Woman in the polka dot dress.
Posted on 06/05/2005 5:52:48 AM PDT by kellynla
Senator Robert Kennedy is shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after winning the California presidential primary. Immediately after he announced to his cheering supporters that the country was ready to end its fractious divisions, Kennedy was shot several times by the 22-year-old Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan. He died a day later.
The summer of 1968 was a tempestuous time in American history. Both the Vietnam War and the anti-war movement were peaking. Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated in the spring, igniting riots across the country. In the face of this unrest, President Lyndon B. Johnson decided not to seek a second term in the upcoming presidential election. Robert Kennedy, John's younger brother and former U.S. Attorney General, stepped into this breach and experienced a groundswell of support.
Kennedy was perceived by many to be the only person in American politics capable of uniting the people. He was beloved by the minority community for his integrity and devotion to the civil rights cause. After winning California's primary, Kennedy was in the position to receive the Democratic nomination and face off against Richard Nixon in the general election.
(Excerpt) Read more at historychannel.com ...
darn...
Bobby Kennedy had the courage of Gene McCarthy's convictions.
The sins of the father will be visited on the son.
A lot of historical things happened on this date.
RFK, RIP. Killed by a Palestinian terrorist, lest we forget. We obviously failed to pay attention for a very, very long time.
I was about to shut the TV off in my BOQ room at Ft. Rucker. In fact, the network covering RFK's appearance was about to sign off when they had a report from the kitchen. I flew the next day after having no sleep.
I wonder if a lone assasin could do that again today.
June 5, 1968 is a day I will remember with mixed feelings. It was the 1 week anniversary being introduced to basic training.
The import and impact of RFK's death was lost on all of us.
RFK didn't have Secret Service protection. Don't all presidential candidates get it today if they want it?
Exactly. And why anyone would be less than horrified, outraged and sad about this is beyond. We can differ with other Americans politically, but to be sanguine about the assasination of our officials, especially the brother our assasinated President, makes us too much like the scum at DailyKos.com. Maybe some people are to young too remember, or grown hard because there is so much more violence in the world now.
"Don't all presidential candidates get it today if they want it?"
Yes, and they may not have much of a choice. That's probably because of this man's murder. But I'm not sure when it kicks in, maybe only after the conventions. I'm not sure if Ralph Nader, for example, was offered SS protection.
It is never a good thing when someone gets assassinated and certainly not if they are from the same family within such a short span of years.
Besides, the race between Nixon and RFK would have DEFINITELY been interesting to say the least.....
June 5, 1968, the begining of Islamic terror attacks against the Uinted States. 37 years and countless other attacks later, liberals still argue against defense.
Woman in the polka dot dress.
Such a sad time in the USA. I really felt like the country might be ripped apart over the next few years.
Who knows? RFK might have been a good president. The opportunity to choose was taken from the American people, and his assassination added fuel to the fire of the campus revolts. Very sad times.
I don't know if RFK would have been a good President, we'll never know. The murder of his brother changed the natural order of things, and in some ways we will never recover from it. Certainly the years after saw the country lurch in a new direction. Much more violent and cynical. Maybe it would have happened anyway. We'll never know...
Freshman in college. Damned glad I was in college and not Viet Nam.
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