Robert Kennedy: His Life Post 5

Kennedy was on the campaign trail on his quest to become president when martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed in Memphis. He gave a speech to a rapidly growing African American crowd. He had to tell them that Dr. King was dead. To them, he said this:

"My favorite poet was Aeschylus. He wrote: "In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in out own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God" (367).

He later continued on this idea by saying:

"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 or lawlessness; but love and wisdom, compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within out country, whether they be white or they be black" (367).

He urged them not to take out their anger and sadness in a negative way, but rather in a way that would help the greater whole of the country instead of making a terrible situation worse. He was also able to connect with the crowd because his brother, John F. Kennedy, had been assasinated similar to Martin Luther King Jr. i can not imagine how hard it must have been for RFK to give this speech. His advisors didn't even want him to go into the crowd because they were afraid for his safety. I do not think a single person would have wanted to trade places with him during that speech. Not only was it very personal for him, making it very difficult to stay composed, but when he broke the news to the crowd, they were extremely saddened and angered. However, he took this energy and somehow turned it into a want to better our country. His words were inspiring in a time of extreme sadness. This skill helped Kennedy connect with Americans and helped him be remembered for the person we honor him for being today.

Robert Kennedy: His Life Post 4

The more I read this book, the more I believe that Robert Kennedy was a true ethical crusader. Some things he said took real courage and insight to say. He gave a "Day of Affirmation" speech in South Africa to around 15,000 people. He said, "It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustive, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep fown the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance"(322). At this, the crowd went wild. I believe this insightful says a lot about RFK and his morals. He realized that even the smallest things one can do to help can make a huge difference in the end. He inspired people and that is why I believe he was such a good politician and human being. Margaret Marshall, who at the time was a student activist but later became the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, said this about Robert Kennedy and his speech: "He put us back into the great sweep of history. Even if it's just a tiny thing, it will add up. He reset the moral compass, not so much by attacking apartheid, but by simply talking about justice and freedom and dignity - words that none of us had heard in, it seemed like, an eternity....How simple it was! He was not afraid"(323). This proves that Kennedy inspired many people to lead better lives and lead them with the proper ideals. It takes someone who is not afraid and is willing to sacrifice a part of themselves, like their reputation or popularity, to get things done in our world. Kennedy was selfless and helped to improve many people's lives. I truly believe that Robert Kennedy was one of the greatest ethical crusaders of his time.

On The Waterfront: Whistleblower vs. Stool Pigeon

In the movie, "On The Waterfront", the dockworkers are rendered helpless by the "powerful" mob. They have power only because they use fear and force to hurt those who speak out or challenge their authority in any way. Their leader, Johnny Friendly, is very corrupted. His "second in command" is Charlie, Terry's older brother. To them, and to everyone else who is in with the mob, someone who speaks up is a "stool pigeon". They could not afford for even one person to stand up for what they believe is right because it would lead to the end of their existence. I believe that this is because they know what they are doing is wrong in society's mind. To those who cannot be influenced by the mob, like Edy and her father, the priest, Doogan, and Joey, standing up to the mob would be considered a noble deed. Every worker knows that what is being done to them is unfair, yet they feel as though they can do nothing. They know that Johnny Friendly would take his revenge and have them killed one way or another. A person who dared go through with their intentions and stand up for the dockworkers would be a brave and courageous person. Terry is on the fence for most of the movie and has trouble deciding where stands on the issue. However, once his brother Charlie is killed, he decides that he has to stand up to the mob and Johnny Friendly no matter what the consequence.
I believe a stool pigeon or a tattletale is someone who tells on others for a personal gain of some sort. They might do it as revenge or to advance their own personal causes somehow. These type of people in my mind are "bad" and do not have a good sense of what is right and wrong. On the otherhand, I believe that a whistleblower or ethical crusader is someone who risks some personal aspect of their own life, be it safety, reputation, etc., to stand up for what they believe in. They sacrifice something of their own for the benefit of a larger whole, in this case, the dockworkers. I believe that speaking out about what you believe in is always okay with one exception. If your motives are not pure, meaning you are doing something for the benefit of a small group of people or even just yourself, it is wrong. With that said, I believe it that if you know something wrong is going on and yet you do nothing about it because you don't want to put yourself out there and take a risk, you are equally to blame as someone with the wrong motives. Both types of people are selfish and to be named as a whistleblower, being selfless is key.

Robert Kennedy: His Life Post 3 - Ethical Crusader or Ethical Coward?

Robert Kennedy was appointed Attorney General in 1960. During this time, the civil rights movement was underway, with Martin Luther King Jr. in charge. During RFK's time as Attorney General, he focused on trying to create equality for all Americans. He specifically fought for the rights of African Americans to equal schooling and voting rights. However, at the beginning of his "term" as Attorney General, civil rights was not one of his priorities. Even though it may not have been in the front of his mind, "RFK's conscience was pricked by the racial inequity"(127). At the same time however, "he...admired courage and respected men who stood up to him; indeed, he almost demanded it"(128). I find this very perplexing. How could RFK not take action and choose to not dedicate himself to this issue, yet still value someone standing up to him? He knew something was wrong, but it took him a while to muster up enough guts to actually do something about it. At least he finally did. When the Freedom Rider's bus was firebombed, no one would agree to rive it any longer. He called some of his political contacts in the south, but no one was "available". Finally, he stood up by calling the Greyhound Bus Company himself. When trying to find a driver, RFK told them, "...somebody better give us an answer to this question. I am - the Government is - going to be very much upset if this group does not get to continue this trip"(129). This conversation was recorded and soon leaked to the public, who then thought that it was Kennedy leading the Freedom Riders. In doing what he believed was the right thing to do, he sacrificed his reputation for the time being and his innocence. No longer could he sit on the sidelines and watch these injustices happen. He was in it for the long hall and he stuck with it. I believe that Robert Kennedy should be considered and IS considered an ethical crusader during his lifetime.

