By Jennifer Tisdale Apr. University of Maryland [9] We learn, at the last, to look at our brothers as alien, 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. Democratic Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Texas said she received a death threat after the last hearing of the Weaponization panel. [13] But we can perhaps rememberif only for a timethat those who live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short moment of life, that they seekas do wenothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and in happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment that they can. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Amid the vitriol, members of both parties did come together around a lament from Representative Gerald E. Connolly, Democrat of Virginia. The Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came to Capitol Hill on Thursday and pointedly declared that he is neither an antisemite nor a . I dont believe theres a single person who signed this letter who believes Im antisemitic.. Tim Barney Why would the Republican leadership and the committee majority give a hearing and a platform to the witnesses today, specifically to Mr. Kennedy, a man who has recently claimed that Covid-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. [4] Whenever any Americans life is taken by another American unnecessarilywhether it is done in the name of the law or in defiance of the law, by one man or by a gang, in cold blood or in passion, in an attack of violence or in response to violencewhenever we tear at the fabric of our lives which another man has painfully and clumsily woven for himself and his childrenwhenever we do this, then the whole nation is degraded. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is denying that he traffics in racist and hateful online conspiracy theories, testifying at a House hearing on government censorship despite requests from outside groups to . The Big Tech companies have adamantly denied the GOP assertions and say they enforce their rules impartially for everyone regardless of ideology or political affiliation. In opening remarks, Kennedy invoked his famous familys legacy in decrying the complaints of racism and antisemitism against him. [36] Still, the senator asserted that if nothing were done, violence in the United States would persist. Race riots subsequently broke out across the United States. For quick viewing, C-SPAN provides Points of Interest markers for some events. Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands, said the Republican majority was giving a platform to Kennedy and others to promote conspiracy theories and a rallying cry for bigotry and hate.. Fifty years ago, Senator Robert F. Kennedy climbed onto the back of a flatbed truck to deliver the news to a largely African-American crowd in Indianapolis that the Rev. It was delivered before approximately 2,200 members of the City Club of Cleveland (most rich and white) and lasted only for 10 minutes. Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press, Ali Swenson, Associated Press "[57] Journalist Jules Witcover said that the "speech was, in a very real sense, a turning [7] The group had debated among themselves as to whether they should hold the meeting. When Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat of Florida, read aloud Kennedy's postings and questioned his intent, Kennedy interjected that she was "slandering me" and claimed what the congresswoman was saying was a lie. Kennedys presidential campaign chairman, Dennis Kucinich, the former congressman and past presidential contender, sat in the front row behind him during the more-than-three-hours hearing. [22] He noted that violence afflicted all Americans, regardless of race. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-robert-f-kennedy-jr-testifies-at-house-hearing-on-social-media-and-alleged-censorship, Watchdog calls for House committee to uninvite Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after his comments are blasted as antisemitic, Judge refuses to put hold on order limiting Biden administration contact with social media companies, Biden administration blocked from working with social media firms about protected speech, Twitter ranks lowest in LGBTQ safety among major social media platforms, GLADD says, Here are 8 tips for parents and kids on social media use from the U.S. surgeon general, Arkansas governor signs bill requiring parental permission for social media, IRS whistleblowers claim Justice Department meddled in Hunter Biden investigation. As Mr. Kennedy often does, he phrased his language carefully; he did not explicitly link the vaccine to the deaths, but rather said the deaths occurred closely following administration of #COVID #vaccines.. At a hearing convened by House Republicans, the Democratic presidential candidate defended himself against charges of racism and antisemitism. Maegan Parker Brooks An organization that Kennedy founded, Childrens Health Defense, currently has a lawsuit pending against a number of news organizations, among them The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Texas governor defies federal threat to sue over floating border barriers, Police use excavator to dig up backyard of suspect in New York killings, Former gynecologist to be sentenced to 20 years for abuse of patients, Arkansas man who beat officer with flagpole during riot sentenced, Carlee Russell apologizes, says there was no kidnapping, Police in Ohio release K-9 dog onto Black man apparently surrendering, Extreme heat, air pollution may double risk of heart attack death, study finds, Russia warns of retaliatory measures after Ukraine claims attack on Moscow, House subcommittee hears censorship claims, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies about censorship claims before House subcommittee. The First Amendment was not written for easy speech, Kennedy said. Kennedy gives his last speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles right before he was assassinated. ", "Children's Defense Fund Founder Blasts Gun Violence: "We've Got to Retire the NRA", "There Is Another Kind of Violence, A Violence of Institutions", "Robert F. Kennedy's daughter, Kerry, reflects on his MLK speech at City Club of Cleveland", "Passsion for history and Kennedy intrigue leads to new book for Fairhaven native", "This Haunting Short Film Is a Meditation on American Violence", "Robert F. Kennedy, "Statement on the Death of Reverend Martin Luther King, Rally in Indianapolis, Indiana" (April 4, 1968) and Robert F. Kennedy, "Remarks at the Cleveland City Club" (April 5, 1968)", "President Obama Turns to Kennedy Speech for Open Letter to Law Enforcement", 64th United States Attorney General, 19611964, United States senator from New York, 19651968, Senate Committee investigation of Labor and Management, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. 1968 speech by U.S. For those of you who are black and are tempted to fill with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of such an act, against all white people, I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings. Patricia Bizzell I have never advised Black Americans not to receive vaccines. In more than two decades at The Times, she has also covered the White House, Congress and national politics. So I ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King yeah, it's true but more importantly to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love a prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke. Speaking for only ten minutes, Kennedy outlined his view on violence in American society before a crowd of 2,200. The meeting had been arranged before the assassination by aide James Tolan and took place in Tolan's room. [34] Kennedy proceeded to caution that when society tries to "teach" people to hate one another or that an individual is a "lesser man" (alluding to racially prejudiced rhetoric common of other public figures), the likelihood of cooperation decreased while the possibility for violent confrontation increased. Marking the anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's 1963 "Peace Speech" at American University, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announces a fundamentally new direction for American foreign policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. The Supreme Court has stated that. Even by Mr. Kennedys standards for stoking controversy, his recent comments about Covid-19 were shocking. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. WASHINGTON (AP) Robert F. Kennedy Jr.worked to defend himself Thursday against accusations that he traffics in racist and hateful online conspiracy theories, testifying at a House hearing on government censorship despite requests from outside groups to disinvite the Democratic presidential candidate after hisrecent antisemitic remarks. Kalen M. A. Churcher, Voices of Democracy: The U.S. Oratory Project You can also click the in the lower left of the video player to see a complete list of all Points of Interest from this program - click on any moment in the list and the video will play. Diane M. Blair I'm only going to talk to you just for a minute or so this evening, because I have some very sad news for all of you Could you lower those signs, please? Often emotional and heated, Thursdays hearing came as subcommittee chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, portrayed what he claimed were examples of censorship, including a White House request to Twitter to remove a race-based post from Kennedy about COVID-19 vaccines. This is the violence that afflicts the poor, that poisons relations between men because their skin has different colors. "[10] He told speechwriter Jeff Greenfield, "You know, the death of Martin Luther King isn't the worse thing that ever happened in the world." And you all call yourselves leaders and you've been moaning and groaning about personal problems. Since most air carriers were wary of taking up such a task, a plane was chartered from one of Kennedy's friends. Republicans are eager to elevate Kennedy after he announced in April he was mounting a long-shot Democratic primary challenge to PresidentJoe Biden. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Tribute to John F. Kennedy at the Democratic National Convention, Atlantic City, New Jersey, August 27, 1964, Day of Affirmation Address, University of Capetown, Capetown, South Africa, June 6, 1966, Day of Affirmation Address (News Release Version), University of Capetown, Capetown, South Africa, June 6, 1966, "The Image of America and the Youth of the World," with Gov. Hanging over the debate is part of federal communications law,Section 230, which shields technology companies like Twitter and Facebook from liability over whats said on their platforms. The panel wants to probe the way the federal government works with technology companies to flag postings that contain false information or downright lies. Robert F. Kennedy Speaks in Indianapolis, 1968 (Indiana Historical Society) The African American veteran had come home to Indianapolis to witness on his television screen images of a country in turmoil over racial issues. The top Democrat on the House panel, Del. [10] Kennedy pulled a blanket over Greenfield, who awoke and said, "You aren't so ruthless after all." Morris tweeted part of her opening remarks in which she described an elaborate censorship conspiracy that she claimed sought to halt her reporting of Hunter Biden. And in the last analysis it's going to destroy our country. We must recognize that this short life can neither be ennobled or enriched by hatred or by revenge. Democrats argued that free speech comes with responsibilities not to spread misinformation, particularly when it fans violence. 