Who shot Kennedy?

For purposes of the poll, vote for what you believe to be the most likely correct answer.

Oswald, no doubt about it. Read Killing Kennedy.

I can entertain various theories, but to say "not Oswald" drives me nuts.

I think it was the one-armed man.

Quote: odiousgambit

I can entertain various theories, but to say "not Oswald" drives me nuts.

Isn't that Oliver Stone's position?

Quote: Wizard

Isn't that Oliver Stone's position?

Not only is no assasination of a prominent person ever devoid of conspiracy accompaniments, but also almost no death of any prominent person as well.

Consider the late, unlamented Hugo Chavez. He died of cancer. It's been known for years he had cancer. He frequently traveled to Cuba for treatment and it was public record. yet there are conspiracy theories to the fact that he was murdered. Because, you know, no one ever jurst dies of cancer.

In the myriad stories issuing from Kennedy's assasination, one thing is usually left out, or glossed over, or simply ignored: what became of the man who shot Oswald, and what did he have to say about it? It's my understanding Jack Ruby lived for several years afterward. Wasn't he questioned exhaustively? Was he part of some larger conspiracy? Why don't we know more about his aftermath?

Anyway, there is a refusal to believe that one person or a relatively small group can wield any kind of power, like that of killing a president, or bringing down the World Trade Center. There's also a refusal to believe microscopic bugs, or genes, can be lethal on a wide scale, ergo the AIDS conspiracies, or the cancer conspiracies (cancer doesn't kill you, the chemotherapy and radiation do).

Such people could benefit tremendously from some basic knowledge and logical, critical thinking. Most conspiracy theories require vast numbers of people to perform a alrge number of actions, all insecret and all out fo the view of any potential witnesses. This is simply not possible.

Oswald was the only shooter, but there was a conspiracy to knock him off allowing Oswald to get as close as he did.

Quote: AZDuffman

Oswald was the only shooter, but there was a conspiracy to knock him off allowing Oswald to get as close as he did.

You mean Ruby, not Oswald?

I think I agree. The evidence for the lucky assasin theory is pretty compelling. The rest is added mystique. People -want- there to be a conspiracy (see : 9/11 for another one) as it makes it all the more interesting, and we just don't like the f-up theory of history. (The F-Up theory is that big things happen because people screw up in small but disastrous ways).

Sorry. I can't vote without a review of the evidence regarding the rifle and the marksmanship of Oswald. My understanding is that he was a lousy shot and someone once suggested he go rabbit hunting with a shot gun.

Whether it was technically possible to fire rounds from the rifle, recover them from a gel block, fit them to a sabot in a "real" sniper's rifle, I do not know. Seems absurdly cumbersome to me just to frame some minor patsy.

Ruby? At the time Elephant Jokes were popular in the USA. (How do you know there is an elephant in the refrigerator? You see his footprints in the jello.) Ruby was there as a "spotter" for the local media... or as the elephant joke goes "What happened when the elephant walked into the police station in Dallas" The answer ofcourse is Nothing. No one saw him.

So sorry folks. It just seems a little too "pat". You have a weird loner as a triggerman who points in a safe direction (that of weirdo nutcase sole actor) but you also have a conveniently dying night club owner whose pals with all the cops and he gets real close to the action, knows they ain't using no armored car and silences the Patsy/Sniper, whichever it be.

The question is: if it were a Hollywood script would anyone have bought it prior to the actual event or would it have been passed as too contrived.

Quote: Nareed

Not only is no assasination of a prominent person ever devoid of conspiracy accompaniments, but also almost no death of any prominent person as well.

Elvis was pushed.