The Mindless Menace
In my head I thought I was developing an original variant of a common enough philosophy. To sum it up in one sentence: "We all have to live here, so everybody just relax." The irony of me exhorting anybody to relax is not lost on me.
Still and all, I was slowly developing the tenants of Obi-Wanism. I started with the premise that any solution that starts with 'If we could just get rid of all the damned…' is no kind of solution at all, especially when said group is comprised of not bellicose foreigners but fellow citizens.
Last night, I watched the movie Bobby, and realized my original variant wasn't any such thing.
On April 5th, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy gave a speech to the City Club of Cleveland entitled "On the Mindless Menace of Violence" which he concluded
We must admit the vanity of our false distinctions among men and learn to find our own advancement in the search for the advancement of others. We must admit in ourselves that our own children's future cannot be built on the misfortunes of others. We must recognize that this short life can neither be ennobled or enriched by hatred or revenge.
Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in our land. Of course we cannot vanquish it with a program, nor with a resolution.
But we can perhaps remember, if only for a time, that those who live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short moment of life; that they seek, as do we, nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and in happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.
Surely, this bond of common faith, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something. Surely, we can learn, at least, to look at those around us as fellow men, and surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our own hearts brothers and countrymen once again.
Just in case you think, as I did, that The Man had him killed because such a philosophy is dangerous to the status quo, I hasten to add that the facts speak for themselves: All conspiracy theories aside, Sirhan appears to be the stereotypical 'Lone Nut'.
Still and all, I was slowly developing the tenants of Obi-Wanism. I started with the premise that any solution that starts with 'If we could just get rid of all the damned
Last night, I watched the movie Bobby, and realized my original variant wasn't any such thing.
On April 5th, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy gave a speech to the City Club of Cleveland entitled "On the Mindless Menace of Violence" which he concluded
We must admit the vanity of our false distinctions among men and learn to find our own advancement in the search for the advancement of others. We must admit in ourselves that our own children's future cannot be built on the misfortunes of others. We must recognize that this short life can neither be ennobled or enriched by hatred or revenge.
Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in our land. Of course we cannot vanquish it with a program, nor with a resolution.
But we can perhaps remember, if only for a time, that those who live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short moment of life; that they seek, as do we, nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and in happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.
Surely, this bond of common faith, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something. Surely, we can learn, at least, to look at those around us as fellow men, and surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our own hearts brothers and countrymen once again.
Just in case you think, as I did, that The Man had him killed because such a philosophy is dangerous to the status quo, I hasten to add that the facts speak for themselves: All conspiracy theories aside, Sirhan appears to be the stereotypical 'Lone Nut'.