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Jake Tapper is ABC News' Senior White House Correspondent based in the network's Washington bureau. He writes about politics and popular culture and covers a range of national stories.
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"The Awful Grace of God": Robert Kennedy on MLK, April 4, 1968
April 04, 2008 7:55 AM
Forty years ago, then-Sen. Robert Kennedy, D-NY, told a largely African-American crowd in Indianapolis about the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
You can listen to it HERE.
This is what he said:
"Ladies and Gentlemen - I'm only going to talk to you just for a minute or so this evening. Because I have some very sad news for all of you, and I think sad news for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world, and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.
"Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings. He died in the cause of that effort. In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, it's perhaps well to ask what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in.
"For those of you who are black - considering the evidence evidently is that there were white people who were responsible - you can be filled with bitterness, and with hatred, and a desire for revenge.
"We can move in that direction as a country, in greater polarization - black people amongst blacks, and white amongst whites, filled with hatred toward one another. Or we can make an effort, as Martin Luther King did, to understand and to comprehend, and replace that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand, compassion and love.
"For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of such an act, against all white people, I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man.
"But we have to make an effort in the United States, we have to make an effort to understand, to get beyond these rather difficult times.
"My favorite poet was Aeschylus. He once wrote: 'Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.'
"What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black.
"So I ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King, yeah that's true, but more importantly to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love - a prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke. We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times. We've had difficult times in the past. And we will have difficult times in the future. It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of lawlessness; and it's not the end of disorder.
"But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land.
"Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world.
"Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people. Thank you very much."
- jpt
April 4, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (20)
Robert Kennedy's message is stirring and his hopes for the nation are not unlike those harbored by both Obama and Clinton, in spite of the ruthless kind of ambition displayed by both candidates. That's just the nature of the political beast, I guess. But the very best messages come from a higher ground than where the messengers speak. I think ultimately, in spite of the pettiness and divisions, Democrats will come together at the end of the nomination process.
Posted by: katrina | Apr 4, 2008 11:49:45 AM
I think after after the pedophilia charges brought against the catholic priests came out, all catholics should have changed their faith. This was a gross abomination against God.No true christian should have wanted to be associated with the catholic faith after that.
Posted by: merle7 | Apr 4, 2008 11:04:37 AM
Nice piece,don't agree with the title though. God's grace is wonderful,esp for man's salvation. It is through that grace he gave America Dr. King,and through that same grace he chose to take him way.But through God's grace America was blessed with the presence of the most courageous and inspirational,provocative,
chairismatic civil rights leader of the 20 century.Dr King touched the lives of many Americans along all racial lines, and fought and died for equal rights for all Americans.I can only hope that one phrase would stand out in many Americans minds and hearts this election year is:Don't judge a man by the color of his skin,but by the contents of his character.
Thanks for the blog
Posted by: merle7 | Apr 4, 2008 10:49:53 AM
It's a good speech.
Actions speak louder. Choices illuminate character. The wisdom of choice is not in how it makes us feel but in how it enables us to change for the better.
A man can't sit with his children for twenty years in a church that advocates Black Liberation Theology then tell us he has worked all of his life to unite us. This is not living the Dream. It is hijacking it's memory for personal power and the advancement of causes he has yet to step up and fight.
King was a fighter for the spirit as was Gandhi. Bobby was an opportunist but he tried to make a difference. If we are to stay on the road for social justice, we need a fighter.
If we are to fix the economy and get out of this GD war, we need a competent executive. Choose wisely.
Posted by: len | Apr 4, 2008 10:34:41 AM
My point is words and lofty speeches are cheap. RFK's action while MLK was alive speak louder than his speech after MLK was murdered. Totally relevant to 2008.
Posted by: geevill | Apr 4, 2008 10:08:50 AM
Mr. Obama .. I knew Martin Luther King AND you're no Martin Luther King!
Posted by: Bruce | Apr 4, 2008 10:05:38 AM
Not gonna fuss with anyone about politics today. Just stopped by to pay my respects to Dr. King.
Posted by: Nobody's fool | Apr 4, 2008 10:05:34 AM
"What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another..."
While spoken 40 years ago, it is even more relevent today. Sen. Obama's message is one of unity. But his actions (20 years of association with hate-mongering and divisiveness) and his inactions (failing to condemn the hate-mongering and divisiveness until the media and the people called him on it) are not conducive to promoting unity. Far from it. If you read the blogs you can readily see an awful lot of hatred and divisiveness within the comments. Not just between the supporters of Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton, but between the ideologists of the Left and Right.
If you honestly believe that Sen Obama is the healer and unifier that he says he is, and that he will unify the country...ask yourself: "How can Sen. Obama unify the nation if he can't even unify the Democratic Party. Now some of you will place the divisiveness on Sen. Clinton. She does deserve some, maybe even most, of the blame. But it is Sen. Obama who claims to be the unifier. Therefore it is ultimately his responsibility to unify the Democratic Party.
