Many 20-somethings probably spent their Friday nights out on the town with friends. I curled up on the couch with a cocktail, a cat, and a four-hour documentary about the political career of Bobby Kennedy.
I wouldn’t usually watch a documentary about any Kennedy. In terms of political history, they have never been an interest of mine, because everyone loves the Kennedys. I didn’t know much about Bobby, other than his family legacy (and possible family curse?) I watched because of something grandma said to me about him: “Bobby Kennedy wasn’t always good, but he could’ve been great.” I had no idea what that meant.
Other than the fact that this was honestly probably the best documentary I have ever seen, I understand what she was saying now.
When Bobby was attorney general under John Kennedy, he didn’t always seem to make the right decisions at first, especially about civil rights. He approved the wiretapping of Martin Luther King, but then secured his release from prison in Atlanta. When there were protests and riots and governors who refused to integrate, he was slow to act because these are state issues or these issues are in the courts where they should be dealt with, but eventually he intervened. He wasn’t always good at first — but he was willing to learn and evolve, and he got there in the end.
He went to the poorest parts of America and met with the people who lived there. He saw how they lived, spoke to them, asked them what they needed from him. When the United Farm Workers in California were striking (we talked about them in one of my first posts, remember?) and they wanted to meet with him, he got right on a plane. He was affected by what he heard and saw and wanted to help. He gave people hope that someone actually cared about them.
Another thing that was really surprising to me was how much of a rock star he was. When he drove down the street, he had people whose actual job was to hold onto him so he didn’t get pulled out of the car by excited supporters. That isn’t something I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. The most “rock star” politician I’ve seen has probably been Obama, but even he didn’t get a response like that on the campaign trail. I wonder if people just had more trust in government officials back then and it’s gone downhill ever since? It also probably has to do with security — we aren’t allowed to get that close to politicians anymore, and I’m sure that has to do with what happened to Bobby and other political/activist figures in the ’60s.
I had so many thoughts and feelings over the four hours I spent with Bobby Kennedy. I laughed — especially when he thanked his dog first after winning the California primary — and I cried when the took his coffin to Washington on the train and thousands of people lined the railways to watch it go by, their hands on their hearts, saluting, or waving the flag. Rather than try to summarize the entire documentary, I’ll just recommend that you watch it. Grandma was right — Bobby Kennedy wasn’t always good. But he was willing to learn and change, which I think is a quality modern politicians have lost. The ’60s was a major transitional period in this country, and sometimes it took even the people at the top a minute to catch-up. Now, we call it “flip-flopping” and use it as an insult. But what politician can truly be great if they have no room to grow?
And, to the Kennedys: You got me, you handsome, Irish bastards. I’m interested.
Grandma's Buttons 