If you put the murdered President of the United States on one side of a scale and that wretched waif Oswald on the other side, it doesn't balance. You want to add something weightier to Oswald. It would invest the President's death with meaning, endowing him with martyrdom. He would have died for something.
A conspiracy would, of course, do the job nicely.1.
The American people were in utter disbelief that a no name, crazed, Marxist assassin could take the life of their President. Kennedy, a hero in his own right due to action he took in a military mishap, seemed invincible. He was young, spoke for what he believed in, and stood for what this country was founded upon: liberty, freedom, and democracy. He brought hope to the hearts of many, young and old alike, that he would lead them safely through the Cold War, safely through the uprisings of the Civil Rights movement, and on to the horizons of a better tomorrow. How could this Leon Oswald, (later referred to as Lee Harvey Oswald, apparently to give him some sort of credibility), have massacred such a great man with no apparent motive? Then add to all this confusion the murder of Oswald by Jack Ruby, Oswald's neighbor who was well known for his criminal activity. A tangled web began to form as rumors flew. President Johnson immediately formed the Warren Commission, a team of renowned intellects to get to the bottom of the assassination. Headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren, "whose reputation for probity was nearly unmatched," the commission was comprised of men "versed in intelligence and national security affairs."2 .
Meant to get the facts straight, and present a solid case of truth to the American people, the Warren Commission only made things worse. Soon after the Warren Commission Report was released in September of 1964, critics immediately pointed out the fact that motive for the assassination was never established. It was also soon made public that CIA officers who were questioned lied about what they knew, apparently on grounds of national security.
