Sharing Circle

What follows is long but is one of, I think, the most important and moving relatively recent speeches that I’ve ever read. And I have probably read more of them than most people who I have known- starting from about the beginning of the last decade, when I personally and professionally developed more of an interest in politics. I was aware of many of the points that he raises and they are all accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Many people my age and younger may not have any real idea why the Kennedy family has been revered in certain circles for decades, as we are too young basically to remember JFK’s administration. This speech may help explain it.

The world deserves anyone coming upon this the favor of reading and considering every word of it, and if you find it worthy, sharing parts or all of it with your friends, family members, and so on. These are very, very very important points, I think, even though we are now under a (somewhat) different administration.

This speech was brought to my/our attention (my husband actually found and pulled the transcript) through a movie produced by David Arquette and Courteney Cox Arquette. I think every word of this speech should be read and considered by every American human and, in fact, by many of the rest of the non-American humans.

I do not consider this to be a speech which furthers the generally pretty polarized political climate in the US now. I think it is pretty neutral, but others may disagree.

Apart from everything else that makes this important, (in my humble opinion) this speech should also help any of the Republican or even Libertarian persuasion who perhaps question why GWB and that administration was so reviled by people like myself–that is if they don’t already understand why that was/is. Many less than obvious points are made here that should help people understand. It is my understanding that many who consider themselves on the “right-wing” side of the political equation at least claim to not understand why the Bush admin was so vehemently reviled (especially if one leaves out obviously revulsion-inducing role GWB played in creating the Iraq war.) I am hardly a rabid environmentalist by anyone’s standards. But this speech makes critically important points, I think.

Read, and if so inclined, share with anyone else who you think might need to consider this.

This is the official transcript of a speech delivered by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in 2005:

I have been an environmental advocate for twenty years, and I’ve been disciplined during that period about being nonpartisan in my approach to this issue. The worst thing that can happen to the environment is if it becomes the province of a single political party. Most of the environmental leaders in our country agree with me. Five years ago, if you asked the leaders of the major environmental groups in America, What’s the gravest threat to the global environment?, they would have given you a range of answers: overpopulation, habitat destruction, global warming. Today, they will all tell you one thing: it’s George W. Bush. This is the worst environmental president that we have ever had. You simply cannot speak honestly about the environment in any context today without speaking critically about this president. If you go to the Natural Resources Defense Council’s web site you will see over 400 major environmental rollbacks that have been promoted by this administration over the last three and half years. It is a concerted, deliberate attempt to eviscerate thirty years of environmental law. It is a stealth attack, one that’s been hidden from the public. (more…)