The 1960s, Episode 3: The Assassination of JFK

As I have argued before, November 22nd, 1963, is the day that "the Sixties" as a culturally significant decade began. Before the assassination of President Kennedy, the world felt more innocent, proverbially black & white. Of course, that is an impression and not necessarily a reality. The 1950s was a decade that was both wonderful and terrible, just like every decade. There was American prosperity, but also McCarthyism and systemic racism. Nevertheless, the America that Kennedy administered feels like an extension of the 1950s. But after his death, the 1960s feels like a time of turmoil, conflict, creative proliferation, and cultural upheaval. But before we get to all that, we must discuss November 22nd, 1963, and the death of the American President in public, and in broad daylight. The evidence is actually pretty conclusive that Lee Harvey Oswald, a loser who led an unhappy life, shot the President from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository where he worked. But, there is much about Oswald's life that is weird, and conspiracy theorists have had a field day for over 60 years latching onto open questions and oddities about Oswald, as well as Oswald's death at the hands of Jack Ruby, and any possible oddity even remotely related to the assassination. So in this episode, we will take a dive into choppy and murky waters, and examine the assassination and several conspiracy theories.