By William Kennedy Smith and Jean Kennedy Smith

August 10 at 7:47 PM


William Kennedy Smith and Jean Kennedy Smith are the nephew and sister of President John. F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated on June 6, 1968.





On April 4, 1968, the day the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed, Robert Kennedy was campaigning for the presidency in Indianapolis. Bobby conveyed the news of King?s death to a shattered, mostly black audience. He took pains to remind those whose first instinct may have been toward violence that President John F. Kennedy had also been shot and killed. Bobby went on, ?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.?

That speech has crystallized into the single most enduring portrait of Bobby?s candidacy. Because it was extemporaneous, it conveyed directly, and with raw emotion, his own vulnerability, his aspirations for his country and a deep compassion for the suffering of others. Bobby concluded his remarks that night by urging those listening to return home and say a prayer for our country and for our people. Those words mattered. While there were riots in cities across the nation that night, Indianapolis did not burn.

Today, almost 50 years later, words still matter. They shape who we are as a people and who we wish to be as a nation. In the white-hot cauldron of a presidential campaign, it is still the words delivered extemporaneously, off the cuff, in the raw pressure of the moment that matter most. They say most directly what is in a candidate?s heart. So it was with a real sense of sadness and revulsion that we listened to Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, as he referred to the options available to ?Second Amendment people,? a remark widely, and we believe correctly, interpreted as a thinly veiled reference or ?joke? about the possibility of political assassination.

Political violence is a terrible inherent risk to any free society. Dictators and strongmen like Vladimir Putin have an answer. They are surrounded and shielded by force at all times. They do not brook dissent. In democracies, we expect our leaders to be accessible and, by and large, they want to be. Inevitably, that makes them vulnerable and the loss of a leader at a crucial time impacts family, country and even the world, for generations. Anyone who loves politics, the open competition of ideas and public participation in a free society, knows that political violence is the greatest of all civic sins. It is not to be encouraged. It is not funny. It is not a joke.

By now, we have heard enough dark and offensive rhetoric from Trump to know that it reflects something fundamentally troubled, and troubling, about his candidacy. Trump?s remarks frequently, if not inevitably, spark outrage, which is followed by a clarification that, in lieu of an apology, seeks to attribute the dark undertones of his words to the listener?s twisted psyche. This fools no one. Whether you like what he is saying or, like a growing segment of the electorate, you reject it, it is easy to grasp Trump?s meaning from his words. But what to make of a candidate who directly appeals to violence, smears his opponents and publicly bullies a Gold Star family, a decorated prisoner of war and a reporter with a disability, among others? To borrow the words of Army Counsel Joseph Welch, directed at another dangerous demagogue: ?Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency??

The truth remains that words do matter, especially when it comes to presidential candidates. On that basis alone, Donald Trump is not qualified to be president of the United States. 

The trump campaign has stated the words were taken out of context, move on 

The trump campaign has stated the words were taken out of context, move on?

Wink, wink, nod, nod.

I recognize the pattern from my southern upbringing. 

The truth remains that words do matter, especially when it comes to presidential candidates.

Like when Joe Biden told Obama in 2008 that if he tried to take his Beretta he had a real problem coming. 

DatBoyLixer is King of Deflect and she loves to call everyone else a deflector 

No, it's just me. Pointing out your subjective grasp on reality, rampant hypocrisy and intellect limited to what the MSM spoon feeds you. 

The trump campaign has stated the words were taken out of context, move on


With that logic you'll never bring up a clinton scandal again...the doj says theres not enough evidence to investigate.

Move on? Not likely... 

With that logic you'll never bring up a clinton scandal again...the doj says theres not enough evidence to investigate. Move on? Not likely...

ha! 

I'm just using the liberal playbook .. The masters of saying evolved or taken out of context 

The trump campaign has stated the words were taken out of context, move on?

How can it be taken out of context? He said that the second amendment people can take care of her! 

Well, they are a large and powerful voting block. 

I'm just using the liberal playbook .. The masters of saying evolved or taken out of context


Give us a break. You're responses to everything are old, predictable, and boring as hell. 

Like an ineffective parent, Paul Ryan is just enabling Trump 

old, predictable, and boring as hell.

Ironically, just like the moronic copy/paste threads you start. 

I don't think trump was actually asking for someone to shoot hrc. But that is not the point, the point is his rhetoric is reckless, unthoutfull, inflammatory, and just plain old dumb. Is that really what we want from the leader of the free world. 

He knew what he was doing when he said it, he's not nearly as stupid as the people who believe his attempt at back pedalling it... 

Ironically, just like the moronic copy/paste threads you start.



Ah but you don't have any problems with Jeff/Karras' though. Hypocrite. 

So...... bringing a gun to a knife fight is OK? 

According to you, it's perfectly fine in self defense.

Did trump claim self defense? Is he scared of Hillary because she's a woman? Poor little trumpty is losing to a girl. 

According to you, it's perfectly fine in self defense.

Oh, it is.

I was talking about politics.

You remember Obama's political violence line. Don't you? 

How can it be taken out of context? He said that the second amendment people can take care of her!?

By voting for him! Idiot!!! 

This was manufactured by the liberal media. I hope they continue. With only 6% of the American people believing the media, they are unwitting pawns helping him get elected. LMFAO 

As one of those 2nd amendment people, I'll do my part, as in vote against Hillary. That is what he meant, but you lefties knew that already 

As one of those 2nd amendment people, I'll do my part, as in vote against Hillary. That is what he meant, but you lefties knew that already?

Of course...they just try to bend anything he says because they know HRC is a terrible candidate. Wait until the "pay for play" scandal hits her. 

Jeff11233 --- 11 hours ago - quote - hide comments
How can it be taken out of context? He said that the second amendment people can take care of her!?

By voting for him! Idiot!


Going back to my previous statement about trump not being as stupid as the people who believe his backpedalling...


Jeff is the perfect example... 

This was manufactured by the liberal media. I hope they continue. With only 6% of the American people believing the media, they are unwitting pawns helping him get elected. LMFAO?

Yet you are blindly following a showman who just recently starting spouting your views. right. 

Bill and Hillary jamming 

With only 6% of the American people believing the media, they are unwitting pawns helping him get elected. LMFAO?

Did uh, hmmmm, did you read that on a news site? Should we believe what they tell us? 

I don't believe Trump would ever want that to happen, but there little doubt what he was implying.

The guy simply can't stand before people and talk without falling off the tracks.

FYI - show me a quote where Hillary wants to "abolish" the 2nd amendment. 

Many people feel that the second amendment people could take care of Trump. 

Many people feel that the second amendment people could take care of Trump.


There's that worthless "many people" thing again. 

There's that worthless "many people" thing again.?

Do you think that the second amendment people could take care of Trump? 

Do you think that the second amendment people could take care of Trump?


Not only does she, that's what she's hoping for. 

"many people" is much like "I've been hearing...." LOL...... 

oh, for God's sake- "many people" is a Trumpism brought up on KU as a joke- and yet, it keeps getting repeated- also, i listened to Trump's speech when he said it, and it was obviously a deliberate reference, made as a not funny, sly implication about shooting her- I don't think he meant it seriously, but some nut might just try it, now- 

even one of his followers, sitting behind him on the stage, first looked shocked, and then burst out laughing as did his wife- 

You're right Tatt. Many people are saying so. :) 

LOL!!! 

I don't think he meant it seriously, but some nut might just try it, now-


Just like he is now saying Trump and Hillary are ISIS founders is now sarcasm. He's an ahole. 

Do you think that the second amendment people could take care of Trump??

Sure by voting for him. LOL