statueman's Blog

Well I am black so I'll tell you what... neither do I.  Small town mid-western mindset can't wrap itself around the thought of a black man actually being a republican.  It's like the gay republicans... nobodies buying...  To be fair though as the California vote on prop 8 should demonstrate black folks are a whole lot more conservative than they are given credit for.  One reason for this hidden conservatism is an unwillingness to agree with folks who'll be all to willing to put them on point in the next war.  Of course that just happened with the election of Barack Obama.

Oh I know I know... it just boggles my mind that you can't believe a Democrat can be a christian and only allow a few tokens to claim conservative values but it's OK!  Hey, you know some of my best friends are war mongering fundamentalists who await the second coming of Ronald Reagan.  Something tells me that the next Republican varsity  presidential squad will contain more than just a token set of Keyes. 

Anywho... Those wing nut jobs who I warned and warned in my blogs to stop counter productive double reverse racist/slanderous Obama bashing are the ones who put the man in office.  The first mistake was hand picking someone of national prominence to run against him in that Senate race... Yikes... but you know?  Thank you.  We have a president now that the Republican party in all it's fear mongering self righteous dogmatizing begged for!  Yup... there is at least a willingness to share the right to be blamed for all the worlds problems.

Just smart politics I assume.  Gives the GOP a break so that they can come back in and clean up the really big socialistic mess that is about to befall us.  But you know... what would have happened in this country if the Confederacy had freed the slaves first?  I'm thinking most likely we would have ended up on the wrong side of WW II and a huge nation in Africa of freed slaves called LeeLandia would play a pivotal roll in liberating the American Jews from the Confederate Riechs internment camps.

So you don't believe I'm a conservative... that's cool, I mean I get it...  I'm just supposed to be a victim who blames everything on you that way you won't have to re-adjust all those statistics you quote to make yourself feel good about your superior morality and work ethic that makes your spirituality and standing so much more valid in Gods sight. 

Never mind... my... where did all those chickens come from?  Don't worry... none of them are gay!

Tom Adkins former publisher of CommonConservative.com wrote a funny little ranting article entitled "White Guilt is Dead".  The article originally appeared in the "Philadelphia Inquirer".

So far there have been three blog on myfox sites around the country that I've seen featuring this article.

One line in the article states "So today, I'm feeling a little "uppity," if you will. From this day forward, my tolerance level for having my skin color hustled is now exactly ZERO. And it's time to clean house."

I've read this same stuff 3 times now in blogs and if you look it up you'll find it's all over the net.  Quite simply it contains all the rants that people who think of themselves as white hold against people who think of themselves as black.

This is a national mental illness that only a vocal few still have... A self defeating list of bi-polar extremes...  A record of self righteous inclinations to combat self serving deprecations... A united front against a divided rear and it stinks.

Quite simply the generalizations seem to be generally true but upon closer inspection reveals that it is a minority of the minority that feels and acts the way a minority of the majority presumes the majority of the minority actually do.  It's not a national reality.... it's childish, silly and mostly it's counter productive for us all as Americans to live in this disdainful belief in generalized witticisms.

And besides, for those who consider themselves white bible believing conservatives I say "What White Guilt?"  I mean really now stop it... what guilt have you ever allowed yourself to feel that would make you laud this laundry list of double reverse racism.  For your white guilt to die you have to have had it in the first place.

I've noticed that some publish the blog "White Guilt is Dead" as if they wrote it.  It has appeared here in myfoxLA twice.   And for the truth it contains the main gist of it's ambitious assault is too predictable as the last line of Tom Adkins article reads ,

"Black Americans voted 96% for Barack Obama. Hmmm. In a color-blind world, shouldn't that be 50-50?...Tonight, every black person should ask forgiveness for their apparent racism and prejudice towards white people. Maybe it's time to start spreading the guilt around."

I wonder what percent of those who voted for Mc Cain voted for him because he was white?   I can see now that this kind of white fright driven drivel is going to continue throughout Obama's presidency.  Just do a search of the article and you'll see how folks across the country are eating it up.  It saddens me with the kind of sadness that won't go away easily since there seems to be no end of those willing to think of themselves as white.

There are no white people.  White... if you are white then your guilt will remain.  If you are stuck on considering yourself white then take all that means and wrap it up in yourself and all at once be Jesus, Moses, Superman and Joe the Plumber...

