One can say a great deal about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and we most certainly have at this site, me more than anyone, but I wouldn’t have labeled him as a racist, or even the racist type, having been surrounded by “good Kennedys” all his life. I would’ve chalked Kennedy’s thing up to being just more “all the way” out there conspiracy theorist because his actual policy choices on everything but medical care and food are solidly liberal. And whether one considers racism as inherently conservative or not (I try to give them the benefit of the doubt until proven wrong, as I am here), I didn’t find Kennedy to be a candidate. Until now, until I just stumbled onto another one of his statements, and until I saw this, which I cannot believe has somehow remained hidden beneath the tree line, hiding out in the area under the canopy. It desperately needs exposure. Who is this guy and why does anyone trust him at all?
There are two levels of racism to the following statement. First, there is the presumption that violence and uncontrolled behavior are somehow more of a black problem than any other race (It is likely that Black American boys/youth are less able to get away with it, White American boys more excused as “they will grow out of it”) and then there is the presumption that White America should take the kids away to prove that they’re better able to straighten problem kids out, or – at least, better able to straighten Black American kids out. Two levels right there. I am sure there are more that people more sophisticated than me can point out:
taking black kids away from their parents and putting them on farms seems really familiar to me! what could it be?
Now that is stunning. The other thing is – and I have absolutely no evidence of this, it does however follow along with the dictates of poverty, something that absolutely is associated more with Black Americans, and that is that if anything this group is likely under medicated, less able to access the basic mental health medications that would help anyone struggling with issues, especially a marginalized community of adolescents (Talk about a deck stacked against you?). I have little doubt – as a guess – that if these young kids had access to adequate mental health care it would alleviate so much suffering and to the extent there is excess violence, it would diminish as it would with any community getting proper mental health care.
The other issue is how this statement got through without far more consideration. This kind of racist presumption is just beyond the pale and well beyond acceptable. Again, to the extent that there is a problem with violence, I suspect it is just that Black Americans are reported more and able to get away with less, activity that would be excused by White Americans. So why is Kennedy able to get away with this without any scrutiny? I don’t know. There is the presumption that he doesn’t start out with a racist predisposition but boy is that ever rebuttable, see this statement. But even if there was no underlying hate, it sure belies a big misunderstanding or misread of reality and requires much more education.
I cannot believe this got through. Thankfully, Bluesky is not your Twitter, which may well have edited out or suppressed this type of post. So it made its way to me in order to publish. I thought we all should be made aware.
God Bless:Â I can be reached at [email protected] and on X at @JasonMiciak and now on Bluesky as mentioned, better platform.
The Kennedy family is a huge one. The patriarch, Joe Kennedy dreamed of a big family but it became even bigger than he ever imagined. So much so that despite his enormous wealth and attempts to ensure EVERY heir had a nice nest egg waiting when they reached adulthood the fund literally ran dry which is why decades ago they started selling off memorabalia and properties. Lot’s of marriages and kids (with their own marriages and kids) for generations. So like I said it’s a HUGE family. Since they didn’t inter-marry lots of non-Kennedy people became part of it all. With any large group, including a family as large and sprawling as the Kennedy’s there are going to be mixed traits in members. Some good people and some not so good. And yes, some who believe in inclusion and also some with racist beliefs. That doesn’t even take into account all the vast number of people Junior has worked with during his sordid career and attitudes he might have picked up from them.
Clearly he’s long suffered from delusions of grandeur, and a self-loathing over simply not being the person his father was. It’s a toxic brew and can be seen in people in every community. In Kennedy’s case he was born to great wealth and influence and able to spread that toxicity far and wide.
As for racism, I think back to that night as we were processing the news that Bobby Kennedy had been shot. More than I think anyone he tamped down the worst of what was going to be a lot of negative reaction. Indiana isn’t thought of as a hotbed of racism but it’s there. Bobby had been scheduled to speak in a large park that night and advisors and those responsible for his security begged him not to. But he took the stage, and was blunt about racism and the need to address it. I’ll always believe a deeply mistrustful crowd made up of mostly African Americans were swayed by one memorable line when he told them he understood their pain and anger better than most. Because he too had suffered as his own brother was killed by a white man with a rifle.
That speech didn’t stop all the unrest that followed but it DID make a huge impact. That his son, his namesake would say something so racist is yet another reason the REAL Bobby Kennedy keeps spinning in his grave.