What does conservative icon, Bill O’Reilly have in common with liberal talking head, Chris Matthews? They both consider former Attorney General, Robert F. Kennedy a role model and a hero. I have been reading Matthews’ book Robert Kennedy “A Raging Spirit” and recognized how few politicians do things simply because they are the right things to do. Matthews talks warmly about Kennedy’s unique ability to unify, illustrated best by the ominous funeral train that carried Kennedy’s body from New York City to Washington DC, and how people – poor, rich, Black, and White – spontaneously lined up along the train tracks singing hymns and saluting as he passed. This was an amazing testament for a politician who was considered to be as ruthless as he was compassionate. Kennedy marched with Cesar Chavez, smoked out organized crime in the labor unions, and fought for civil rights in the South, all at a time when the political consequences seemed too great for many Democrats.
I think most of us would agree that we live in one of the most divisive times in American history brought about by self-serving politicians and media personalities who benefit by encouraging us to demonize people who’s views differ from our own. Everywhere I go, I hear how the constant barrage of political wrangling is mentally and physically exhausting people. There is no question that most of us would prefer to live in a time when our country was more cohesive than divided. As is the case in the physical world, every action prompts an opposite and equal reaction. My hope is that the backlash of this dreadful political environment is a prolonged and lingering era where a politician’s ability to bring people together is the characteristic that is rewarded most by the electorate. Chris Matthews’ book made me wonder how our nation might be different today had he lived and been elected president in 1968 rather than Richard Nixon. Robert Kennedy “A Raging Spirit” is a refreshing read for anyone interested in a leader who was both a fighter and a unifier in one of the most challenging periods in American history.
Inflation has impacted all of us. The price of almost everything has spiked faster and harder than at any time since the 80s. Few things can obliterate a modern economy more than out-of-control inflation.
For most people, there is little upside to writing about the January 6th hearings, but as you probably know by now, I don’t worry about those things. We all must stand for something. The hearings have almost everyone taking sides before a single witness is called. Democrats believe that the events of January 6th were a calculated effort to undermine our democracy by demolishing two of the most sacred tenants of our nation, free elections, and the peaceful transition of power.
Most people consider themselves either a conservative or a liberal. I think if we forget political parties, which flip their positions on things all of the time, and instead focus on the actual definition of what it means to be a conservative and what it means to be a liberal, we might be able to temper the emotional reactions some of us have with political discourse.