For Pete's sake what is the point in all this overcharged right racial rhetoric except to make being white alright?  And of course it's all right to be born a descendant of German, English, French, Slavic, Nordic ad infinitum and nauseum... How about we start to take the advice of a great man and "avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law"? (Titus 3:8-10 NIV) And start doing things that are "excellent and profitable for everyone."

Aren't you tired of it all?  Tell you what... I'll be a white man today so I can feel guilty for looking down on the black man.  What happend here?  Who told you it was ok to make so many polarizing blogs, news stories and commentaries and call it anything but double talk.  If you are White then your White Guilt remains.  Why can't you White People understand that?

You say "Well... then what about Black people?"  What about them?   If you weren't so White then they wouldn't have to so Black would they?  If you weren't perpetually complaining about how hard you work, how moral you think you are and how wonderfully helpful you've tried to be then their wouldn't be this incredible sense of entitlement from those you consider to look down your pale noses at.

I'm a bit of both... you know... I've apologized to myself for all that cotton.  Why can't you also be a bit of both?  Try it... be a bit black and be a bit white and you can hate yourself and despise yourself all at the same time... unless of course you apologize to yourself like I did or simply decide to drop the whiteness from your black reasonings.

And that's my opinion

Peter Skinner

In April of this Year our President signed the Second Chance Act of 2007.  One of the reasons I liked the former Governor of Texas is that he came clean in more ways than one before he even ran for president.  I think folks are forgetting the compassion and the heart this bumbling human has.  I think folks forget sometimes that even The President of the United States is human.

President Bush gave us a look at The Armies of Compassion when he signed the Second Chance act.  He showed the true spirit of conservative grace that makes us great as a nation.  I think where liberals and conservatives have the biggest problem agreeing is in the point of how to help and how to govern.  Welfare used to be big business and welfare checks made many drug cartels extremely wealthy.  Now we've been enlightened a bit and are looking to put money into helping folks recover from poverty by addressing issues that bring about poverty in folks lives.  This is a conservative value that made faith based initiatives so appealing... it's the sound wisdom of not blowing a trumpet as you give alms and not letting the left hand know what the right hand doeth.

BUT!

We got away from all that didn't we?  Got tired of liberals making off with our glory and criticising our good intentions.   We took abuse as conservatives and our religious right began being outwardly critical and reacted to abusive criticism with strait talk expressly preached for those already in the Chior.  We thought the base was still the majority and morality would win the day since the best thing since sliced bread was still the wonder of American Christianity.

Perhaps it's time to practice what we've forgotten.  It is the kindness of our God... the overwhelming grace and forgiveness of God that leads men to repentence. (I know I know... but myfox DC doesn't have a Faith Blog)  And if we the conservatives want to go around using scripture to criticize than well... boy oh boy somebody tell Ward he really is being way to hard on the Beaver.  June needs to step in and step it up and explain gently the wisdom of the ancient paths...  well... that may be happening "don'tcha know...".

Anywho...

Blogging is fun.  I really wonder at those of you using Christian scripture to justify your horribly insulting and condescending presentation of conservative values.  Stop it please... and realize that as the vote on California's prop 8 shows there could have very well been a black conservative candidate of merit.    However... there is still alot of in your face closet racism in the party of Lincoln.  So please wake up and smell the restitution... do something great... do something wonderful... come back with the come back  or they'll be crowning President Elect Obama King by 2012.

Stop all your gloom and doom whining would ya!

First off... I warned and warned and warned that political incorrectness and hard line conservatism wrapped up in some back water version of "I'm the only one who does any work around here" Christianity was shooting the candidacy of John Mc Cain in the foot.

And Secondly... those of you super hard working morality lip serving hateful speech seeking wonder breads who warned and warned about how evil an Obama presidency would be.   Well...  guess we'll find out now won't we?  Wow... pride really does go before a fall... but in your cases it seems to come after too. You would condemn us to rioting in the streets? You would maybe like to see a little domestic hickory stick terrorism?

