What Has Changed in 50 Years?

Fifty years ago today, Robert Kennedy was shot in California. He died the next day. 

Exactly two months prior to that fateful day, he was in Cleveland to give what was supposed to be a campaign speech. Martin Luther King had been shot the day before. Rather than give a campaign speech, Kennedy gave what is considered one of his greatest speeches, focusing on the absurdity of violence. A link to the full audio and text of the speech is below. Do yourself a favor and read it or listen to it. Better yet, listen to it with your kids.

https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/rfkclevelandcityclub.htm

The following paragraph from his speech is as applicable today as it was fifty years ago. 

“Yet we seemingly tolerate a rising level of violence that ignores our common humanity and our claims to civilization alike. We calmly accept newspaper reports of civilian slaughter in far off lands. We glorify killing on movie and television screens and we call it entertainment. We make it easier for men of all shades of sanity to acquire weapons and ammunition that they desire.”

It’s time for some grownups to step up in our government and engage in thoughtful dialogue about the epidemic of violence that plagues this country. If a business was as ineffective as our elected officials at solving problems, it would cease to exist. If we don’t want another summer of discontent like 1968, it’s time to start solving problems. Or maybe it’s time to vote against every incumbent politician.