Pastor Tracy Reads | Parkland by Vincent Bugliosi

March 3, 2025 | Pastor Tracy Troxel

My father told me often that 1963 marked the serious decline of the United States with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the subsequent murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, the identified suspect in Kennedy’s murder. I felt uneasy by this historical analysis as I was born in 1963. And, with the news that the confidential files related to JFK’s assassination might be released, I thought I should read the distressing account of this piece of American History. Also, I listened to The Rest Is History podcast and their 7-part series on the JFK assassination. I would highly  recommend this podcast.

One of the books they referenced was Vincent Bugliosi’s Parkland. Bugliosi takes us through the events of the assassination, the shooting of a Dallas police officer, the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald and the shocking murder of the suspect Lee Harvey Oswald while he was in police custody. The details of the narrative provide a minute-by-minute account of what took place throughout the 4  days of this extraordinary story.

Certainly, the account is disturbing in so many ways. The excellent investigation of the Dallas Police Department unravels when they allow the main suspect to be killed while in police custody. It is a major blunder that tarnished the entire reputation of the city of Dallas for years. Amid tragedy, there are so many glimpses of heroic and poignant moments that allow you to see the beauty of  people acting courageously under extreme circumstances.