The most surprising thing about this election is absolutely nothing.  You could see and hear the palpable fear and unattractiveness of Wright Wing Nut Jobs writing and commentary that got the Obama elected. Just because you refuse to see your own condescension and arrogance doesn't mean it isn't there. I talked about this in several of my blogs but all the right wing nut jobs are here to destroy the validity of the conservative cause. 

You know... some call him devil and others call him Messiah.  But probably like most of us Barack Hussein Obama is somewhere in the middle.  Ahhhh...  I'm sorry to all those turned off by the Wing Nut Job majority in the Republican Party.  Perhaps now they will learn to stop burping their condescension, patriotism and accusatory questions all over the rest of us.  Perhaps now they will realize that being a political party means being an attraction and that effective presentation doesn't mean using parental bully-ism.

And that's my opinion,

Peter Skinner

Sean Hannity is making one last stand as he and Newt Gingrich break the latest bombshell about how Obama is going to bankrupt the coal industry.  Colmes came to Obama's defense but here is a real neat ploy by Sean and Newt to turn the tide of the election in Mc Cains favor.

Will Sean still have a job if Obama wins?  What will Newt do?  I just don't get it... I mean sure Sissy Spacek was proud to play a coal miners daughter but let's face facts... she sang real good and her husband was smart enough to move her and the kids out of black lung country.  Maybe he didn't like hunting that much...

Anywho... Newt says that the polls are wrong because of all the new voters who will fail to vote.  He thinks that it will pretty much all go like the last election did.  And though Senator Obama does nutty left wing things he wants us to pray for Obama and his family and the passing of his Grandmother without whom Barack may not have ever gotten the education he needed to even run for president.  Sean agreed with Newt and echoed the sentiment. 

But there's still 10 minutes left in the show.  

Oh boy!  Mike Huckabee a FOX NEWS contributor is on!  Mike thinks we should post pone the election till Thursday.  But liberals have no sense of humor so Sean wants us to know that Mike is joking.  Apparently it's not funny to Mike that democrats might get control of both houses.  I like Mike... he's a Methodist right?  And a Methodist is a Baptist that can read I've been told.

Last Anywho...

I love FOX NEWS... Sean Hannity may have single handedly given Obama the White House.  It's just too bad that he's got Colmes there to point out how ridiculus nearly everything Sean says is.  It is truly amazing how much bias goes into being fair and balanced.  

This Election has been the most interesting election in American History ever.  But I think it's incredible how apathetic and bored I've become with it.  I mean I had to hit the snooze button 5 times this morning just because I promised myself that I'd force myself to write a blog about ...  the uhhh...  oh right!  The Presidential Election.

OK so I thought I'd look up my old theory that Obama would be accused of being the anti-christ more than any other candidate on record.   Lacking any resource but the search engines of merit like google and yahoo I cannot remember seeing anything about it on major news networks.   Now many more blogs and stories have turned up.  The most interesting I've found to be a story in the Washington Post

"Left Behind" Authors: Obama Not Antichrist

and that doesn't suprise me.  Mainly because the ones who are saying that Obama is the antichrist are using Nostradamus to prove it.   Most self respecting literate Christians don't reference Nostradamus.  But also the article mentions that a Mc Cain ad in poking fun at Senator Obama's popularity seems to allude to him possibly being the anti-christ. 

Anywho...

The original Christ said that "...false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible."... (Matthew 24:24).  What gets me most is that it was all so pathetically predictable...  I prefer to look for the return of the great prophets rather than trying to decipher who the anti-life are.  Ahhh but that's just me...   After all, if Jesus said the elect can't be deceived then why worry?

In conclusion let me just state that it seems I woke up this morning to write a blog about Obama versus Satan appearing as an angel of light.  Well... a house divided against itself cannot stand so let the liberals know that there's no welfare in hell unless you count the even distribution of heat... and then let the conservatives know that hell is mostly for those condemning others to it.

You know...  I am a Christian.   I feel a certain resentment right now at John McCain for chosing Sarah Palin as a VP pick.  I don't mean to sound condescending but anyone who is an unbiased American watching those interviews could see the results of a few days of the stress this campaign has put on the woman.  As I watched the Youtube video of her being prayed over in her church and the speech she gave to a young missionary training program I noted a tough, practical and spiritual woman who was brought up in the type of church that even the most devoted members of will admit to being a bit flaky and showy.

