The fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of Robert Francis Kennedy allows for a moment to reflect on the meaning of that tragic event. The Democratic primary in California was among the most important elections held in the United States in the s.
With its racial and ethnic diversity and its manufacturing, agriculture, technology, and service industries, the Golden State was seen as a microcosm of the nation. The votes of the California delegation that Kennedy won in the winner-take-all primary put him in a far stronger position going into the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that August.
More than any other state, it was California that cleared a pathway for Kennedy to win the nomination of his party and possibly the presidency that November. Having written two books and several articles about the life of Robert F. Kennedy, up until now I have eschewed writing specifically about his murder. Photo possibly taken 10 May when U.
When shrieks arose from a far corner of the room, people realized something was terribly wrong. The realization that gunshots were fired wafted through the crowd, followed by the human sounds of panic mixed with disbelief. Could this really be happening? Kennedy, suffering a similar fate? An ambulance rushed Robert Kennedy to Central Receiving Hospital where he received last rites and then to Good Samaritan Hospital for emergency brain surgery. The John Doe was being treated at the jail hospital for injuries sustained during his apprehension when prosecutors added two more charges of attempted murder.
County Sheriffs knew extraordinary measures were needed to ensure the safety of their charge. Witnesses at the scene had already alluded to the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of President Kennedy, who was murdered while in police custody.
