Martin Luther King Robert Kennedy Essay - 1,067 words

... us not run just the same. My father remembered being disappointed that Johnson decided not to run again, because my father believed that he would end the war. Also, my father admired his signing of the Civil Rights Act. My father was not a huge fan, but still favored many of his actions and ideas. I got the impression that at that time, my father was not a huge fan of anyone in office.


Since I was young, I have been taught about the slaying of Martin Luther King in Memphis. Until I read the newspaper articles though, I had not realized what an impact it had on the nation. I read of how the nation mourned, and how the President canceled an important trip to Hawaii to meet with Mrs. King. Linda said that when she heard the news, she was in History class, and remembered how horrifying it was. She said told me of how her teacher wept through the entire class.


Instead of carrying on with that days lesson, the class discussed what had happened. I was surprised when my father revealed that he did not hear the news of Martin Luther King until a week after, and that he could not recall exactly how he felt about it. He sounded embarrassed that he did not know too much about it, but I urged him that his position physically and mentally was very interesting to me. I could not imagine being so far away from home, and so detached from events in ones country.


The riots occurring in major cities of the United States seemed to be a very cumbersome affair in 1968 as well. They occurred in Chicago, Detroit, Boston and other major cities. Linda was aware of the riots happening, but did not recall much else about them. She said that all she knew was that many African Americans were outraged by the murder, and turned quite violent. She reminded me that Martin Luther King would not have wanted it that way since he stood for nonviolence. My father remembered hearing about the riots transpiring nationally, and also informed me that there were even riots in Syracuse, my home town.


I was shocked to hear that, because I could never picture a riot happening where I come from. Actually, I found it hard to picture a riot anywhere. It really represented how influential Martin Luther King was. It must have been a horrifying experience for all that were involved or those who witnessed. Possibly one of the most abominable events of 1968 was the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.


The news of his untimely death stunned and dismayed the country. Linda, remarkably, was working in New York City at the time of his Funeral at St. Patricks Cathedral, and she remembers being stuck in traffic while trying to get to work. She remembers that is was all the big news, and that she told me that everyone was concerned for Jackie Kennedy, for she had already endured so much. My father was extremely depressed by the news, because he was lucky enough to have met Robert Kennedy before he was shot. My father proudly told me of how he even walked next to ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Essay Tags: major cities, oral history, college campuses, martin luther king, robert kennedy

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