KING and KENNEDY

April 4th 1968. Martin Luther King Jr is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Two months later, Robert F Kennedy is assassinated in Los Angeles, California June 5th .

THE DREAMER
Martin Luther King jr. was at a crossroads in his life. He revealed his conscience to the public world and denounced the war in Vietnam. He now crossed the line from controversial to hated in the eyes of a certain few in political power. But even more troubling, he was losing control of his non-violent movement to the Black Panthers and other extremist groups who progressed more to taking arms to defend themselves against radical, violent oppressors.
He was a tired, weary man who was contemplating passing leadership on to others to take the civil rights movement into a new direction. But he was called upon to help a small group of sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee who were on strike for better pay and benefits. He answered the call of the helpless one last time. He is killed on a Thursday evening on April 4th at the Lorraine Motel.

THE SEARCHER
Robert F Kennedy was also at a crossroads in his life. Five years earlier his older brother, the president of the United States, is killed in public view. He was always at his brother's side politically, but now he needed a new purpose to his life. Something of his own accord. He turns his attention to race issues, Vietnam and the gripping poverty situation in America. Persuaded by close friends and colleagues, he begins a late bid for the presidential office.
Unfortunately, it was short-lived. He was assassinated at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles California shortly after midnight on June 5th. He just gave a steering congratulatory speech to supporters after winning the California primaries.

Both men when they died did not live to see middle-age. Both men are known for famous quotes and speeches that will last for all time through history. Unfortunately both men died due to gun violence which fifty years later, has only increased with deadly results. Imagine this, gun violence being involved in the killings of future great American leaders... Boys and girls who never grew up to fulfill their destinies because they were killed in school shootings.

Author's Note

Two men who tried to change the world with their lives, changed it with their deaths

Reviews

[Jacob Clifford]

These men inspired great change, and there were those who feared that change. Even though the lives of King and Kennedy were cut short, they accomplished more than anyone who plays it safe and is complacent about issues. Your style of addressing the gun crisis is original and strongly gets your point across without pointing an accusing finger and shaming people (an approach that never works). Well done.

[Samuel Dickens]

I was at the Naval training Center in Milington, just outside of Memphis on that terrible day. They slammed shut the gates. If you were on base, you stayed. If off base, you stayed off base. A dumb 20 year-old, I didn't know what was going on, except that it was a really big deal. I remember having hopes that Bobby would win, only to see him cruelly shot down like his brother. There is evil in the world that does not sleep. Today, it threatens to tear our nation to pieces and millions of Americans are too dumb to see it. May God help us.

[NataliaXael]

I could sit and talk all day about martyrdom, but what's more important here to note I think is that gun violence is, like you said, just getting worse. All kinds of people are just resorting to guns to resolve issues which I think will ultimately cripple our society if someone doesn't do anything about the availability of these weapons.

This is a great piece btw, very well put together.

[Cherrie]

People who's nature is that of hate, will never understand that a martyrs message never implodes. With their demise the message blossoms.
Their death a true tragedy. You did an excellent job.

[sette]

king was a reformist but he was an idealist to the core he believed that change can happen despite the many things happening all at once, he was at a loss perhaps his death was just a refuge for him to realize that he had indeed tried his best but he can't change the world no matter what, kennedy was another story, he had idolized his brother too much, but despite what he did for united states, he was still not a favorite person to me.

[Katelyn Kennedy]

Death always seems to have such a dramatic affect on the world. The words of those men both had a large impact on history but their deaths meant just as much. I like how you deem MLKJ as the Dreamer and Kennedy Searcher before you begin your piece on them.