PSC482G, Spring 2000
Assignment 18, for Wednesday 1 March 2000
Warren Commission Report 9—Jack Ruby
(N.B. This assignment is for your guidance only. It need not be turned in.)
Read: Warren Commission Report Chapter VI, pages 333–374; “A logical approach to Jack Ruby,” handed out in class and available on our web; and Ruby’s first testimony to the Warren Commission.
Answer these questions (briefly):
This assignment is designed to provide a two-pronged approach to the important question of whether there is any reason to think that Jack Ruby was working as past of a conspiracy when he killed Oswald. The first prong is the logical/critical approach, as exemplified by our several-step procedure. For this, you should read the pages in Chapter VI that detail Ruby’s activities during the weekend of the assassination, paying special attention to Saturday through Sunday morning. Then go over the logic sheet and see if you can add anything to it, particularly with respect to challenges to its working hypothesis that Ruby was acting alone and on impulse.
The second prong is related to testimony—of Ruby himself in this case. Carefully read his first testimony to the Warren Commission and try to understand Ruby as a person. When you are done, see whether you can find any room to interpret his actions over the weekend as anything other than those of a distraught, troubled personality who acted out of extreme emotion and impulse.
Please take this assignment very seriously, far more than most of you took our class discussion on Wednesday 23 February 2000. This class is about evidence, not feelings. It is up to you to rise to the challenge.