Try giving some thought to the TSBD

[Jim Hawthorn]

If there were conspirators, how would they have had ANY IDEA what might be taking place inside the building when JFK’s motorcade passed by? No one had any control over what the publishing company employees and their guests might be doing. No effort was made to control the TSBD employees. No memos were issued instructing all employees to be outside during the motorcade to show support for our wonderful President or anything like that. No one had the foresight to block off the 6th floor as a construction zone. No one had any way of knowing that DPD officers or SS agents wouldn’t be assigned to the roof or upper floors.

Yes, I always thought that no "professional" assassin would choose he 6th floor of that building for all the reasons that you list. Getting up there would be difficult (unless one was a known, regular face). Getting out would be even worse. The only way I could see was up or down the exterior fire escape but I suppose that has been ruled out here.

[Lance Payette]

Yes, I always thought that no "professional" assassin would choose he 6th floor of that building for all the reasons that you list. Getting up there would be difficult (unless one was a known, regular face). Getting out would be even worse. The only way I could see was up or down the exterior fire escape but I suppose that has been ruled out here.

Yesterday, I added to my "If I had planned the conspiracy thread" a more serious effort that I didn't think was ridiculous. It posited Oswald's fellow conspirator being in or on the Dal-Tex Building and firing the head shot. I vaguely recalled a large-caliber rifle shell being found by construction workers on the Dal-Tex roof at a much later date. Here is an old, short thread from the Ed Forum about that issue: https://educationforum.ipbhost.com/topic/2388-shell-casing-on-the-roof/. I still don't know if it's true, but it would be quite startling if it were.

[Lance Payette]

I would think an "amateur" assassin would have the same if not worse problems, e.g., he's figuring this out for the first time as he goes along. How do this novice get in the building unnoticed, go up to the 6th floor unnoticed, go the window unnoticed (except by people outside), wait 30 minutes unnoticed, shoot the president, and then leave unnoticed?

I would think a professional with help I assume would be more skilled at this than an amateur. But even a pro would understand the difficulties. This is shooting the president. It's going to be investigated to the nth degree.

In conspiracy world everything is easy peasy. Planning this, funding it, executing it, covering it up. No problem. They can do just about anything. No they can't. Human nature and time work against all of this. It can't be done.

I thought that's what Jim was saying - i.e., this being a Presidential assassination, surely the participants would be pros. And if they were, they wouldn't have chosen the 6th floor of the TSBD as a location for a gunman. They would have had Oswald as a patsy with at least his rifle on the 6th floor and the actual gunman in or on the Dal-Tex Building. This "works" except for the rather large problem of explaining Oswald's post-assassination actions, which make no sense unless he at least knew his rifle was in the building (or he was, in fact, shooting from the 6th floor himself).

[Dan O'meara]

I thought that's what Jim was saying - i.e., this being a Presidential assassination, surely the participants would be pros. And if they were, they wouldn't have chosen the 6th floor of the TSBD as a location for a gunman. They would have had Oswald as a patsy with at least his rifle on the 6th floor and the actual gunman in or on the Dal-Tex Building. This "works" except for the rather large problem of explaining Oswald's post-assassination actions, which make no sense unless he at least knew his rifle was in the building (or he was, in fact, shooting from the 6th floor himself).

Oh Yeah, and the small problem of eye witnesses seeing a man pointing a rifle from the 6th floor window of the TSBD building 
What insight.
What a razor sharp mind.

[Jim Hawthorn]

I thought that's what Jim was saying - i.e., this being a Presidential assassination, surely the participants would be pros. And if they were, they wouldn't have chosen the 6th floor of the TSBD as a location for a gunman. They would have had Oswald as a patsy with at least his rifle on the 6th floor and the actual gunman in or on the Dal-Tex Building. This "works" except for the rather large problem of explaining Oswald's post-assassination actions, which make no sense unless he at least knew his rifle was in the building (or he was, in fact, shooting from the 6th floor himself).

Oswald's actions afterwards make perfect sense if he was being manipulated, duped into following a pattern. When the assassination happened, he could have realised that something was going wrong and that whatever plan he thought he was part of, was compromised and it spooked him.

[Richard Smith]

Putting aside the endless contrarian loon arguments, why would any conspiracy plan involve bringing the president to the assassin instead of the assassin to the president?  That is sheer stupidity.  It's idiocy to believe that the plan was to put a patsy in some random building and then manipulate the schedule and motorcade of the president to bring him by that specific building.  Much easier to control the movements of the patsy than the president.

[Dan O'meara]

Oswald's actions afterwards make perfect sense if he was being manipulated, duped into following a pattern. When the assassination happened, he could have realised that something was going wrong and that whatever plan he thought he was part of, was compromised and it spooked him.

There are certain things Oswald did before he even went to work that day (leaving pretty much all his money and wedding ring with Marina) that suggest he was aware there was a strong chance he could be arrested that day. After having a chat with Shelley, Oswald hit the road and there is a strong argument to be made that he was heading for the border when he ran into JD Tippit.
It seems to me that Oswald believed he was part of something really serious but not the killing of the President.