Point-Counterpoint: Kennedy assassination involved lone gunman
PRO: Evan Shields
I find it hard to imagine someone would think the assassination of President John F. Kennedy was done by a second gunman. With Sunday being the 46th anniversary of Kennedy’s death, be prepared for The History Channel to fire up all their documentaries about Kennedy and Oswald and all the hair-brained ideas that come with it. But the answer is really quite simple: Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. End of story. The shots that were fired upon the motorcade came directly from the sixth floor of the Texas Book Depository, where police found a 6.5 x 52 mm Italian Carcano M91/38 bolt-action rifle. According to the Warren Commission Report, police found a partial palm print belonging to Oswald on the gun. Fifty-six eyewitnesses in Dealey Plaza say shots came from behind the president. There have been recordings of the shooting released that reveal only three shots. Theorists say there is no way Oswald would be able to get three shots off in nearly eight seconds. Oswald, who was a former U.S. Marine and was trained to shoot a rifle quickly, could easily have fired three shots in eight seconds. Movies like "JFK" have made the so-called "magic-bullet theory" come to life. Actually, there is no substance to this thought. For the magic-bullet theory to be true, Kennedy and Texas Gov. John Connally, who was riding in front of the president, would have to be sitting at an equal level and both sitting straight forward, which was not true. Kennedy was killed by a lone gunman. And that’s the truth.
CON: Aaron Hommell
According to a USA Today poll, 80 percent of Americans believe that a conspiracy to assassinate President John F. Kennedy took place in Dallas and that Lee Harvey Oswald was just a patsy to take the fall for a larger cover up, me included. I follow the school of thought from famous Kennedy historian, James H. Fetzer, who has given his life to the study of the assassination. Before delving deep into the conspiracy, we must first look at some easy issues. No. 1: Why was the motorcycle escort asked to stay behind the limo? This was against procedure. Why did the limo make a 110-degree turn onto the street when secret service protocol says to never make a turn more than 90 degrees? Why was the limo the lead car when it is protocol to have it in the middle? Where was Kennedy’s secret service detail? They were asked to stand down and ride on the side of the car trailing the limo. When the president goes to speak somewhere, the secret service welds manholes, covers every possible angle, follows protocol and protects the president with the utmost care. During that parade in Texas, no care or precaution was taken at all and it shows. Oswald was a patsy, an easy fall guy for a conspiracy. I don’t have near the space to discuss the whole list of issues including the photo that shows Oswald holding a Mannlicher-Carcano (dubbed "the humanitarian" for never hurting someone on purpose) and copies of "The Militant" and "The Worker," which was featured on the cover of "Time Magazine."
