Why Is John F Kennedy Responsible For Jfk Assassination

John F. Kennedy’s Assassination

If you are an American over 50 years of age then you probably remember when and where you were the moment you found out the President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, had been assassinated. Kennedy’s assassination left the world in total shock on November 22, 1963. America was effected in so many ways on this day and there are many possible motives or causes as to what could have influenced the assassination, but the most plausible motives for the assassination could be Oswald’s engagement in communism and a desire for fame and publicity; also the most significant effects it had on America was the loss of faith in the American government and the transformation of television and media coverage.

One of

the most fateful days in American history all started on the morning of November 22, 1963 when President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, arrived in Dallas to earn Texas support for his re-election the next year. After greeting some Dallas officials, John and Jackie got into the famous 1961 Lincoln convertible. In the car Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy sat in the back while Texas Governor, John Connally, and his wife sat in the jump seat. The Dallas Police Chief drove in front of the Lincoln, and behind that was four policemen on motorcycles. Not too far behind them were Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife. On that day in Dallas, about 250,000 people came to see the president. The reason why President Kennedy chose to be in a convertible was because he wanted to have direct contact with everyone.
At about 12:30 P.M. President Kennedy’s Lincoln took a left turn onto Dealey Plaza passing the Texas School Book Depository, and three shots rang out. Kennedy and Connally had been hit. As Kennedy was shot in the back of the neck he brought his fists up to his throat then another shot rang out hitting The President in the head, shattering his skull. The Lincoln quickly sped off to Parkland Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:00 P.M. Jackie refused to leave her husband’s side the whole day. She also refused to change her blood stained Pink Chanel suit, and was heard saying, “I want them to see what they’ve done to Jack.” Jack was a nickname for President Kennedy within in his family. At 2:38 P.M Federal District Judge Sarah Hughes, while on board Air Force One, swore Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson into office.
About 40 minutes after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested – while hiding in a movie theater – for the shooting of police officer J. D. Tippit while being questioned. Tippit questioned him because he fit the description of a man who was seen on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository who was suspected to have been the man who shot Kennedy. Oswald was 24 years old and is a former U.S. Marine. He lived in the Soviet Union and also supported communist ideas. Oswald even tried to give up his American citizenship while in the Soviet Union but was unsuccessful. Oswald was charged with the murder of President Kennedy and officer J. D. Tippit, and on November 24, 1963 as police accompanied Oswald as he was being transferred to another prison a man by the name of Jack Ruby forced his way through the reporters and shot Oswald in the side. Lee Harvey Oswald was pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital almost exactly 48 hours after Kennedy. Oswald denied killing President Kennedy and officer J.D. Tippit, and he was killed before he could have answered any questions on the assassination, which has led to hundreds of conspiracy theories.
There are many possible causes that could have influenced Oswald to shoot Kennedy.

Although, Oswald’s motives are uncertain because he died before he could be questioned, we can see a lot about whom he was and a viable motive through his history and his writings. One possible motive could be his engagement in communism. Lee Harvey Oswald began an interest in communism when he was fifteen years old and grew to resent the capitalist system. Before the assassination Oswald “had a great hostility toward his environment” and he showed this through “strikes and violent acts”. (Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy) Oswald’s devotion to communism was most likely a way of him expressing his bitter feelings toward his surroundings. Communism played a big part in Oswald’s life and probably played a large aspect in motivating him to assassinate Kennedy.

Another, possible cause that could have influenced Oswald to assassinate Kennedy was a desire for fame and publicity. After Oswald’s arrest, he was reported to be bragging about his arrest saying, “Everyone will know who I am now.” This could be a motive because Oswald didn’t have very many close relationships and probably felt very separated from the world. He had a hard time fitting in with the world and also had a hard time with being happy with

himself.
The moment John F.

Kennedy was assassinated is a crucial turning point in American History. Kennedy’s death has affected America so much since November 22, 1963. Bob Schoeffer, who was a reporter during Kennedy’s assassination, once stated, “ Up until that point we were a very confident country, we believed in our leaders, we believed in our institutions, but then when this thing happened, we were never quite the same after that.” One of the biggest affects Kennedy’s death has had on America has been the loss of trust in the American government. According to Tess VanderDolder, A political writer, in 1958 73% of the American people said that they trusted their government, but today that has changed drastically. Now only 19% of Americans trust their government to make the right decision. This is because over the next decade, after Kennedy’s death, a series of rough events occurred, like the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, and more assassinations like Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. Another reason for the loss of trust in our government was because of all the conspiracy theories that arose. It became hard for the American people to trust the government with all the theories about their own government leaders. There were conspiracy theories that Lyndon B. Johnson took part in Kennedy’s death and with all the issues between the Kennedys and J. Edger Hoover, former head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, conspiracy theories began to form around him. To

alleviate the American people, President Johnson created the Warren Commission, which stated that Oswald worked alone in killing Kennedy. Although, Many people believe this was a cover up.
Another way John F. Kennedy’s death affected America was the impact it had on television and media coverage. Don Cheadle, an American actor, calls this moment “the moment when the television generation came of age.” The television industry became so popular in this moment because it set a new standard on how we get our breaking news. News stations were on air constantly with no commercials giving the American people the heartbreaking news that their President had been murdered. According to ratings agency Nielsen, by the time the White House had affirmed the death of Kennedy, 45.4 percent of Americans with a television had theirs in use and by the time Monday came – the day of the Kennedy’s funeral – 81 percent of American home had theirs in use.
John F. Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963 has changed America forever. Even though we can’t totally know what Lee Harvey Oswald’s motives were on killing Kennedy we can look at his history and writings and see that his communist background probably had a large impact on his decision to kill Kennedy, and we can also see that it could all have been for fame. Looking back on Kennedy’s death we can also see how it has affected America. America has been affected by the loss of trust on our government because of violence and conspiracy theories and it affected the television industry by making it one of the best ways to hear to news. November 22, 1963 will forever be remembered as one of the most troublesome days in American history. John F. Kennedy always had a promising vision for the future and has left us with a legacy of hope in America.