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Searching for Bobby Kennedy Written on April 25, 2008 When Bobby Kennedy ran to become the Democratic candidate for United States President, he inspired great hope in many Americans who were wishing for brighter days and a change of course in American politics. He connected with voters on a very personal level and, in doing so, represented the widespread call for peace, justice, and prosperity for all. Voters could feel his authenticity, and so they believed that something fundamental was about to change. And then, as many have expressed since that fateful night in June, the people’s hope died in a shocking, heart-shattering instant. Another tragedy had befallen an American leader and the wind had finally been taken from the sails of new beginnings. But hope did not die because a person died. Hope died because the people let it die. And we must learn that lesson now if we are to achieve real change in our lives, our nation, and our world. For those who have been watching this election’s campaign, you should be able to see very clearly that we are still searching for Bobby Kennedy. The ring of change and hope can be heard throughout the nation, perhaps best symbolized by the call of “Yes we can.” I must say up front that I do not write this article as a supporter of Barrack Obama. While I have praise for Obama, I also have criticisms, and I have not yet decided who I will vote for next fall. But regardless of my future vote, I know that anyone who chooses to open their eyes and ears cannot help but realize the resemblance between Obama and Kennedy. Below is a quote from Wikipedia about the candidacy of destiny that Robert F. Kennedy once undertook: “Kennedy stood on a ticket of racial and economic justice, non-aggression in foreign policy, decentralization of power and social improvement. A crucial element to his campaign was an engagement with the young, whom he identified as being the future of a reinvigorated American society based on partnership and equality.” If we are not seeing the second coming of RFK, then I must be in a dream. The hope that we allowed to die has not risen again, and if we have learned our lesson, then we will find the path to a new world of our choosing. What is the lesson? One of the clearest must be that the dream of a different future, the vision of a new progressive society, does not and cannot exist in a leader alone. It must exist, first and foremost, in the hearts and minds of the people. And if we place it wholly on a leader, it is certain to die again – not necessarily through the death of the leader (for I would never choose to imagine that fate for any person), but through the death of the inspiration and passion that he represented, reflected, and provoked.
The great hope is not that we can have the leader of our choosing. The great hope is that we will demand the leader of our choosing and that we will make, for ourselves and through our own initiative, the society that we desire. If our hope is truly our own, then the death of a leader would never stop it from being expressed and created. So as you listen to the words of the candidates and as you feel the electricity of this political moment, realize that the electricity is from within you. Realize that the world you see as possible through your leader is only possible through you and the people you choose to unite with. A leader can call it forth from everyone through the sound of one voice. But a leader cannot create it in your heart. A leader cannot envision it in your mind. And a leader cannot act upon it with your body. This election, your hope is your own. This election, the power can truly be yours. This election, we will realize that an election does not make a society. Its people do.
To learn more about leadership and the power of the people, you can purchase the book, The Makings of a President, at: www.inspiringrevolutions.com/presidentbook.php
To begin applying the ideas in this article to your own life, answer the questions below: - When in your life have you had hope that was dependent on another person only to find it collapse when you did not make it your own and the other person had moved on? - What prevented you from truly making your hope your own and taking action regardless of whether the other person was involved (or even ever known)? - What stops you from believing in yourself and acting on the feelings you have inside despite whatever help you might get from the outside? - What is your hope now? What actions are you taking toward it? What actions are you not taking toward it? Why? - How can you become more of your own leader? What character traits do you need to develop? What feelings do you need to stir? What principles and beliefs do you need to embrace? And what choices can you now make and what actions will you now take to become the kind of personal leader that only you alone can be?