The moon landing, President John F. Kennedy’s death, the attack on the twin towers, NASA, aliens; the theorized commonality of these topics raises questions. Some students think that there are more to these aspects of history that are being left unsaid.

“I think that it is important that people have the idea that what we are being told about history [isn’t] always truthful,” Max Pacheco, 11, said. “Especially if it comes from mainstream media or the government who has a prior record of lying to our people.”

Pacheco is commonly known to talk about conspiracy theories among friends. One of his many theories is that the government was responsible for the 9/11 World Trade Center tragedy. 

“I absolutely believe that our government was behind the attack on the World Trade Center to wage war in Afghanistan and in Iraq… I think that the government used 9/11 as an excuse to spy on Americans,” Pacheco said. 

He also believes that the reason behind 9/11 goes deeper than government politics; Pacheco thinks that fear was a contributing factor. 

“Once Americans are fearful of a certain thing that the government tells them to be fearful of, [the government] offers a false sense of security. I think that a lot of Americans fell for that and continue to fall for that to this day,” Pacheco said. 

Pacheco isn’t the only student who believes in such theories. Ezra Baker, 11, also thinks that 9/11 could all be a part of a government plan. 

“[The 9/11 theory] does make sense because a lot of money was lost the day before. The country needed something to unite them… it’s not like America intentionally [caused 9/11], but they didn’t take any precautions,” Baker said. 

Another popular theory is the possibility of the JFK murder being an inside job. The theory suggests that JFK was murdered by the CIA to cause war. 

“I have theories that the CIA and Lyndon Johnson conspired to kill JFK [John F. Kennedy]. For reasons to wage war in Vietnam…[JFK] famously said that he wanted to ‘splinter the agency into a thousand pieces and scatter it into the winds’ … I find it funny that the man who was put on the commission to investigate the man who has fired him. I think that’s a little suspicious,” Pacheco said. 

Baker has a different perspective on what could have happened with the murder of JFK. 

“[The JFK theory] is possible, but I don’t think that it’s mind blowing information. The government keeps secrets from everybody in the name of ‘National Security’; the public doesn’t need to know everything. I’m sure that stuff has been done to keep peace or to fill personal agendas of people in power,” Baker said. 

Out of all of the theories that Pacheco shared, his main message was that he wanted others to question the information they were being told.  

“I’m not one to hate anybody or to dislike someone particularly for disagreeing with something that I say. I always try to explain my theories. Whenever I explain this kind of stuff to people, I don’t expect them to fully 100 percent agree with what I am saying, but rather just to question [what is being told to them],” Pacheco said.