Prioity in Society or Family First?

Characters in the play each have their own set of beliefs and moral values. When Joe Keller decided to ship off the cracked plane parts to save his family business, he put his family before the society and country in which he lived in. This single act shaped his beliefs and moral values for the rest of his life. He willingly sacrificed his honesty and dignity to cover up his previous dishonorable act. His choices did not only affect him however. His wife, Kate, was forced to follow her husband's lead and put her family and husband before the society. She knows the truth, but does nothing about it and instead, interprets her reality as she wishes it was, even though it was not actually that way. Their son, Larry, was devestated when he realized that his father was behind the deaths of his fellow soldiers. He ultimately took his own life and that act identified where he stood ethically. In his mind, the society as a whole came before the prosperity of a single family, even if it was his own. Similarly, Chris, his younger brother and the Keller's second son, valued honesty and responsibility to the society and to youself above all. When he found out that his father had lied to everyone and blamed another human for his actions, Chris was devestated and ran away. The fact that he wouldn't forgive his father showed his devition to his own beliefs and his complete rejection of beliefs like his father's.
I believe that everyone owes something to their society and to fellow human beings. Everything should remain fair and no one should sabotage others for personal advancement. Everyone should be honest and responsible for themselves and never put others in danger. However, when society is going in the wrong direction and someone has a feeling that it is wrong, that person must stand up and say something. Kate intentionally lied to herself and others to cover up her husband but i believe that she should have released herself from the burden of hiding the truth and made her husband pay for his actions. With that said, I believe that for the majority of the time, people must put the society before themselves. For the relatively few times when society has been wrong and will be wrong in the future, people may put their personal beliefs ahead of the society's.

Post #2 - Robert Kennedy: His Life

Bobby Kennedy switched schools many times as a kid, further adding to to his troubles. He had trouble making friends and fitting in. Instead of learning people's names, he just called the boys "fella", and soon, it became his nickname. Bobby didn't care very much however. He played football and made one friend whose name was David Hackett. The book reads, "Hackett was impressed with Kennedy's unwillingness to compromise to gain acceptance. Kennedy would not join in dirty jokes. He disliked bullying and would step in when an upperslassman tried to push around a younger boy" (39). Even as a high schooler, Bobby Kennedy had a true sense of right and wrong, moral and immoral. I believe that this shows it was a part of his true character and always was. It wasn't simply aqquired when he became a public servant.
Also, when an African-American was invited to speak at his college, Harvard, the man refused to come speak since the audience was going to be segregated. However, "Kennedy was determined he should come and that the university should open its doors. When other student leaders balked, Kennedy stood up and shouted, "You're all gutless!" He became so enraged addressing the university's governing board that he was vitually incoherent. But Kennedy's insistence worked: Bunche spoke to an integrated audience, open to the public" (55). Bobby Kennedy was a determined person and would go to any measure to make sure what was morally right happened. I think it takes a lot of guts to put yourself out there, especially for an unpopular stance. That takes courage. I think it must have run in the Kennedy family, considering his brother JFK wrote "Profiles In Courage", which describes many courageous men in history who put their popularity aside during their service to their country.

Post #1 - Robert Kennedy: His Life

Robert Kennedy had an interesting childhood. He was one of eight children and was the last boy born. He was small and had a dark personality. Maybe dark isn't the best word but he was certainly pessimistic. Everyone made fun of him, including his family. That is everyone except his mother. Then, people called him his mother's "pet". This really shaped his childhood. Being constantly put down caused him to be self-concious and unsure about himself. He even described himself as awkward. He was never considered smart and his father thought that he had no potential. His family described him as "...hopeless and (he) would never amount to anything" (31). I can't imagine how hard it would have been to grow up in this enviroment. I am truly lucky to have supporting parents. I believe that this poor living enviroment as a child caused him to want to make something of his life to prove everyone wrong.
Everyone in his life was always telling him what he couldn't do. One time, when he and his family were sailing on the ocean, his father made fun of him for not being able to swim. So, Bobby jumped off the boat into the ocean to prove him wrong. His oldest brother ended up jumping in and bringing him back to the boat. His brother, Jack, said about the ordeal, "It showed wither a lot of guts, or no sense at all, depending how you looked at it" (35). I think this showed how desperate he was for some attention of any kind. He was daring and willing to do anything to get his, especially from his father. Again, I believe that this strained relationship and constant want to please his father caused him to make something of his life. I can't wait to see how their relationship changed when Bobby became a politician. I guess i'll have to just keep reading to find out.
This realates to the struggles in a teenagers everyday life. One has to decide whether or not they are going to listen to what other people tell them or if they are going to shape their own future and ignore the negative things in their life. I believe that one should always think about the positives of themself as a person instead of the negatives. Sometimes it can be hard, especially when people are making fun of you, but everyone has their flaws. Why dwell on them? I think that if Bobby Kennedy had ignored what others were saying about him, he wouldn't have acted so desperate and awkward as a child.