Thursday, February 25, 2010

We are all mortal

Earlier today I read that actor Matt Damon is attached to play Robert F. Kennedy in a forthcoming biopic. Kennedy was previously played by Linus Roache in RFK (1992). Emilio Estevez's Bobby (2006) was structured around various protagonists whose lives intersect at the Continental Hotel in Los Angeles on the night of his assassination. A complex and ultimately tragic figure, Robert F. Kennedy (1925-1968) is one of my historical heroes. As Attorney General in the Kennedy Administration, he was known for his ruthless streak, but his brother John F. Kennedy's assassination was a deeply cathartic experience for him, giving him greater compassion and empathy for those less privileged than himself. A few months after his brother's death, he stepped down as Attorney General from the Johnson Administration and was elected to the Senate in New York. As a Senator he was a powerful and effective advocate for civil rights, various social justice issues, and was a vocal opponent of the Vietnam War. I recently downloaded a podcast of an excerpt of the eulogy his brother Edward gave at his June 1968 funeral, and have no hesitation in saying that it is one of the most moving public addresses I have ever heard.

2 comments:

J Curtis said...

One thing that historians consistently fail to cite re: RFK is that during the era of McCarthyism, RFK was special counsel to Sen Joseph McCarthy. Link

JFK was the last democrat president that really strived to keep taxes down for the little guy IMO.

Pond scum has more redeeming value that Ted Kennedy. I grew up not far from the hometown of the girl 'Admiral Oldsmobile' left to die at Chappaquiddick. Just try to read this article without ripping your monitor off the desk and throwing it out the window.

J Curtis said...

One thing that historians consistently fail to cite re: RFK is that during the era of McCarthyism, RFK was special counsel to Sen Joseph McCarthy. Link

JFK was the last democrat president that really strived to keep taxes down for the little guy IMO.

Pond scum has more redeeming value that Ted Kennedy. I grew up not far from the hometown of the girl 'Admiral Oldsmobile' left to die at Chappaquiddick. Just try to read this article without ripping your monitor off the desk and throwing it out the window.