RFK Announcing the Assasination of MLK in Indiana 47 years ago today

[MinM]

April 4, 1968: How RFK saved Indianapolis

...Mary Evans, a 16-year-old junior at North Central High School, was in the crowd. She was headstrong and political, and she insisted on seeing Kennedy. She and a friend attended the rally with the friend's nervous father.

Evans was white and from a tony Northside family, but she was progressive and inquisitive and was not uncomfortable in the mostly black crowd. At first.

But as she waited for Kennedy, who was more than an hour late, word suddenly spread that King had been shot. The word was that he had survived after a gunman had tried to kill him. The gunman was presumed to be white.

"The temperature changed," Evans recalls. "I felt people started looking at me. Someone would take a step away, like I was a symbol of racism.

"I felt really white. I was really scared."

She thought about bolting but was in unfamiliar territory and had no idea which way to run...

[font color=blue]"It was like the feeling some people get in church," she says. "I was scared, and as soon as Kennedy spoke, I wasn't scared. I no longer felt white and isolated. I felt united in sadness with everyone else."[/font] ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1016119172

[Cooley Hurd]

1. There's an awesome memorial near where RFK gave his speech in Indy:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landmark_for_Peace_Memorial



The Landmark for Peace is a memorial sculpture at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park on the northside of Indianapolis that honors the contributions of the slain leaders Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. The memorial, which features King and Kennedy reaching out to each other, was designed and executed by Indiana artist Greg Perry. The bronze portraits were created by Indianapolis sculptor Daniel Edwards.

On April 4, 1968, Robert Kennedy flew to Indianapolis for a planned inner-city rally promoting his presidential campaign, and was informed upon landing about King's assassination. Kennedy was told that riots had broken out in other cities and was advised not to make the speech, but he proceeded to address the gathered crowd at 17th and Broadway, near the site where the memorial now stands. Instead of a campaign stump speech, he delivered a five-minute improvised statement informing the crowd of King's death and urging racial reconciliation.[1] No riots took place in Indianapolis, a fact many attribute to the effect of Kennedy's speech.[2][3][4]

[Rhiannon12866]

6. Wow! That truly is awesome!

[Cooley Hurd]

7. Not that I have an overwhelming wish to revisit Indy...

But THIS would be at the top of my list.

[Rhiannon12866]

9. It really is so well done and evocative that I'm amazed we don't see it more frequently

Very impressive!

[Bluzmann57]

2. And later that same year RFK was taken

What a horrible year. And I still remember both incidents. Sadly.

[Cooley Hurd]

8. My Dad drowned in a boating accident 2 weeks after Bobby was killed...

... I was not-yet 3 years old. And witnessed the event. And it still fucks my shit up, despite the 20 therapists.

[Bluzmann57]

10. Oh man...

That really stinks.

[1monster]

3. So much potential, so much hope, so many possibilities were lost between 1961 and 1969...

Destroyed in a hail of gunfire and bullets.

By 1969, too many voices of our leaders who wanted the best for all were violently silenced and too many of the followers were demoralized, lost hope, and were filled with fear and anger. Many of them tuned out and turned off unable to believe any more.

Since then, everyone who has tried to pick up one or more of the banners of those times and has shown serious potential as a leader has been marginalized in one way or another. They've been bought off; they are seduced; their personal foibles or failings which have nothing to do with politics have been exploited to the max, while those for the powers that be do far worse and are forgiven with no penance at all; some have died under less than clear circumstances; they are threatened and cowed to the point that their either become ineffective or they actually work for the other side.

We need to do a much better job at protecting those who can and would lead us to a better future are protected.

In the meantime, I salute Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren for having the fortitude and courage to stand up and shout the truth to power, both of whom try to inspire us by leading the way.

[yallerdawg]

4. The dream endures.

You can't kill an idea.

[INdemo]

5. No ...no one can kill an idea

but with billions to spend, by the likes of the Koch Bros. and the Tea Baggers gaining ground ,its becoming less likely that we can reach those goals that we dream about.
With the now Republican controlled Legislative branches in Washington and in many states our Democracy is certainly at risk.