Quotes from Robert Kennedy

We in Government have begun to recognize the critical work which must be done at all levels-local, State and Federal-in ending the pollution of our waters.

If freedom makes social progress possible, so social progress strengthens and enlarges freedom.

A high standard of living cannot remain the exclusive possession of the West - and the sooner we can help other peoples to develop their resources, raise their living standards, and strengthen their national independence, the safer the world will be for us all.

I do not run for the presidency merely to oppose any man, but to propose new policies. I run because I am convinced that this country is on a perilous course and because I have such strong feelings about what must be done, and I feel that I'm obliged to do all I can.

Circumstances of crimes vary. So do motives. And so do prospects for rehabilitation. The number of imponderables makes it impossible to sentence by formula and still sentence justly.

I am deeply impressed with the gravity and wisdom with which most federal judges approach the responsibility of sentencing. It is a difficult, soul-searching task at best.

Ultimately, America's answer to the intolerant man is diversity, the very diversity which our heritage of religious freedom has inspired.

Where aspirations outstrip opportunities, law-abiding society becomes the victim. Attitudes of contempt toward the law are forged in this crucible and form the inner core of the beliefs of organized adult crime.

When historians consider the significance of the Berlin crises of the mid-20th century, I do not believe that they will record it as an incident in the encirclement of freedom. The true view, in my judgment, will be to see it rather as a major episode in the recession of communism.

Only those who have the courage to fail greatly achieve greatly.

I believe that in this generation those with the courage to enter the conflict will find themselves with companions in every corner of the world.

Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world which yields most painfully to change.

Courage is the most important attribute of a lawyer.

The Gross National Product includes the destruction of the redwoods and the death of Lake Superior. It grows with the production of napalm and missiles and nuclear warheads... It includes... the broadcasting of television programs which glorify violence to sell goods to our children.

The natural state of a human being is dignity.

Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things.

In my judgment, physical fitness is basic to all forms of excellence and to a strong, confident nation.

I was the seventh of nine children. When you come from that far down you have to struggle to survive.

I come from a family that has always emphasized and enjoyed sports - golf, tennis, football, baseball and the rest.

Progress is a nice word, but change is it's motivator, and change has it's enemies.

Always forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.

In your hands lies the future of your world and the fulfilment of the best qualities of your own spirit.

The future does not belong to those who are content with today Rather, it will belong to those who can blend vision, reason, and courage in a personal commitment.

The future is not a gift: it is an achievement. Every generation helps make its own future. This is the essential challenge of the present