John F. Kennedy promised a better way of life, increased national pride, and encouraged all Americans to move forward in science, space exploration and community service. His death in November 1963 didn’t completely end those dreams, and actually helped create another group of united Americans – those with questions about the circumstances of his assassination.
Though the Warren Commission and later independent studies continue to blame Lee Harvey Oswald, conspiracy theorists believe there’s much more to the story, even 50 years later. Concrete answers to what the rest of story may be, who else may have been involved and why it happened still remain major mysteries.
Theories have become more convoluted than a game of Clue. Was it Oswald with the military rifle at the book depository? Was it multiple shooters with handguns and magic bullets? Was it the guy with the umbrella on the grassy knoll? Did Castro or Khrushchev hire someone? Or Johnson, Hoffa or Hoover? Were aliens involved?
To some, the shooting is a historical conspiracy full twists, turns and whodunits, fueled by experts ranging from Stephen King to Oliver Stone. But to others there’s still actual fear about what “they” can do if you cross the wrong people. It never hurts to be careful out there, whether you’re avoiding geopolitical scandals or simply learning the facts about identity theft.
November is a perfect opportunity to reflect on the ongoing JFK conspiracy and also recognize other conspiracies that relate to the second-to-last month of the year.
- The Berlin Wall: On Nov. 8, 1989, West Germany and East Germany officially reunited after being separated since the end of World War II. The textbook view is that the wall fell due to increased pressure from Western democratic nations and the weakening hold of Russian-style Communism. Alternate views range from conspiracies by the Masons who decided that Russia had grown too ineffective and new “enemies” must be created, to the Catholic Church, which wanted to encourage its Russian members to resist Soviet oppression. The blog LiberalConspiracy presents an interesting view – it still credited the people with causing this revolution but said they did so because of dissatisfaction with East German liberalism and a desire to unionize.
Photo by AbhijeetRane via Flickr
- Treasure in South Dakota: The Black Hills and Badlands have a certain magic to them and offer valuable geological treasures. They were revered by Native American tribes for centuries, and the U.S. government has preserved much of the region, including establishing the Badlands National Park on Nov. 10, 1978. Conspiracy-minded individuals say there may be a reason why — a secret cache of loot underneath Mt. Rushmore, which was theorized in the movie “National Treasure: Book of Secrets.” But others quickly acknowledge that this is more movie magic than anything, including how the film magically relocated an actual lake much closer to the presidents.
Photo by edmenendez via Flickr
- Paul is still dead. Though thousands of music fans swear they’ve seen him in concert, some believe that Paul McCartney actually died in a car crash Nov. 9, 1966. The theory is that producers quickly found a replacement who looked, sounded and wrote like Paul, but the rest of the band wasn’t consulted so they left clues in lyrics and album art so fans would learn the truth.
Photo by United Press International via Wikimedia Commons