Posted by: James Danley | Apr 4, 2008 10:00:22 AM
Yes, "let us dedicate ourselves to taming the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world." Have we learned nothing in all this time since those "so many years"? Much of the world is at war. The savageness of man is not tamed. The KKK is still very active in TN to this day(and other places as well). When I was in TN, I heard more racial slurs than anywhere I've been in the country. The hatred and violence continues. But now it goes beyond whites vs. blacks. It is man against man as well, culture against culture, nations against nations, religions against religions. And almost everyone who advocates peace is either murdered or labeled a "bleeding heart liberal." Will we never learn? Or will we literally destroy ourselves first? Think.
Posted by: Shirley | Apr 4, 2008 9:43:42 AM
geevill,
you may be right, but this story is not about finding fault. It's about finding peace.
Posted by: ddpwoman | Apr 4, 2008 9:27:51 AM
"What if's" are futile, of course, but have always wondered about how our world would be different today had not MLK and then, a few months later, RFK, had not been killed. We were on a roll: things were changing, they were inspiring all kinds of people to think in new ways, to combat poverty, which is one of the real causes of hopelessness and despair, and one of the real causes of problems between the races.
Two great men, and a horrible, horrible time. What could have been different...
Posted by: Beth | Apr 4, 2008 9:26:17 AM
This is the same guy who had the FBI spy on MLK. Do some research.
Posted by: geevill | Apr 4, 2008 9:25:37 AM
I heard on the news this morning that Obama's church was receiving bomb threats. This is exactly what the Kennedy's and MLK gave their lives to put an end to. Maybe stories like this will lessen the hatred that has been spewed by so many during this election.
Posted by: ddpwoman | Apr 4, 2008 9:21:57 AM
All of his advisers wanted him to cancel. The police said they couldn't protect him.
His friends said he never talked about Jack and the fact that he did here was striking. Over 125 cities experienced some sort of violence that night... except Indianapolis.
Ethel Kennedy is going to be here in Indy today to commemorate the speech at Martin Luther King Park...
Posted by: Rob, Indianapolis | Apr 4, 2008 9:14:41 AM
I put this on Jakes other posting but I thought it would be okay to put it here since it is in line with this posting...
Look at history...change happens when the people, who weren't motivated...suddenly get motivated. Not when some pol who has been part of the systems problems use the same tactics to say they will change it.
In Clinton's definition...
Abe Lincoln, MLK, Robert Kennedy, the American Revolution, Rosa Parks, Jesus for Chrissake ...would all be called "a fairy tale"...
who knows if this will be a great moment...but ...
"if one candidate is trying to scare you, and the other one is trying to make you think, if one candidate's appealing to your fears, and the other one's appealing to your hopes. You better vote for the person who wants you to think and hope."
This is about getting out of scare you politics and intimidation ("he can't win" - disgusting) and changing America to what it's promise and responsibility is... and that is not a fairy tale.
Posted by: dl | Apr 4, 2008 9:04:41 AM
As we remember those most turbulent times, when doubt crossed many of our minds we can, we have to, we must remember the goals - the Dreams that Rev. Dr. King epoused. To paraphrase one of his many eloquent speeches, 'There will be difficult days ahead but we have to be strong and keep our eyes - the eyes of a willing nation - on the most blessed prize of all, peace and justice.
First, Jack, then Martin, soon after Bobby led and sacrificed for the call for one nation united. Now Barack Obama hoists that standard. And we will NOT go back. We must not be divided. We must engage for the good of our beloved country. We as individuals must make a stand. Not the time, sounds the tribune.
This time we move forward.
Posted by: K Armond | Apr 4, 2008 9:01:34 AM
This speech is even more remarkable considering that it was written on extremely short notice by Bobby himself. He knew that riots were taking place in other cities across America and chose to place himself in a situation that could easily have erupted around him. It's a credit to him and the people in attendance that night that peace prevailed over violence.
God Bless Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
God Bless Bobby Kennedy
God Bless America
Posted by: HoosierSue | Apr 4, 2008 8:58:36 AM
Jake,
this is the kind of journalism our country needs right now. This kind of story gives the reader perspective about where we were and how we got where we are now. Peace should be the mission of every reporter and every American in our country today.
Thank you,
Donna
Posted by: ddpwoman | Apr 4, 2008 8:55:37 AM
Jake,
Thanks for reprinting Bobby's speech. It was and is one of the best speeches on race relations that I can remember.
Posted by: Katherine | Apr 4, 2008 8:40:18 AM
God D--n the America that caused his death. God Bless the America where we can all "Live togeather" "improve the quality of life" and "want justice for all.."
Posted by: CensorFodder | Apr 4, 2008 8:13:44 AM
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