But one thing that came to me as I watched her in that youtube video is that this is a truly honest woman.  Truly honest people have a tendency to be closed mouthed in the face of their own hypocrisy when you put them in the forum of national politics.  I'm talking about the kind of person who treasures honesty of the tounge and is constantly on guard against being dishonest.

I think Governor Sarah Palin is such a person.  My biggest fear for her is that when she sees how truly dishonest the campaign she is involved in is being that she will become disillusioned and feel pressured to simply give up.  And I don't believe she should give up... I think deep down she will be a good person for America and American politics.   I feel and sense in her an honesty that we haven't witnessed since the days of Jimmy Carter.  So I pray that she will shine again in this debate...  that she will not Palin comparison to Biden but that she will be honest to a fault and regain her sane integrity.

 

I am right!  My positions and my opinions on this matter are as clear as the divinity of my God. (Or I would feel foolish if I truly felt that way about myself... but then if I did feel that way about myself how would I know to feel foolish about it?)   We are divided by fear and united by love... or we should be.  Truth is we've got it all turned around in this country for all the wrong reasons.  One reason for this I believe is we are suffering from a plethora... an excess of mismanaged Christian end times teachings.  We seem to have a segment of the population in this country that is constantly on guard against "The Late Great Planet Earth" and we are now looking for a way out of being "Left Behind".  Yes... some  are now officially enlisting themselves in a "Tribulation Force" and defying any form of that false, unchristian and devilish unity.

You know... for years I was taught that everybody worshipped the same God but with different names... different histories and belief systems... different modes of worship and different text from different historical people who related the words of the same God.  But then one day somebody I respected told me that this was liberal theology.  So I switched over to conservative theology  (sure did... just like that!) and trusted that Jesus was the only way just like he had said, "I am the way, the truth and the life and no man cometh unto the father but by me."  I was warned by Christian end times writers who negotiated with God and scripture to reveal to me that in the last days there would come a false unity and a false peace brought about by a false messiah known as the "antichrist" the "beast" or the man whose number is Six Hundred and Sixty Six. 

But this teaching went even further...

It put out that man should not unite under any other name than Jesus Christ and that those who do try to unite mankind in common efforts of peace and prosperity without that name are not just doomed to fail... but that they are literally ushering in the Anti Christ.  And it's thought that the only belief about this that was right is entrusted only to Christians...  The final days leading up to the tribulation will begin when the world unites all religions and all faiths and tries to elevate mankind through a one world religion.

Well... monopolies do tend to corrupt those who run them eh?

Alllllll that to say.... Here we have republicans and democrats and generally it seems to me that neither believes in the christian core beliefs of the other as valid.  I've said many times that I don't think folks who support abortion, for instance, can possibly be Christian.  And I think I'm 100% right about that or Rachel did not weep for her children.  (See there I go....)  But.... what if I'm wrong?  What if in Gods eyes those who believe in a "woman's right to chose" have an opinion that is valid.  What if my inability to unite with these liberal thinkers and come to agreement on how best to address the issue before it gets to the point of abortions is what I'm not seeing... not working hard enough to realize?

What if... the interpretation I've accepted about the common issues we all face have been in error masquerading as truth?  What if indeed...

I've come to a cross roads... I take exception with the way the Christian idea of truth being represented in such stubbornly conservative and unyielding fashion, interpretations and even condescension.  I haven't walked on water lately or risen anybody from the dead.  If I represent the Christian ideal outside of right wing rhetoric I accept the left wing justifications for things I believe could be most harmful to our society like gay marriages and abortion on demand.  How do I communicate these fears in a way that brings about Unity and not division?

I don't know.

I'll start there... with those three words that I have found to be more loving, more merciful and more judge-mentally sound than saying "I love you." 

I don't know.

I'll start there... and see if the world in my direct influence can unite in the love of human ignorance and the common belief that there is a creator who does know.

And if we Unite in Love and shun the fears that divide us... And if we openly share our faiths and the reasons we believe what we believe... Then perhaps those who only seek to divide and control by fear will finally be silenced.

