Let’s give RFK some love too.

Every year, on this 22nd day of November, I am reminded not only of JFK’s legacy, but RFK’s story of what could have been.

Two brothers. Two passionate leaders. Two Kennedys.

Two tragic stories.

One is a story of a legacy cut short. Another is a story of a legacy cut even shorter.

I was first introduced to Bobby Kennedy when I found this quote through my work on well-being:

“Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our gross national product … if we should judge America by that — counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break them. It counts the destruction of our redwoods and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and the cost of a nuclear warhead, and armored cars for police who fight riots in our streets. It counts Whitman’s rifle and Speck’s knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children.

Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it tells us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans.”

I was captivated. I found comfort and inspiration in knowing that a passionate political figure and servant leader forty years ago understood why our current economic paradigm is unsustainable. In fact, I was so intrigued that I looked up his story and read a book about his vision, Make Gentle the Life of This World: The Vision of Robert F. Kennedy, written by his son.

That’s when I really delved into the tragic story that really could have been. In 1968, with momentum from winning Indiana, Nebraska, South Dakota and California and looking well on his way to securing the Democratic nomination (and, arguably, the presidency), his life, along with his vision, was cut short in a kitchen passageway in Los Angeles on the ill-fated morning of June 5, 1968.

His vision, if realized, would bring a more “American” America, one based on liberty, equality, peace, and the pursuit of happiness. RFK spoke extensively of eradicating poverty, reducing the income gap, and tackling racial discrimination, among many other issues. Arthur Schlesinger, an RFK campaign aide and biographer, said this of him:

"I think that Robert Kennedy, like all potentially great men, showed new possibilities in the unending fight towards individual freedom and individual social justice. And I think he is an example which continues to inspire people, to interest them. They wonder how and why he was so effective, and they mourn the loss of his leadership. Had he been elected president in 1968 we would have gotten out of Vietnam in 1969."

But, again, all this… is essentially “What if?”

Bobby Kennedy did not live to become president, but I am confident I am not the only one who is still inspired not only by his vision but also the way he chose to live with genuineness, courage, poise, patriotism, and most importantly, selflessness. As I learned more about him, I could feel my soul rejoicing in the story of a man who lived the way it should be.

I conclude this piece with sorrow, but I know that his spirit, and his legacy, is still with us today. I invite you to learn more about Senator Robert Francis Kennedy, a man who was stopped just shy of stepping out of his brother’s shadow.