Customer Reviews

The Gospel According to RFK: Why It Matters Now

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Perhaps I am not as objective as other reviewers of this book in that Robert Kennedy is one of the people I most admire. Having read numerous books about him, I was delighted to find this little book. More than any biography, this book speaks about who Robert Kennedy was.

If Robert Kennedy were alive today, he would not be pleased with the current direction of the government. By looking at the speeches documented in this book, one could see exactly what RFK stood for. In the clever design of this book, the author prefaces each of Kennedy's speeches with a short explanation of how that stance applies today. Speeches topics range from civil rights, environment, poverty, education, war, and employment. Of the quotes that best states what Kennedy is about is "I believe that men would rather work at disagreeable jobs that accept the humiliation of a handout..."

The commentary on Vietnam is particularly biting when applied to Iraq. "Together we can make ourselves a nation that spends more on books than bombs, more on hospitals than the terrible tools of war, more on decent houses than military aircraft." I believe what Robert Kennedy said. America is the richest country in the world. There is no reason for people to go to bed hungary and die of starvation in this country. The book only demonstrates how far this country has to go for true equality. A politician would be well served in reading this before hitting the campaign trail.

Robert Kennedy's humanity, common sense, humility, and passion shine through his own words in this wonderful little book. The editor, Norman Macafee, does an excellent job of culling the best from the final 1968 campaign speeches. Most movingly, Macafee provides crystal clear brief introductory comments which set the context for each of Bobby's speeches and indicate how relevent his evolving thinking on the key issues of war, poverty, racism is to today's dangerous world. The echos in Kennedy's words of our own times are heart-rendingly prescient. The book's conclusion is achingly clear: if Bobby had lived we would not today be tangled in a pre-emptive war without end.

Most campaign speech collections (including from the candidates whom I liked) are light on substance. Those campaign speech books which actually dare to have substance unfortunately find themselves weighted down as being a product of their own time and the issues which they speak are not necessarily valid any longer.

Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign had so many ongoing presidential campaign themes with 'today' that this book remains relevant. It is one of the few 'historical' books which seriously could end up also being classified in the current events section of a library just because Kennedy's policy prescriptive remain this poignant.

This book (unlike previous texts from other authors) does not attempt to position Kennedy as a 'new democrat'. Rather, Norman Macafee uses Kennedy's own words to argue that he would have been a dam good president. Thinking is not a sign of weakness or indecisiveness, it is a sign of morality and ethics.

When compared against the current White House occupant who is infamous for hating to intellectually rationalize the consequences of his own policies upon others, a politician with such a powerful social conscience is all the more inspiring. This is an excellent book for anybody on the left who needs a pick-me-up and anybody in general needing to read about a presidential candidate who knew where they stood and what they stood for.

Every speech is so relevent today. As I read them, I realize yet again, what a loss his death was for our Country. His message,then, is even more important now. A book to save and reread. May we see another man of his potential and character to carry out his great vision with the same passion for all the citizens of this country.

Veda Jo Byrne