I was glad to find on youtube the videos mentioned on the news of Sarah Palin talking to the discipleship program students involved with the Master Commission.  Apparently Sarah Palin is a woman who has grown up in an Assemblies of God Church.   Through the years I've attended services at pentacostal Churches that featured prophecies that in the cases I know of did not come true.  I've seen many things in the services of pentecostal churches through the years that were beyond flakey and I've met folks in those churches that were infinately more practicle than the church itself.  They were in that church because they loved somebody in that church and not necessarily because the agreed with everything that goes on there.

Now I'm linking the video of Governor Sarah Palin sharing with the Masters Commission students because it is the strait uncensored video.  I want to say only that I find nothing controversial or inherently wrong with what Sarah Palin says in this video given the audience she is addressing.  I think that I have a point of reference on this that speaks to the fact that Sarah Palin is being the best she can be for her church and the young people who have decided to be a part of the Masters Commission.  She ask for prayer that it be Gods Will that is done on the pipeline in Alaska and for the missions given to our soldiers in Iraq. 

I just want to say that the video I've linked and part two of that video show quite simply... a woman who grew up in her church encouraging young people and asking that Gods good will be done.  I've watched the video twice and for my part I have to defend this woman who is obviously simply being part of something that is larger than herself... being of service... suiting up and showing up.  I do not believe that this is in itself evidence that she holds any grandios ideas that will be ascribed to her because of her involvement with that church. 

This is why I didn't like the Rev Wright thing... if I had a dime for everytime I heard some pastor make some off the wall do a double take comment I'd be richer than Bill Gates.  Looking at that video tells me why Sarah was mayor and then Governor of Alaska.  I see a practical, tough, caring and friendly woman going to a church where there are people that she loves.  That's it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGOu-X76rR0&NR=1

http://www.masterscommission.com/index2.html>

 

I liked what I saw on news reports about Senator Mccain's VP choice.  What struck me most though was after the love affair and accolades ended was that her politcal career in terms of experience is similar in scope to that of Senator Obama's.  Governor Palins experience cannot be called much greater or much less than that of Senator Obama's political life.  This to me kicks the experience argument out of the race entirely.  I think the McCain campaign wasted a lot of money on the experience commercials. 

Does Senator Obama's experience pale in comparison to that of Governor Palin's?  I guess the campaign trail will tell us all a little about her in the next what... three months?  Or is this VP pick just like the toned down all business purposely underwhelming speech Senator Obama gave at the convention?  I think it is a blatant political move that may possibly put a young and inexperienced woman in charge of our country.  What gets me is that for some odd reason I feel like she would make a good president even though until three days ago I never even heard of the woman.

What I find most intriguing about this is there really is no middle ground in the Obama -Palin comparison.  Folks on both sides seem to have strong feelings about the choice which is probably a good thing for the McCain campaign.  Either way it's news worthy... takes some of the wind out of the "first black president" sails.  It might just work and put the old soldier in the oval office... it put some jingle in his change purse that's for sure... However, I'm sure the Obama campaign is just Biden it's time. 

Was Senator Barack Obama's acceptance speech purposely underwhelming?

You know?  I can see a great deal of strategy going on in this election and the news commentators have opened my eye's to this a bit.  Some of those expert panels have caused me to become a bit cynical in that I now actually watch for politicians behaving according to some form of scripted sculpted mass media stratagem that has but one goal in mind... getting elected to the office for which they are campaigning.

Now a pretty common criticism of Senator Obama has been a praise... a praise that the man gives a really good speech.  In fact... quiet as it's kept if you want to snare someone you praise them on their strong points and then you praise them some more before pulling the ripcord... but it seems to me that's already been tried enough in American politics (not to mention in films and novels) to try and actually catch someone that way.  So why not give a speech that knocks one out of the ball park?  Was he being purposely underwhelming?  Why didn't Senator Obama give the kind of speech that would go down in the annuls of history along side of other great speeches of our times?

Well... perhaps because it was a good solid tactic... because Senator Obama is running to become President Obama and not become the next American folk hero.  Like the great Roman Generals who would march triumphantly into Rome to be honored by Caesar I could see the old man in Obama's chariot whispering into his ear..."remember... thou art only a man."

Why not?

Do it and get it out of the way.

I've joked about this for years... dismissed it out of hand.  But you know what?  Where's my casino?  Forget going back to Africa and you can put those government jobs where the sun don't shine.

