1. Why the persistent public doubt about the “lone gunman”?
Following a year-long investigation, established by President Lyndon B. Johnson through Executive Order 11130 on November 29, 1963, into the assassination of President Kennedy, the Warren Commission, led by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, concluded Kennedy’s death was the result of one senseless act by one unhinged man, Lee Harvey Oswald.
Almost immediately the general public were skeptical about the “lone gunman” theory proposed by the commission. In a poll conducted between November 22nd and 27th, 1963, Gallup found that 29% of Americans believed one man was responsible for the shooting . However, despite the horrors of the event still being fresh in their minds, 52% believed others were involved in a conspiracy.
By 1976 the percentage of Americans that believed Oswald did not act alone would balloon to 81%. This percentage would remain consistently high over the following decades as numerous books, movies and documentaries would keep the conspiracy fires burning brightly.
Even up to the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination and despite it being the lowest statistic in the last five decades, in 2013, 61% still believe that more than one crazed individual was involved in the shots fired on that fateful day.
A long history of suspicion regarding official government narratives on major events may account for these high numbers of doubt but pronouncements of their involvement by contract killer Charles Harrelson (father of actor Woody Harrelson), ex-CIA spooks E. Howard Hunt and Frank Sturgis (two of the Watergate burglars) among others, have certainly helped muddy the waters.
