Ruth Paine remembers the Assassination

[Jon Banks]

Paine: "I think it was a spur of the moment thing for him. That he could do this. I don’t think he was shooting at Kennedy. He was shooting at the Presidency."

That was Bugliosi's theory too: i.e., that Oswald was shooting at what JFK represented - that is, the head of the political and economic systems that he repeatedly said he hated - and not specifically at JFK.

It is odd that we have very little about what Oswald thought about JFK. De Mohrenschildt said that Oswald expressed admiration for JFK, especially his civil rights proposals. Marina said that she believed that Oswald liked JFK too. But she later testified that she wasn't sure and that she made that judgment because he would read favorable stories about JFK to her. I'll just add parenthetically: if Marina (and or DeMohrenschildt) was coached or coerced into giving damning information about Oswald then why didn't "they" tell her/him to say he hated JFK?

Again, however, we have Oswald's repeated denunciations of America, of its political and economic structure. So why would he "like" the leader of the systems he detested? Plus: Cuba. Oswald admired Castro, he wanted to defect there. Sure, after the problems with the Cubans in Mexico City obtaining a visa he seemed to sour on Cuba. But why turn on Castro?

In any case, I think Oswald was aware of JFK's covert war on Cuba, perhaps even about the assassination plots against Castro (question: did he meet anyone in Mexico City who "inflamed" his dislike of JFK?). And that played a role - large or small - in his decision. He may have been driven in part by a desire for fame or for attacking the Presidency and not the President but I don't think we can take JFK the man out of his motivations.

Oswald liked Kennedy despite the Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis. So why would knowledge of the Covert War against Cuba make him dislike Kennedy?

Oswald knew at the time when he said nice things about Kennedy to his wife and George DM that the US under Kennedy was hostile towards Cuba and had to have known that LBJ would continue Kennedy’s policies.

[Jon Banks]

It was an opportunity that fell into his lap. And his plan of the surprise ambush was a good one.

Maybe.

However, the Dallas trip for JFK was announced before Oswald traveled to New Mexico and the parade route going through Dealey Plaza was predictable.

It was just a matter of getting Oswald to Dallas and getting him a job in Dealey Plaza...

[Walt Cakebread]

The copying of Oswalds's letter, preceded by her "snooping" , remains..curious?

Ruth Paine admitted that she was a informant for the FBI when she appeared before the WC.    The FACT that she spied on Lee Oswald ( and Marina who she had living in her house where she could easily spy on her) and reported to the FBI is an admission that she was an FBI informant.   

I wonder if Ruth knows that she was an FBI stoolie? ....    Probably not....She has some  wires crossed and after all these years the lie has become the truth in her head.   

[John Tonkovich]

Ruth Paine admitted that she was a informant for the FBI when she appeared before the WC.    The FACT that she spied on Lee Oswald ( and Marina who she had living in her house where she could easily spy on her) and reported to the FBI is an admission that she was an FBI informant.   

I wonder if Ruth knows that she was an FBI stoolie? ....    Probably not....She has some  wires crossed and after all these years the lie has become the truth in her head.   

Intriguing idea.
Could you help out with a citation for this " informant " admission?
Thanks.

[Jerry Freeman]

Belief in a thing, even by a lot of people, doesn't make it true.  Most people don't know the first detail about the JFK assassination.  Their opinion is worthless.   It is dealt with by CTers in a hypothetical sense in which a Quaker, housewife can be a sinister master spy involved in an assassination selectively nitpicking her words and making sinister implications.  The real Ruth Paine is of no interest to you because it is preposterous that she was involved in any conspiracy.  Just a kind person doing a good deed.   

Most people don't know the first detail about the JFK assassination.
Says who...the big know it all?
Their opinion is worthless.
How much is yours worth?
a Quaker, housewife can be a sinister master spy involved in an assassination
What a pile of crap. I do not ---nor do I agree that Ruth Paine was involved with any plot to assassinate JFK.
However her connection with the Oswalds [whatever that attachment might have been] left her vulnerable and vulnerable people are infused then with fear and intimidation. Mrs Paine's contradictory statements have been posted several times and long time members know this and some choose to ignore it.
Fear is the greatest motivator.

[John Iacoletti]

Intriguing idea.
Could you help out with a citation for this " informant " admission?
Thanks.

Walt is playing fast and loose with the term “informant”. Hosty asked her some questions about Oswald and she answered them.

[Walt Cakebread]

Intriguing idea.
Could you help out with a citation for this " informant " admission?
Thanks.

Ruth Paine admitted that she spied on Lee Oswald and reported her observations to the FBI.    When she clandestinely read the letter that Lee wrote to the Russian embassy she became angry because Lee had referred to the FBI as "notorious "....   Ruth Paine thought that the FBI was a perfect,  all American, red, white, and blue organization....  And Hoover's mother was also a Quaker.  ( Don't know if J. Edna Hoover was Quaker)   Ruth may have assumed that Hoover was a Quaker.

Lee knew that he could deflect suspicion by including outrageous, or provocative statements, in written correspondence, thus he referred to the FBI as "notorious" while knowing that the letter would be opened by the FBI before it reached the Russian Embassy .... Lee deliberately used the term "notorious" to grab the attention of the FBI agent who read the letter.  The Russians would see the "notorious FBI " as a defamatory, or derogatory term and pay no attention to it.

Lee had used this strategy many times in writing  to his "mother" from Russia ....   He stated that his loyalty was to Russia and he would take up arms against Americans if required.   That kind of stuff was for the eyes of the Russian censors.