RemarksofSenatorRobertF.KennedytotheClevelandCityClub,Cleveland,Ohio,April5,1968

RemarksofSenatorRobertF.KennedytotheClevelandCityClub,Cleveland,Ohio,April5,1968April4,1968马丁·路德·金遇刺身亡。Thisisatimeofshameandsorrow.Itisnotadayforpolitics.IhavesavedthisoneopportunitytospeakbrieflytoyouaboutthismindlessmenaceofviolenceinAmericawhichagainstainsourlandandeveryoneofourlives.Itisnottheconcernofanyonerace.Thevictimsoftheviolenceareblackandwhite,richandpoor,youngandold,famousandunknown.Theyare,mostimportantofall,humanbeingswhomotherhumanbeingslovedandneeded.Noone–nomatterwherehelivesorwhathedoes–canbecertainwhowillsufferfromsomesenselessactofbloodshed.Andyetitgoesonandon.Why?Whathasviolenceeveraccomplished?Whathasitevercreated?Nomartyr’scausehaseverbeenstilledbyhisassassin’sbullet.Nowrongshaveeverbeenrightedbyriotsandcivildisorders.Asniperisonlyacoward,notahero;andanuncontrolled,uncontrollablemobisonlythevoiceofmadness,notthevoiceofthepeople.WheneveranyAmerican’slifeistakenbyanotherAmericanunnecessarily–whetheritisdoneinthenameofthelaworinthedefianceoflaw,byonemanoragang,incoldbloodorinpassion,inanattackofviolenceorinresponsetoviolence–wheneverwetearatthefabricoflifewhichanothermanhaspainfullyandclumsilywovenforhimselfandhischildren,thewholenationisdegraded.quot;Amongfreemen,”saidAbrahamLincoln,“therecanbenosuccessfulappealfromtheballottothebullet;andthosewhotakesuchappealaresuretolosetheircauseandpaythecosts.”Yetweseeminglytoleratearisinglevelofviolencethatignoresourcommonhumanityandourclaimstocivilizationalike.Wecalmlyacceptnewspaperreportsofcivilianslaughterinfarofflands.Weglorifykillingonmovieandtelevisionscreensandcallitentertainment.Wemakeiteasyformenofallshadesofsanitytoacquireweaponsandammunitiontheydesire.Toooftenwehonorswaggerandblusterandthewieldersofforce;toooftenweexcusethosewhoarewillingtobuildtheirownlivesontheshattereddreamsofothers.SomeAmericanswhopreachnonviolenceabroadfailtopracticeithereathome.Somewhoaccuseothersofincitingriotshavebytheirownconductinvitedthem.Somelooksforscapegoats,otherslookforconspiracies,butthismuchisclear;violencebreedsviolence,repressionbringsretaliation,andonlyacleaningofourwholesocietycanremovethissicknessfromoursoul.Forthereisanotherkindofviolence,slowerbutjustasdeadly,destructiveastheshotorthebombinthenight.Thisistheviolenceofinstitutions;indifferenceandinactionandslowdecay.Thisistheviolencethatafflictsthepoor,thatpoisonsrelationsbetweenmenbecausetheirskinhasdifferentcolors.Thisisaslowdestructionofachildbyhunger,andschoolswithoutbooksandhomeswithoutheatinthewinter.Thisisthebreakingofaman’sspiritbydenyinghimthechancetostandasafatherandasamanamongothermen.Andthistooafflictsusall.Ihavenotcomeheretoproposeasetofspecificremediesnoristhereasingleset.Forabroadandadequateoutlineweknownwhatmustbedone.“Whenyouteachamantohateandfearhisbrother,whenyouteachthatheisalessermanbecauseofhiscolororhisbeliefsorthepolicieshepursues,whenyouteachthatthosewhodifferfromyouthreatenyourfreedomoryourjoboryourfamily,thenyoualsolearntoconfrontothersnotasfellowcitizensbutasenemies–tobemetnotwithcooperationbutwithconquest,tobesubjugatedandmastered.Welearn,atthelast,tolookatourbothersasaliens,menwithwhomweshareacity,butnotacommunity,menboundtousincommondwelling,butnotincommoneffort.Welearntoshareonlyacommonfear–onlyacommondesiretoretreatfromeachother–onlyacommonimpulsetomeetdisagreementwithforce.Forallthistherearenofinalanswers.Yetweknowwhatwemustdo.Itistoachievetruejusticeamongourfellowcitizens.Thequestionisnowwhatprogramsweshouldseektoenact.Thequestioniswhetherwecanfindinourownmidstandinourownheartsthatleadershipofhumanpurposethatwillrecognizetheterribletruthsofourexistence.Wemustadmitthevanityofourfalsedistinctionsamongmenandlearntofindourownadvancementinthesearchfortheadvancementofall.Wemustadmitinourselvesthatourownchildren’sfuturecannotbebuiltonthemisfortunesofothers.Wemustrecognizethatthisshortlifecanneitherbeennobledorenrichedbyhatredorrevenge.Ourlivesonthisplanetaretooshortandtheworktobedonetoogreattoletthisspiritflourishanylongerinourland.Ofcoursewecannotvanishitwithaprogram,norwitharesolution.Butwecanperhapsremember–evenifonlyforatime–thatthosewholivewithusareourbrothers,thattheysharewithusthesameshortmovementoflife,thattheyseek–aswedo–nothingbutthechancetoliveouttheirlivesinpurposeandhappiness,winningwhatsatisfactionandfulfillmenttheycan.Surelythisbondofcommonfaith,thisbondofcommongoal,canbegintoteachussomething.Surelywecanlearn,atleast,tolookatthosearoundusasfellowmenandsurelywecanbegintoworkalittlehardertobindupthewoundsamongusandtobecomeinourheartsbrothersandcountrymenonceagain.----------------------------------------------------Butifyouarelookingforquot;RobertF.KennedysspeechontheDeathofMartinLutherKingquot;http://votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=2808Itemid=26