It’s hard to imagine a time when the United States was more divided than it is today. The Civil War, of course, happened, and the 1960s, with protests over the Vietnam War and civil rights. The United States of today is experiencing its own divide, with the Democratic and Republican parties seeming almost like warring factions rather than political parties. And with 2020 being an election year, the divide will only grow larger, especially after the presidential election when the future of our nation becomes more clear.
For many Americans who have grown up in the past two decades, this will be their first chance to vote in an election, and there are plenty of topics such as immigration, abortion, foreign policy and many others will be at the forefront of their minds when they cast their ballots. Others may have seen this many times already in their lives. But what is certain, is that this election cycle in our current political climate has both sides worked up. It’s helpful to look to the past and revisit those who have influenced politics in positive ways and look to their examples.
One figure from America’s past who can be looked back on for their positive actions is Robert F. Kennedy. To this day, people who lived during the same time as him still remember him and his efforts to bring equality and fairness to a divided nation. If Robert F. Kennedy was a part of our current political landscape, maybe there would be less division and more unity.
Who Was Robert Kennedy?
Born in 1925 to the Kennedy family, Robert was the younger brother of President John F. Kennedy. After service in the Navy in WWII, Robert would go on to serve on the committees for his brother’s Senate and presidential campaigns. After helping his older brother win the presidency, Robert Kennedy would be appointed as United States Attorney General and advisor to his older brother. As Attorney General, Robert Kennedy fought relentlessly against organized crime and the Mafia. Kennedy was passionate about civil rights and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez. In 1968, after the assassination of King, Robert Kennedy, in what has come to be considered one of history’s greatest speeches, spoke to a crowd in Indianapolis asking for calm, love and compassion and understanding when it came to racial tensions dividing the nation at that time. Riots broke out in cities across the nation after King’s death, but not in Indianapolis, a fact attributed to Kennedy’s speech.
After the assassination of his brother, Robert Kennedy successfully ran for Senate and in 1968 was a presidential candidate. Unfortunately, he met his demise in the same way as his older brother: assassination. Kennedy was shot on June 5, 1968 by Sirhan Sirhan, and died the next day. One can only speculate how history may have played out had Kennedy not been assassinated. His legacy of fighting for the disenfranchised, fighting crime and corruption and calling for unity and peace throughout the United States, however, lives on.
Why He Matters Today
It’s now been over 50 years since Kennedy’s death, but many of the issues he dedicated his life to fighting still exist. The United States is as divided as ever on issues related to race, immigration, healthcare, abortion and others. Some support building a wall along the southern border, others want to accept immigrants and refugees. The issue of equality for all and fair treatment is still a hot topic in the US, as issues regarding race are still being discussed and fought over, more than 50 years after Robert Kennedy made it one of the main focuses of his presidential campaign. Corruption by those in power is still an issue, sometimes one that many people aren’t even aware of. Robert Kennedy worked tirelessly as Attorney General to fight corruption and crime by those in power. The issues of today are not so different from issues of the past.
Regardless of where one stands politically, left, right or anywhere in-between, there are countless figures from America’s past that can continue to inspire and influence people today. Politician Compare makes it easier than ever to see where a candidate stands on the issues. Rather than be divided by the issues, many of them the very same issues that have been prevalent for more than 50 years, people should look to those who strove to fight injustice and inequality and promote peace in the United States and abroad, figures such as Robert Kennedy and others.
