Robert F. Kennedy

“ I like to think as President Kennedy did—that the emerald thread runs into the cloth you weave today, that these polices in which he believe so strongly and which President Johnson is advancing, are the current flowering of the Irish tradition. They are directed toward freedom for all Americans here and for all peoples throughout the world. ”

“ For nearly twenty years we and our Allies have striven to halt the Communist advance.But one of the weaknesses in our common front has been the restraint on freedom sponsored by our Allies and accepted by ourselves. ”

“ There are Americans who—as the Irish did—still face discrimination in employment—sometimes open, sometimes hidden. There are cities in America today that are torn with strife over whether a Negreo should be allowed to drive a garbage truck, and their walls of silent cospiracy that block the progress fo others because of race or creed without regard to ability.
It is toward concern for these issues and vigorous participation on the side of freedom that our Irish heritage must impel us.If we are true to our heritage we cannot stand aside. ”

“ The conduct of our foreign affairs should be consistently based on our recognition of every mans's right to be economically and politically free. This is the American tradition. We were after all the victor in our own war for independence.We promulgated the Monroe Doctrine and the open door policy with their clear warnings to the colonial powers of Europe. ”

“ For the sake of our own security we found our destiny to be closely linked with that of nations that maintained large colonial empires which they felt their ultimate security depended.In some of the underdeveloped countries we have found our destiny linked with ruling powers or classes which hold the vast majority of their people in economic or military subjugation. ”

“ There are tow other areas of concern which I fell are of paramount importance and to which the Irish tradition speaks in ringing tones.One is the status of freedom in colonies and second our relationship to the underdeveloped nations of the world.
The greatest enemy of freedom today of course is communism a tyranny that holds it s captives in a vice like subjugation on a global scale. ”

“ But what is taking place on the other side of the Iron Curtain shoul not be the only matter of concern to us who are committed to freedom. I would hope that none here would ignore the current struggle of some of our fellow citizens right here in the United States for their measure of freedom.In considering this it may be helpful for us to recall some to the conditions that existed in Ireland from 1691 until well into the nineteenth century against which ore fore fathers fought. ”