforting because it implied a certain level of control. IOW, things happened for explicable reasons (a vast conspiracy controlling the government) rather than inexplicable craziness (some nut with a rifle).

2) I was always disappointed that any of the Kennedys were shot by assassins rather than by execution squads after a fair trial. YMMV.

FWIW, it seems that the evidence is that something hinky was going on. How much of that was a legitimate conspiracy vice how much of it was the usual delightful procedural fuck-ups (there's little doubt the Dallas police muddied the water even further to cover-up their incompetence regarding security before-hand and the investigation afterward).

There's also so much shit attached to it any more that it's hard to separate truth from fiction. Shit like Stone's "JFK" ain't helping either. One of his arguments was that Kennedy's head got popped like a zit so the military-industrial complex could keep the Vietnam War going, his primary evidence being an act signed by LBJ to send in more troops after Kennedy's melon got turned to street-pizza. When someone else pointed out that said act was actually signed off by Kennedy months before his amateur bullet-catching magic act went awry, Stone simply said that sometimes you have to ignore the evidence to get to the truth.

I guess we'll just have to wait 'til the Warren Commission report is declassified.

-- Joe Momma

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-08-09 06:35pm

The Rosicrucians, in conjunction with The Screen Actor's Guild.

One of the few times Walter Cronkite has ever gotten pissed off on camera was while discussing the implications made against Johnson's approval of the asassination in the film JFK. It was funny......

Typhonis 1 · Post by **Typhonis 1** » 2003-08-09 08:30pm

From what I understand the Secret service FUBARd as well

1 they could have asked for exrtra security from local Army bases

2 apparently the night before the men who would be gaurding Kennedy had been drinking

3 the Window that LHO shot from WAS open and no Agent called to get it closed

4 they REDUCED speed in making the turn and kept it low which is against regs

now then some things people have mentioned that point to a conspiracy

1 Dallas authorities were not allowed to autopsy Kennedy

2 he arrived in DC in a diffrent coffin than he set out in

3 apparently one man believes that the photos taken of Kennedy when he was dead have been altered by
a painting them in some areas

b morticins putty was used on Kennedy before they were taken

Given all this its no wonder some people think a Conspiracy was on

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-08-09 08:57pm

Two people shot JFK. Oswald and JFK. Thats right, JFK shot himself from the grassy knoll with a M16. Just watch Red Dwarf and you will see what I mean.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-08-09 09:02pm

Alyeska wrote:Two people shot JFK. Oswald and JFK. Thats right, JFK shot himself from the grassy knoll with a M16. Just watch Red Dwarf and you will see what I mean.

Saw the episodes,and Lister forgot to ask him where he could get Cury(sp)

Andrew J. · Post by **Andrew J.** » 2003-08-09 11:15pm

Lyndon Johnson did it.

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-08-09 11:27pm

Picking up Andrew J,using a BH

Axis Kast · Post by **Axis Kast** » 2003-08-10 12:41am

My problem with the Mafia theory is that it doesn't appear to have occured elsewhere.

This also begs the question: was Lee Harvey Oswald involved with the shooting at all, or just used as a scapegoat after the fact?

I have trouble believing in conspiracy theories. Too often they revolve around an event whose outcome could or should have been far better assuming some kind of organization was there in the first place. Take September 11th, for example, where we'd have had just about equal helpings of patriotism and anger even had the planes simply been shot down rather than "allowed" to crash.

Incidentally, is there anybody here who believes:

(A) That human beings didn't actually step on the moon ... ?

(B) The Soviet Union actually performed an alien autopsy ... ?

(C) Pearl Harbor was a conspiracy by FDR ... ?

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2003-08-10 02:25am

Hmm, Emporer Dietifus ?

Someone tell people we really are becomming anchient Rome...

Up next Circus Maximus on Fox, watch these Death Row inmates from camp x-Ray earn their freedom by killing each other.

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2003-08-10 02:40am

What about the Ku Klux Klan?

The Democratic Party had been a longtime ally of the KKK, after all... and a Klansman would probably be the last person to vote for JFK but the first to see him as a "traitor".

The Democrats' history of supporting the Klan would only increase JFK's "traitor" status in the eyes of the KKK...

Dark Hellion · Post by **Dark Hellion** » 2003-08-10 02:50am

Having watched the film 50-70 times in AP history, all i can say is something is F-ed up. The shot timing and accuracy are simply too much better than should be expected.
Then Jack Ruby shooting Oswald seemed too convienient. I don't think its a big conspiracy, it needn't be. One man with money could do the whole thing with ease. The only problem is that the facts and the story don't quite agree, one or two pieces are definately missing.

Solauren · Post by **Solauren** » 2003-08-10 02:57pm

I think there were several independant shooters that didn't know about each other.

Here's what I think happened

JFK is shot several times be different people (come on, perfect chance, him in a car driving down the street)

During the autopsy, or before it, pretty damn quick, they realise there security was so fucking sloppy, multiple people go in shots on the president.
So, they cover it all up, and start conspiracy theories on there own later to cover up there incompetence.

This makes the most sense all things considered. It wasn't they planned to kill him, they didn't want to loss there jobs for fucking up