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Q1: Why does the article describe Oswald as the assassin of John F. Kennedy, instead of the alleged assassin, given that he was never convicted in a court of law?
A1: A legal conviction is required before government may label someone a criminal and punish him. But a legal conviction is not required for scholars and historians to draw their own conclusions based on the evidence: they may conclude that a person never convicted of some crime was, in fact, guilty (e.g. John Wilkes Booth); or they may conclude that someone who was convicted was, in fact, innocent (e.g. Timothy Evans). Although Oswald was killed before he could be brought to trial, reliable sources firmly establish that he fired the shots that killed Kennedy.
Q2: What if I still disagree?
A2: Read the discussions found in this page's archives before proposing that Oswald be described as Kennedy's "alleged assassin" or the like. Proposals rehashing old arguments will go nowhere.
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Ella German was nominated for deletion. The discussion was closed on 13 August 2020 with a consensus to merge. Its contents were merged into Lee Harvey Oswald. The original page is now a redirect to this page. For the contribution history and old versions of the redirected article, please see its history; for its talk page, see here.
Semi-protected edit request on 18 August 2023[edit]
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In the "Return to Dallas" section it is mentioned that Ruth Paine's neighbor's brother was Wesley Frazier. This neighbor's name was Linnie Randle, so I suggest that
"Ruth Paine said that her neighbor told her on October 14 about a job opening at the Texas School Book Depository, where her neighbor's brother, Wesley Frazier, worked"
be changed to
"Ruth Paine said that her neighbor, Linnie Randle, told her on October 14 about a job opening at the Texas School Book Depository where Randle's brother, Wesley Frazier, worked" Enemkaythegoat (talk) 22:39, 18 August 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]
Even with a source, we wouldn't make the change. We don't normally name nonnotable people unless there's some reason to do so. (Frazier, by contrast, appears repeatedly in the narrative and it would be awkward not to name him.) EEng 17:41, 25 August 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]
The info box at the top-right of the article contains incorrect information. LHO was released from active duty on 11 September 1959, with a discharge characterized as Honorable. However, he was transferred to Class III of the Marine Corps Reserve to serve out the remainder of his statutory 6-year Military Service Obligation. While a member of Class III of the Marine Corps Reserve, he defected to the USSR. After the US State Department informed the Marine Corps of this violation of Marine Corps Regulations (he failed to inform the Marine Corps of his whereabouts for mobilization purposes, a violation of a lawful general order), he was subjected to an administrative discharge board, which determined that he was unfit to remain in the Marine Corps Reserve and recommended a final discharge into civilian status, with a characterization of "Undesirable." This was the lowest form of discharge available administratively, i.e., without a court-martial conviction. LHO's Undesirable discharge was approved and executed effective 13 September 1960. LHO later contested that discharge, but the Secretary of the Navy affirmed the original characterization, and so at the time of his death he remained a discharged former Marine with an Undesirable discharge. IN addition, the box shows his grade as Private, but his service records (found as citation #58 under references) shows his final USMC grade was "PFC" or private first class. 174.65.152.99 (talk) 06:13, 29 August 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]
Semi-protected edit request on 14 September 2023[edit]
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Lee Harvy Oswald did, in fact, fire three shots. However, it was mistaken by most of the witnesses that there were either 2-4 shots fired. Pictures of the crime scene revealed the true number was three. Add these facts there, right under "As Kennedy's motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza at approximately 12:30 p.m. on November 22, Oswald fired three rifle shots from the southeast-corner window on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository,[164] killing the President and seriously wounding Texas Governor John Connally. One shot apparently missed the presidential limousine entirely, another struck both Kennedy and Connally, and a third bullet struck Kennedy in the head,[165] killing him. Bystander James Tague received a minor facial injury from a small piece of curbstone that had fragmented after it was struck by one of the bullets". XerxesFuture (talk) 22:24, 14 September 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]
The article already says he fired three shots. RudolfRed (talk) 00:44, 15 September 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]
Semi-protected edit request on 5 November 2023[edit]
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Change: "was a U.S. Marine veteran and Marxist who assassinated John F. Kennedy"
to: "was a U.S. Marine veteran and Marxist who allegedly assassinated John F. Kennedy
Oswald was not convicted of the assassination and although the Warren Commission named him as the assassin, the House Select Committee on Assassinations of 1985 concluded President Kennedy's murder was the result of a conspiracy. There is not now, nor has there ever been any indisputable evidence presented that proves Lee Harvey Oswald shot President Kennedy. EdinburghSooner (talk) 17:10, 5 November 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]
Not done: Please read the FAQ section at the top of this page, which states why the word "alleged" isn't used. Liu1126 (talk) 17:14, 5 November 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]
As usual, the salient point is missed. Whether Oswald would have been found guilty or not is unknown, but we can determine whether he killed the president. I'm amazed we still, 60 years after the fact, have people making this utterly inane claim that we need to say "alleged." John Hinckley indisputably shot Ronald Reagan, yet he was found not guilty. We nevertheless say he shot Reagan. Because guilty/not guilty and whether someone committed an act are separate determinations. In Oswald's case, we lack a court verdict - he too may have been found not guilty via some defence - but we definitely can determine whether he shot John Kennedy or not. Because that is a separate determination. Two of the most exhaustive investigations in American - and world - history concluded, including the HSCA, that Oswald indeed shot the president. Canada Jack (talk) 21:46, 7 November 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]
Two of the most exhaustive investigations in American - and world - history concluded, including the HSCA, that Oswald indeed shot the president.
In its 1979 report, the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) concluded that Kennedy was likely "assassinated as a result of a conspiracy".
We can only use the consensus of reliable sources, which have found that Oswald shot Kennedy. Whether or not there was a wider conspiracy is a different question, but Oswald's actions are not in serious academic dispute. It is not Wikipedia's role to assess and draw conclusions at odds with scholarly and investigative consensus. Acroterion(talk) 21:23, 23 November 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]
But that's contradictory. Those sources not only determine Oswald as the killer, but also that he acted alone. So if those sources are deemed reliable, it's not a different question.
But if there are any doubts about Oswald acting on his own, there also have to be doubts about him firing the lethal shot, no? 2A02:8109:9CB6:9000:EEF2:A5AF:671C:9F42 (talk) 21:45, 23 November 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]
Reliable sources agree that Oswald fired the lethal shot(s). Whether he was part of a wider conspiracy is not completely settled. Wikipedia is not a forum for logical thought experiments. Acroterion(talk) 21:50, 23 November 2023 (UTC)Reply[reply]
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Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Xan747 ✈️ 🧑✈️ 17:36, 25 August 2023 (UTC)