Question
Choose a mystery or scandal from the second half of
the 20th century and write a 3 page essay with a detailed description of the topic you
chose and its relevance to American society, in general. Please make sure to use size
Sample paper
The Mystery Surrounding John Kennedy’s Death
The death of John F. Kennedy has evoked numerous controversies since it occurred through a shooting in November 1963. Countless investigations and murder reports have not yielded any satisfying answer concerning who killed the then President. John Kennedy’s death remains controversial as different investigations give different opinions surrounding the death. The major issue of concern has been the mastermind behind the assassination. Investigations have failed to determine whether the death of John Kennedy was part of an assassination conspiracy by particular criminal gangs either in government or from foreign nations. The arrest and questioning of suspects connected to the murder was largely unsuccessful and yielded little clues on those responsible for the assassination. This paper is an analysis of the conspiracies surrounding the death of John Kennedy.
In 1963, President John Kennedy was gearing up for the upcoming presidential campaigns in the following year. Despite not having officially announced his interest in the next general elections, it was clear that he was planning to do so at an appropriate moment (“JFK Library and Museum” 1). Public opinion indicated that John Kennedy would be the most popular candidate and thus likely to win in the next presidential elections. John Kennedy had been Americas’ youngest President. He was energetic, charismatic, eloquent, and admired by many. John Kennedy had successfully imbued enthusiasm among the Americans concerning the country’s economic performance under his reign. John Kennedy had clenched the seat at a time when the country was recovering from the impacts of World War II. As such, he inspired hope among thousands. John Kennedy had run for the presidency on the slogan “get the country moving again” (The Editorial Board 1).
In his campaigns, John Kennedy had resolved to meet as many people as he could possibly meet through tours across states. In particular, Texas was a crucial region for him to hunt for votes (“JFK Library and Museum” 1). The party leaders in this region had the power to sway the vote either in his favor or against it. John Kennedy had resolved to stamp his authority in the region by ensuring the Democrats remained united. In the early days of his campaign within the state of Texas, John Kennedy emphasized on the need for the U.S. to advance its defense and space programs and the need to ensure strong positive economic growth (“JFK Library and Museum” 2). Crowds in the region had received John Kennedy warmly in the start of his campaigns.
On November 12 1963, John Kennedy was conducting campaigns in Dallas, Texas, when a gunman opened fire. The President had been traveling on his car along the street when a gunman opened fire. Two bullets struck his neck and head (“JFK Library and Museum” 1). John Kennedy was later declared dead. Texas’ Governor, John Connally, survived the shooting with serious injuries. Following the death of John Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, the then Vice President, took oath of office. The police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald in connection with the assassination and the murder of a law enforcement officer on the same day. Oswald allegedly opened fire on the officer as he tried to question him concerning the assassination.
The arrest of the prime suspect in connection with the assassination did not yield any answers. Barely five days after his arrest, a lone gunman opened fire and killed Oswald while being transferred from local jail to the county jail (“JFK Library and Museum” 1). The assailant was identified as Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner in the region. With the main suspect dead, it would be difficult to conduct investigations to unearth who was actually behind the assassination or even the motive of the killing. Jack Ruby, who shot and killed the main suspect, had claimed that he was motivated by rage at the thought of Oswald killing John Kennedy (“History”, n.d).
Although Jack Ruby denied any connections to criminal gangs, there has been widespread speculation that he killed Oswald in order to prevent him from revealing the conspiracy surrounding the assassination of the President (“History,” n.d). Background investigations indicated that Jack Ruby had minimal connections to criminal gangs in the region. Following the assassination, Lyndon B. Johnson established a commission dubbed the Warren Commission to investigate the murder of John Kennedy. The findings by this commission indicated that neither Lee Oswald nor Jack Ruby was connected with national or international criminal syndicates. The commission tabled the report in 1964. In 1967, Jack Ruby died of lung cancer while awaiting fresh trial (“History” 1).
The Warren Commission report did not quell the speculations concerning the assassination of John Kennedy. In 1978, a report by the House Select committee on Assassinations indicated that John Kennedy could have been assassinated through a conspiracy (“History” 1). Further, the report indicated that there were probably multiple shooters involved in the assassination. The truth behind the assassination of John Kennedy remains elusive. There is no hope in obtaining accurate details concerning the assassination. Questions on whether the assassination was the work of national or foreign enemies will forever linger on people’s minds.
The relevance of this topic to the American society concerns the protection of the heads of state. Since the incidence, the Secret Service committed to change the manner in which future presidents would be protected. The improved security detail surrounding current presidents have a lot to do with John Kennedy’s assassination and the lessons drawn from the incidence. For instance, John Kennedy was moving in a vehicle with an open-top roof, which significantly increased the chances of being shot at. In the recent period, the president’s security detail has significantly improved, including the use of armored cars.
References
History. “John F. Kennedy assassinated.” History, n.d. https://www.history.com/this-day- in- history/john-f-kennedy-assassinated. Accessed 5 April 2018.
JFK Library and Museum. “November 22, 1963: Death of the President.” JFK Library and Museum, n.d., Retrieved from https://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/November-22-1963-Death-of-the-President.aspx. Accessed 5 April 2018.
The Editorial Board. “JFK, 50 years later still a controversy: our view.” USA Today, 21 Nov. 2013, https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/11/21/president-john-f-kennedy- 50th-anniversary-assassination-editorials-debates/3670357/. Accessed 5 April 2018.
