U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy: Eulogy of Robert F. Kennedy (1968)

Source:American Rhetoric-  U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy (Democrat, Massachusetts) delivering the eulogy for his brother Robert F. Kennedy, in 1968.

Source:The Daily Journal 

“Your Eminences, Your Excellencies, Mr. President:

On behalf of Mrs. Kennedy, her children, the parents and sisters of Robert Kennedy, I want to express what we feel to those who mourn with us today in this Cathedral and around the world.

We loved him as a brother, and as a father, and as a son. From his parents, and from his older brothers and sisters — Joe and Kathleen and Jack — he received an inspiration which he passed on to all of us. He gave us strength in time of trouble, wisdom in time of uncertainty, and sharing in time of happiness. He will always be by our side.

Love is not an easy feeling to put into words. Nor is loyalty, or trust, or joy. But he was all of these. He loved life completely and he lived it intensely.

A few years back, Robert Kennedy wrote some words about his own father which expresses [sic] the way we in his family felt about him. He said of what his father meant to him, and I quote… 

From American Rhetoric 

“Ted Kennedy delivering the closing part of the eulogy at the funeral of his brother Bobby, using excerpts from Bobby’s famous speech to the students of a South African university in 1966.”

Source:Paddy Irishman- Robert F. Kennedy I believe running for the U.S. Senate in New York City in 1964. But I don't know for sure.

From Paddy Irishman 

“Many more… What exactly was it that they were talking about? Why would there be so many people that do not want peace? What motive power do these people have controlling them?

Now it’s Ron Paul, but it’s more than just a few people this time. Millions, billions of people calling for peace.

We have no more that we can learn from this journey. It’s time to move on… or up.”

Source:Payton Pearson- President John F. Kennedy (Democrat, Massachusetts) and his brother Robert F. Kennedy, the Attorney General, I believe at The White House. But I don't know for sure.

From Payton Pearson

Imagine being in Ted Kennedy’s position right there in 1968: you are 36 years old and you are giving the eulogy of one of your older brothers Robert. You’ve already lost two older brothers, one you barely knew to World War II and the second who also happened to be President of the United States and you lose him to an assassination almost 5 years before you lose your brother Robert.

If you Ted Kennedy here, are considered to be the weakest link, a bit of a dumbass (if you will)  and immature of the Kennedy sons and not someone who is considered to up for a task like this, but it’s given to you because you are seen as the only one who is even capable of handling it. And yet you go up to the plate like you are at Fenway Park playing for the Red Sox in game 7 of the world series and you are down 2 runs in the ninth inning and knock it out of the park to win the series.

Under ridiculous pressure that’s exactly what Ted Kennedy did here for his brother Bobby. We never know how strong we really are in life until we are tested and put under intense pressure where the only choice is to fail or succeed. At Bobby Kennedy’s eulogy, his brother Ted delivered a World Series caliber home run and gave not just one of the best speeches of his life, but speeches that has ever been given anywhere.