Bobby... Bobby... Bobby baby... Bobby bubbi... Robby... Robert darling...
Posted by Jess is Jess , Saturday, January 23, 2010 Saturday, January 23, 2010
"It is not enough to understand, or to see clearly. The future will be shaped in the arena of human activity, by those willing to commit their minds and their bodies to the task. "
Robert Kennedy
I have a crush on Bobby Kennedy.
There, I have admitted it.
It's a feeling that has been growing over time and today I am ready to admit it.
It's more than he was so handsome and was fighting the good fight. I mean, that is enough to get my heart pumping, but it's more than that.
(He also, clearly had a great sense of humor: "People say I am ruthless. I am not ruthless. And if I find the man who is calling me ruthless, I shall destroy him." And you know what a sucker I am for that.)
I think about him and the speeches he gave and how brave he was to stand up for what he believed was right. He could have changed the face of this nation. I think about him and just have to wonder what our country would be like if he hadn't been killed.
As far as I can tell, the only person who has gotten the younger voters stirred up in a similar way since then was Obama during the election. "Yes we can." I cried during that speech - I was so inspired and proud of us all.
I was proud of my contemporaries who voted for McCain. Because they voted. They were compelled to make their voices heard.
But now that we are well past the campaign trail all we are left with are the talking heads on television. The older generation arguing with each other over things that are going to affect us more than them.
Were did everyone go? What happened to the power of our generation?
We cared. We argued. We voted.
And then we went away.
We cannot stand by anymore and let our parents and their contemporaries decide our fate as Americans.
This is our time. We have to take action.
Quite frankly at this point, I almost don't care what your action is. I care that you are active. I care that you are working towards something. That you are taking ownership not only of your own life but of your country.
I'm just as guilty of this complacency as anyone else and I promise to take part.
It's not enough that we get excited and voice our opinions every four years. That doesn't work.
Yes. WE. Can.
Obama never said "Yes I can." He said WE. And I have to believe that he included everyone into that WE, not just his supporters.
I'm going to end this with another great quote from my guy, Bobby:
"Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation."
Robert Kennedy
Post a Comment