1900-1940 And researchers have not found widespread evidence that social media companies are biased against conservative news, posts or materials. Mankiewicz wrote that the speech was "largely ignored in news coverage of the King murder". The top Democrat on the House panel, Del. Kennedy had given his first campaign speech earlier that morning at Kansas State University before flying into Lawrence Municipal Airport to give his speech at the University of Kansas.Classes were cancelled in advance of Kennedy's appearance. Robert Kennedy at Martin Luther King Jr.'s funeral in April 1968. We glorify killing on movie and television screens and we call it entertainment. Mankiewicz wrote that it was "perhaps the best speech Robert Kennedy made during the campaign, and certainly one of the best of his career" and "the most eloquent and memorable of RFK's view of humanity and the threats to its flowering and [] survival. The U.S. has been hesitant to regulate the social media giants, even as outside groups warn of the rise of hate speech and misinformation that can be erosive to civil society. What has it ever created? In opening remarks, Kennedy invoked his famous familys legacy in decrying the complaints of racism and antisemitism against him. [4][15] The plane arrived 90 minutes late. That same night, Robert F. Kennedy delivered the devastating news of King's death to a group of Af. George W. Bush In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, it's perhaps well to ask what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in. John Bartlow Martin told him that little could be done while people were still rioting, and that he would appear to be grandstanding. He delivered it in front of the City Club of Cleveland at the Sheraton-Cleveland Hotel on April 5, 1968, the day after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. With the speech, Kennedy sought to counter the King-related riots and disorder emerging in various cities, and address what he viewed as the growing problem of violence in American society. The Republican-ledSelect Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Governmentis amplifying GOP claims that conservatives and others are beingunfairly targetedby technology companies that routinely work with the government to try to stem the spread of disinformation online. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. [1] [21] The senator then developed a notion of "violence" using strong, emotional language. The Republican-ledSelect Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Governmentis amplifying GOP claims that conservatives and others are beingunfairly targetedby technology companies that routinely work with the government to try to stem the spread of disinformation online. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. The victims of the violence are black and white, rich and poor, young and old, famous and unknown. [68] The City Club of Cleveland hosted an event on April 5, 2018, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the delivery of the address.[66]. Site by, Shawn Parry-Giles, University of Maryland. And he once wrote: What we need in the United States is not division what we need in the United States is not hatred what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black. Bill Barry, Kennedy's bodyguard, recommended that the senator wait alongside the road while he would drive ahead to investigate. [7] For there is another kind of violence, slower but just as deadly, destructive as the shot or the bomb in the night. We will instead become again the exemplar of peace, freedom, and democracy that once inspired the world. Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, Staying fit as you age isnt just about exercise. Surely we can learn, at the least, to look around at those of us, of our fellow man, 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. RFK Jr. might be. Kennedy asked for Sorensen's thoughts on a speech being prepared for his appearance in Cleveland and said he would call back within the hour. "This is an attempt to censor a censorship hearing," said Kennedy, the son of Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy. [46][47] People joined the crowd as it walked, becoming so large that a group of National Guardsmen mistook it for a mob of looters. [9], Kennedy then restlessly wandered around the hotel, checking in on his staff. Lawmakers on the panel were also hearing testimony from Emma-Jo Morris, a journalist at Breitbart News, who has reported extensively on Mr. Biden's son, Hunter Biden; and D. John Sauer, a former solicitor general in Missouri who is now a special assistant attorney general at the Louisiana Department of Justice involved in the lawsuit against the Biden administration. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. For this is a time of shame and a time of sorrow. A watchdog group asked Jordan to drop the invitation to Kennedy after he suggested COVID-19 could have been ethnically targeted to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people. Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands, said the Republican majority was giving a platform to Kennedy and others to promote conspiracy theories and a rallying cry for bigotry and hate.. The Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came to Capitol Hill on Thursday and pointedly declared that he is neither an antisemite nor a racist, while giving a fiery defense of free speech and accusing the Biden administration and his political opponents of trying to silence him. Surely we can learn, at the least, to look at those around us, as 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. He called for the Posts article to be retracted. [2] Its not the concern of any one race. You haven't once talked about your own people." FULL TEXT OF ROBERT F. KENNEDY'S SPEECH: INDIANAPOLIS, APRIL 4, 1968 Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm only going to talk to you just for a minute or so this evening, because I have some very sad news for all of you Could you lower those signs, please?