RFK Final Draft.rtf - SAFA SYED TARIQ SPRING 2015 ENG...

Context Research Essay: RFK Speech
SAFA SYED TARIQ
SPRING 2015 ENG 1302-23011
PROFESSOR MAMOLA
WORDS: 2011

[Tariq 2]
It’s not every day that we come across politicians that have something unique about them. What
about politicians that care about their people enough to change a whole city’s manner in a day?
We are not left with much of these leaders today, but their legacy continues to live, to be
remembered, and mostly to be learned from. In American history, particularly in the 1950’s and
on, we came across great leaders standing up for what they knew to be fair, just, no matter the
consequence. One man pushed the game further and created a reality that only a few dreamed of.
His name, Robert Francis Kennedy.
Robert Francis Kennedy, more commonly known as RFK or Robert Kennedy, was the
younger brother of former president John F Kennedy. He was born in Massachusetts, in the
year 1925. Kennedy was the seventh child out of nine who had to “struggle to survive”
(Kennedy Family, line 1) to reach the top. After graduating Harvard and University of
Virginia School of Law, Robert “was appointed as Attorney General of the Unites States”
(Kennedy Family, line 7) by his brother, John F Kennedy, in 1960. As Attorney General, not
only did Robert advise his brother, the President, on worldly situations, such as the Cuban
Missile Crisis, but he also actively participated in activism to advocate the poor, recognized
the minorities, and halt the rise of the Vietnam War. About 3 years later, John F Kennedy was
assassinated in Dallas, Texas. This news hit very hard on Robert, so much so that the
following year Robert Kennedy resigned as Attorney General. He took some time off to
recollect and reconnect himself. It was not until March of 1968, when RFK decided to hop
back on to politics, announcing he was running for presidency. This became a huge hit
especially because many Americans were familiar with Robert’s policies on social issues,
because he was the former president’s brother(whom many also greatly admired), and

[Tariq 3]
because lastly, the current president, Lyndon B Johnson, was not doing a great job in leading
the country in terms of war, race, and so much more. “I do not run for the presidency merely
to oppose any man, but to propose new policies. I run because I am convinced that this
country is on a perilous course and because I have such strong feelings about what must be
done, and I feel that I’m obliged to do all I can” (Kennedy, line 34).
It was April 4, 1968, Robert Kennedy headed to Indianapolis to give his campaign speech
for the Democratic primary nomination. His opponent, Lyndon B. Johnson, who was also
running for the Democratic nominee in the primarys.Both candidates had major
supporters, and everyone knew this race would be one of the best of the decade.