Behind the Shot: The Conspiracy Behind JFK's death
Don DeLillo’s Libra doesn’t just retell the assassination of President JFK; it really dives into the murky world of conspiracies surrounding one of the most shocking events in American history. However, we didn’t get to really see all the insane theories and conspiracies that people created and continued to argue about. The assassination of the President remains one of the most heavily debated events in American history. Even though the government's conclusion claims Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, many people have found it unsatisfying or thought that there is probably more behind it. A wide range of conspiracy theories has emerged, fueled by inconsistent evidence, mysterious circumstances, and the public’s growing distrust of authority during the Cold War era.
One of the most popular conspiracy theories suggests that the CIA or other government agencies were also involved in Kennedy’s death, which is spoken about within Libra. Supporters of this theory argue that Kennedy’s tensions with the CIA after the Bay of Pigs invasion, along with his desire to reduce U.S involvement in Vietnam, made him a threat to powerful interests. Others point to the idea of a “second shooter,” claiming the famous Zapruder film shows Kennedy being hit from more than one direction, which would contradict the lone gunman theory.
Another theory that connects the assassination to organized crime. Some believe the Mafia wanted Kennedy killed because his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, aggressively pursued organized crime prosecutions. There are also conspiracies involving Cuban leader Fidel Castro, suggesting either retaliation for the U.S. assassination attempts or anti-Castro groups acting without government approval. Each theory adds another layer of complexity and paranoia to an already confusing event. There are so many more theories that people have created with several unidentified witnesses: The Bubushuka lady, a woman who was holding a camera and seen taking captures of events; Umbrella man, the closest bystander to Kennedy when the bullet struck; Dark-complected man, a man sitting on the sidewalk, beside the umbrella man. There are way too many to count.
Ultimately, these conspiracy theories reveal more about the American public than about the assassination itself. The lack of clear answers, combined with secret investigations and missing evidence, has allowed speculation to thrive. Whether believable or far-fetched, these theories highlight how deeply Kennedy’s death shook the nation.
Hi Jessy, I liked your point discussing how these theories tell more about Americans than the event itself. With conspiracies and theories of such lengths, it does create gaps in evidence and overall answers, which overall does in fact highlight how this assassination changed the minds of so many. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteNice post Jessy! Your point on conspiracy theories being influenced by the public's distrust in the government is backed up with your references to the government, mafia, and the Umbrella Man. Your conclusion on what this says about American is really powerful, and something that is still prevalent today
ReplyDeleteBoth of these lines of conspiracy theory are fully present in DeLillo's version: the plan initiates with rogue CIA agents, and it is indeed inspired by lingering bitterness over the Bay of Pigs, and he implicates organized crime via Carmine Latta and Jack Ruby. The mafia, in DeLillo's version, is not primarily responsible for the assassination, or even aware of the plot, but we do see Latta's organization funding Guy Banister's operations in New Orleans, and that means that Ferrie brings the bag of cash to help but weapons for the plot. And then, when the plot goes South and Oswald is apprehended, a phone call to Carmine Latta's people is all it takes for them to get Jack Ruby on the job.
ReplyDeleteThere are way more bonkers theories out there, implicating the vice president, organized labor, the governor of Texas, the Soviet Union, Cuba . . . DeLillo mostly leaves these alone.