| July 22, 2005 Favorite Son Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Elicits Passion, Emotion On Trip To Alaska story and photos by Katy Parrish, insurgent49 One of my earliest and most vivid memories is being placed in front of a black and white television with the words of my mother ringing in my head, “You remember this.” I was three old…speaking in tongues and already a rebel, but cognizant enough to realize the significance of the moment. I stood dumbstruck, watching Robert Kennedy being shot in the basement of a hotel. The newsreel ran over and over again that day, the amplification of a murder of one of the most progressive senators of the day…the amplification of how to silence dissent. 
I had the honor of meeting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last Friday in
Whittier. He was there to address supporters of the Prince William
Sound Keeper on an exclusive glacier tour fundraiser. I stood waiting
in the buffet line, flashing on his father’s unfortunate death,
and feeling a bit uneasy about my spontaneous interview. My plan was to
corner him about his most recent allegations against the CDC, FDA and
major pharmaceutical companies reported in his article, “Deadly
Immunity.” It discusses the concerted effort of these groups to
conceal the fact that thimerisol, a mercury based preservative in many
childhood vaccines, is linked to causing neurological impairments,
including autism.As he stood innocently waiting for the next handshake, I introduced myself, and my son (who, incidentally, experiences high functioning autism). Robert was especially intrigued by the insurgent49 t-shirt Wilson was wearing. I relayed the most recent series of events I had experienced since distributing his article on a listserv of over 140 parents across Alaska who specialize in caring for children experiencing developmental disabilities. The Director of the Division of Immunizations for the State of Alaska had caught wind that I had shared his article three weeks ago, and had expressed her dismay because, “it was full of gross inaccuracies” and she wanted to meet with me along with the Director of Public Health to discuss this issue. As I was sharing my experience, his face started flushing. I asked him for access to his source documents and explained it was becoming apparent there was a concerted effort across the nation to discredit him. I wanted to share his documentation with parents. Following me through the buffet line, he blurted, “This is bullshit. Just look at the Amish and the Jehovah Witness children! You want source documentation, it’s all on my web site!” He was obviously agitated. With over a half a million children diagnosed with autism, not to mention the millions of children with learning disabilities and mental health issues, I don’t blame him. I emphasized, “How are we going to hold these people accountable? He declared, “I’m workin on it.” When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he’s workin’ on it, he means it. He is one of the most successful environmental attorneys in history at holding corporate polluters accountable. Founder of the Waterkeeper Alliance, he is responsible for saving many polluted water systems including the Hudson River. Waterkeeper Alliance is an international advocacy organization that empowers 137 local Waterkeeper programs that defend local waterways from polluters. Waterkeeper Alliance provides legal, scientific, and organizational resources to ensure effective and democratic vehicles for citizens to protect their most precious resource – water. He is extremely outspoken and not intimidated by corporate power. To my delight and, at the same time, dismay, there were no representatives from the mainstream Alaskan media there to capture these moments. So my son and I did. Wilson videotaped his speech and I vigorously took notes and tried to capture impromptu photos of him meeting everyone on the boat. He is really a down to Earth person. He made an effort to shake everyone’s hand and spend a few moments relating to us as fellow human beings, enjoying one of the most scenic areas on the planet. He made sure his sons got pizza and hung out on the deck with fellow passengers marveling at the beauty of our great state. During his speech, Mr. Kennedy spent a majority of his time addressing how the Bush administration has done more harm to the environment in the last four years than any other administration in our nation’s history. He shared how four of his six children experience asthma thanks to the dirty air they are exposed to. He highlighted the role of the “biostitutes”, the corporate yes-men recently appointed to federal regulatory agencies that are supposed to protect natural resources but instead have instead relaxed regulations. One prime example is how they have changed the definition of the word, “fill”. It no longer includes mining debris. He also spent a significant amount of time talking about how corporate media is lying to us, and selling us the product for the moment. He lamented, “Corporations don’t want democracy, they want profits.” He expressed what he considers to be the biggest lie today, that, “there is a liberal press in America.” Unable to contain myself I yelled, “Here, here!” as Representative Gretchen Guess dozed in the lounge seat across the aisle from me. Unfortunately, she’s not the only lawmaker asleep when it comes to these issues, but at least she took the time to attend. And then he said the “F” word…fascism. The room fell silent and I looked around to witness people’s reactions. Some people shifted in their seats obviously uncomfortable. “Mussolini’s definition of fascism is corporate control of a government,” he explained. Sound familiar? Just look at the long list corporations paying millions to lobby Congress and donate to campaigns. (An excellent source, by the way, for checking what corporations are doing on Capitol Hill is the Center for Public Integrity, http://www.publicintegrity.com/default.aspx .) One of the things that stopped me dead in my tracks was when he declared, “There is no such thing as Republican children and Democrat children.” He’s so right. There is no room for partisan politics when it comes to doing the right thing for our children and our planet. He exclaimed, “There is nothing radical about clean air and water for our children.” Despite the depressing nature of his work, Bobby Jr. has a great sense of humor. He reported that one day he found himself thinking, “How did the White House get so many draft dodgers in one place?” I giggled. Then my eyes met the gaze of another activist who was holding back tears. I asked him if he was okay. He nodded and explained how he had worked on his Robert Kennedy’s campaign right before his assassination and how much Bobby Jr. reminded him of his father. He ended his passionate plea to help save our water systems by reminding us that, “Water is alive. If the Hudson River can be brought back…so can the planet.” He then asked us to recall the first two lines of the Hippocratic Oath: “First, do no harm, and
Trust in nature’s ability to heal…” Exiting the boat, I had the pleasure of shaking his hand again and witnessing him meeting my son’s eyes with a huge grin and patting him on the shoulder. Fighting my own tears, I leaned in close and whispered in Wilson’s ear, “You remember this.”  Katy Parrish is a freelance writer and media activist who can be reached at takebackthemedia@hotmail.com. |
-
Columnists -
- related items -
www.robertfkennedyjr.com RFK, Jr. homepage www.waterkeeper.org Waterkeeper Alliance homepage |
||||||
| Copyright
2005
Insurgent Media. All Rights
Reserved. in-sur-gent (in sur'jent), n. 1. a member of a group which revolts against the policies of its leadership. |
|||||||
