paddingtongreen

In 1968, Bobby Kennedy ran for President. His charisma was remarkable in that he raised the hope of better things in black and white blue collar workers and young to middle aged professionals alike, much the same as Obama is raising in the young and the black people today.

I went to see him in Upper Darby, just outside Philadelphia before I left to go to a job in Denver. To my disappointment it was just a rah-rah speech.

One morning, in Denver, my alarm radio woke me and left me in confusion, as I woke I thought they said Kennedy had been shot, but of course he was but that was a few years ago. Then I realised it was Bobby that was killed and I couldn't believe it. It was deja vu, and sickening. I wasn't an American, had no intention to become one, but I was caught up in his magic, unusual for the generally cynical me.

The journey of his funeral train, back to Washington was one of the most moving things I have ever seen, all across America, people filled station platforms, standing quietly or softly singing hymns or spirituals, some roads running under bridges that were to carry the train were blocked as they watched that last journey of the man who had raised their hopes of a new and honest and courageous future.

elfman

see here:

http://bezumnypiero.livejournal.com/54453.html

cindyabs

That was quite a year MLK in April, RFK in June. I remember.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_OqdHMoTxE

elfman

on a happier but slightly less earth-shaking note, I was born in June of that year

bevinva

I was alive, living in Germany. Maybe if we had a tv I might have some memory of it. The both of them dying must have been such crushing blows. The pics of people watching RFK's funeral train show the range of people that felt he spoke for them.

Octang Frye

Yay! Richard Nixon for the win!