Some of ya'll got all the problems of us black folks in this country all figured out.   Some of ya'll were crying reverse racism 2 seconds after the Civil Rights Amendment.  Some of ya'll want to bring up race and then accuse us of turning it into a racial issue... "Nothing to see here folks... it was just a racial issue."

Restitution for Slavery...

Do you really think that a clear majority of black people in this country would even accept it?  Would a guy like me take partial acceptance, after all... look at the picture... I'm as black as I look... that's not a perm.  But then of course it depends on what that Restitution would mean.

I have no idea but I have some suggestions.  Give us the border with Mexico.... and 200 miles north of it to do with as we please.  We'll enlist a border army and build a huge fence... Or we'll simply open the borders wide and suggest a back to Europe and England movement.  After all England biggest mistake in history was loosing the colonies to slavery... Which is why God took early America from the English and gave it to the French.  But too much debauchery caused God to take America from the French and give it to various Protestant, Catholic and Jewish corporations.  Now too much religious, economic and racial bigotry is leaving God with no choice but to give America to well meaning secular humanist, liberals, gays and black people. 

Better yet... give us Hollywood!  That great shining beacon of hope that sits on seven hills...

Wait... wait... no.... give us Washington DC.  Yeah we'll repaint the white house and you can move the Capitol to Des Moines Iowa.

See! Problem solved... restitution for slavery... that's what I'm talkin' bout.

OK so Ward, June, Wally and the Beaver are all sitting around the television today cheering on Doctor Dobson as he gave Obama what for on how he views this wonderfully free country as long as you're a christian.

Here we go again... first they call him an appeaser like ole Wilt Chamberlain (or was it Neville)... then they try to take him out for not taking government campaigne funds(a brotha that don't take welfare how dare he)... now they gonna really get him for not accepting the fact that this country is mostly christian and everybody seems to know that and accept that but Barack Hussein Obama.

Here we go again...  crying out that the typical leer jet liberals are going to march us into another world trade center cause republicans do war right.   Only now ole James Dobson is going to sit this election out cause Mc Cain ain't as conservative as he thought.  Wow... John may be craftier than even the Obama camps giving him credit for.  Nothing saying Dobson knows that to... it is, after all, an election.

Yeah... hold on... the beaver is asking me if I'd like to go outside and play catch.   Well, I love the Beaver, he's a good boy and Ward and June are such nice people who usually look alot more deeply at what's going on in their country... sometimes they even ask me what I think and I appreciate that.  "Oh no... wait a second Beaver... Wally!  Eddies here!"

(So in a nut shell... Senator Obama challenges christians to make their arguements according to reason and not just according to scripture.  This is a very novel approach to an old arguement and he's going to win it.  Dobson is looking like an offended Hannity and is showing why Republicans don't want to talk to anyone without asking unaswerable questions.  Alan Keyes, the black republican who ran against Obama in the senate race questioned Obama's christianity and this is still a personal attack on Obama's beliefs.  Republicans had their chance to groom a black presidential candidate but it looks like the secular humerist family guys happy gay baby democrates stole their chance.   Republicans tried to legislate morality since conversion was too hard and time consuming.   Conservative Evangelicals need to get a clue... survival might require revival and that within and not without since Dobsons message is sure falling on deaf ears outside of his own followers.  After all it's hard to focus on a family when dads in jail and momma's on drugs and the only job offers coming are from the guys on the corner.   Boy that's a big nut shell.)

"When you teach a man to hate and fear his brother, when you teach that he is a lesser man because of his color or his beliefs or the policies he pursues, when you teach that those who differ from you threaten your freedom or your job, or your home, or your family, then you also learn to confront others not as fellow citizens but as enemies – to be met not with cooperation but with conquest, to be subjugated and mastered.
We learn, at the last, to look at our bothers as aliens, alien men with whom we share a city, but not a community, men bound to us in common dwelling, but not in a common effort. We learn to share only a common fear – only a common desire to retreat from each other – only a common impulse to meet disagreement with force.
Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done is too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in this land of ours. Of course we cannot vanish it with a program.
But we can perhaps remember – even if only for a time – that those who live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short movement 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, surely this bond of common goals, can begin to teach us something.  Surely we can learn, at the least, to look around at those of us of our fellow men and surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our hearts brothers and countrymen once again." Robert F Kennedy, April 5, 1968