HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s father swept into Lawrence, Kansas, 57 years ago this month to give a campaign speech. It was just his third day as a 1968 presidential candidate, and he clearly was trying out themes for his challenge to President Lyndon B. Johnson, who was still a candidate for re-election.
Though still a very tentative work-in-progress as a contender for the White House, Kennedy delivered remarks that offer a time capsule from another fraught moment in American civic life, a period of similarly great divisions, another point in history when important American values were at stake, a juncture when, as now, the character of the country was in the balance. It was a time very much like our own, and yet, as his comments will demonstrate, also a time very different from ours.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.