Why should you remember Robert Kennedy?

Answer 1

Robert Kennedy should be remembered and, I think, remembered fondly for his courage and compassion.

RFK was controversially appointed Attorney General by his brother JFK in 1961 and served as A.G. until 1964. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, "Bobby", as was called by his friends and family, played such a crucial role that after the crisis ended President Kennedy said, "Thank God for Bobby." Bobby also devoted himself to fighting corruption; he declared "war on the mafia." While he served as AG, the number of arrests of organized criminals skyrocketed. This was a very dangerous war as Bobby's wife Ethel later revealed there was a very real threat that the mafia was going to "throw (corrosive) acid in the face of Robert Kennedy, his wife and children." But Bobby was always determined, as was his brother JFK, to fighting corruption and subversion.

After the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, Bobby was devastated and those close to him agree that he was never the same. Once an adamant supporter of Joe McCarthy, Bobby devoted himself in later years to striving for racial equality, civil rights, and peace both in America and around the world. Bobby helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. After the disastrous Tet Offensive in early 1968, Bobby publicly split with President Lyndon Johnson on the Vietnam War. After President Johnson announced that he would not seek re-election in '68, Bobby declared his candidacy for President of the United States. Thus began a short-lived, memorable, and tragic campaign.

Bobby's campaign was reminiscent of his brother's in 1960. He traveled across the country, visiting not only the rich white towns but the slums and ghettos, to the homes of destitute blacks and immigrants. Young people swarmed around the charming and charismatic politician. Bobby-soxers screamed out his name and waved signs like "We love you Bobby" and "Bobby is sexy." The young people had to put their faith in Bobby - "if Kennedy loses," young men across the country said, "I'll have to go to Vietnam. I don't want to get drafted, I'm too young to die." Indeed, drafting of these young men to the bloody and hopeless battlefields of Vietnam continued under President Nixon, and thousands more lost their lives.

One moment that stands out during his campaign would be when Bobby learned of the assassination of Martin Luther King. Bobby was devastated, putting his head in his hands and saying, "Oh God. When is this violence going to stop?" Bobby, who was on a plane at the time, decided he was going to touch down in inner-city Indianapolis and tell people what happened. His campaign advisers told him he would be killed for doing that and Bobby faced further resistance from police in Indianapolis. However, Bobby insisted on delivering the news and got up on an unstable flatbed truck to give his speech. When Bobby told them what happened, a roar of shock and anguish sprang up from the crowd. Bobby gave a 5-minute impromptu speech asking to say a prayer not only for MLK and his family, but for America and for peace everywhere. There were riots that night in many cities, but not in Indianapolis - Bobby's speech is widely credited with preventing riots in this city.

In a speech Bobby gave the next day called "On the Mindless Menace of Violence," he said: "But we can perhaps remember, even if only for a time, that those who live with us are our brothers; that they share the same short moment of life; that they seek - as do we - nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and happiness, earning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can. Surely this bond of common fate, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something. Surely we can learn, and begin to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our own hearts brothers and countrymen once again." In his later years Bobby was a warrior not only for Law and Order but for peace, equality and brotherhood.

It seems a shame therefore that Bobby, like JFK and MLK before him and John Lennon after him, died such a violent death. Very early in the morning of June 5th, Bobby was giving a speech at the Ambassador Hotel, celebrating a pulling ahead in the polls - Bobby was now the leading Democratic nominee. He ended his speech with, "Let's win this thing!" He gave a thumbs up and the "Peace" sign. As he was walking through the crowd, a young busboy made his way through the crowd to shake Bobby's hand again - Bobby had shaken his hand once before: "He shook my hand harder than anyone had ever shook it. I walked away feeling 20 feet tall," recalled the busboy. "I thought to myself, I'm not just a busboy, I'm a human being." As the two shook hands for a second time, a Palestinian who was strongly opposed to Bobby's unrelenting support of Israel fired shots at Kennedy which would eventually kill him. As Bobby slumped semi-conscious into the busboy's arms, his only and last words were, "Is everybody safe, OK?" The whole event played out like a horror movie and was on live television.

In short, Robert Kennedy should be remembered for embodying the characteristics that make not only a great politician but a great human being. He was fearless, resilient, compassionate, understanding, and a visionary. I believe we could all learn a lot from Robert Kennedy in today's world of hatred, violence, suspicion and ignorance. We should also remember and be forever grateful to him for his contributions to America, to the world, and towards the betterment of humankind.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

You should remember Robert Kennedy because he was a significant figure in American history. As the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy, he played a crucial role in his brother's political campaign and served as the US Attorney General under his administration. Additionally, Robert Kennedy was an advocate for civil rights and played a key role in advancing social justice during a tumultuous time in American history. He was tragically assassinated in 1968 while running for president.