RFK Jr.: "Americans Are The Most Entertained and Least Informed People on the Planet"

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Mon Jul-30-07 09:50 AM
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RFK Jr.: "Americans Are The Most Entertained and Least Informed People on the Planet"

During his recent speech in Minneapolis, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sharply criticized the Bush administration’s environmental policies and emphasized the duty of citizens to keep themselves informed on issues.

RFK Jr. was the keynote speaker of Walden University’s Third Annual Conference on Social Change. The theme of this year’s conference was “Sustainability and Social Change.” Organizers said more than 2,000 people attended.

“There’s nothing radical about protecting the air and water for our children,” Kennedy said. “Our children are going to pay for our joyride.” Sustainability is a commitment to community, said RFK Jr., who signed copies of his book, “Crimes Against Nature: How George W. Bush and His Corporate Pals are Plundering the Country and Hijacking Our Democracy,” after his lecture.

“The Bush administration has torn the ‘conserve’ out of the word conservative”, Kennedy wryly observed.

He localized vast pollution concerns when he talked about mercury levels in Minnesota fish. Many fishermen read warning advisories but fail to see the connection between pollution and President Bush, he said. The president should do more to hold large corporations responsible for their waste emissions, he said, and part of that means not letting anyone buy their way out of the cleanup process. “Bush is too comfortable with corporate influence dictating environmental policy.”

Looking at the rest of the country, Kennedy talked about rivers and streams in the Appalachian Mountains that have been buried by the coal mining industry. Visiting West Virginia and Kentucky two weeks ago, RFK Jr. drew more attention to the issue of mountaintop removal mining by appearing at local town hall meetings, speaknig out in the press (see related story below), and taking film footage for a new documentary film which will highlight the subject.

Kennedy, who has sons with asthma, said poor air quality should be a front-page headline every day.

Although Kennedy vocally criticized the Bush administration, he emphasized the need for Americans to come together to solve environmental problems. Generally, people have the same values, he said. Kennedy even applauded the environmental work of one particular Republican: his cousin, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California.

One person who appreciated Kennedy’s approach was Marian Angelica, director of Walden University’s Center for Social Change. “He emphasizes the fact that (environmentalism) is not a partisan issue, it’s a human issue,” Angelica said.

Kennedy emphasized the duty of citizens to inform themselves, a part of which means paying attention to the media. And that goes beyond the attention-grabbing headlines, Kennedy said. “Americans know more about Tom Cruise than global warming,” he said, eliciting audience laughter. “We’re the most entertained and least informed people on the planet.”

On a more serious note, Kennedy warned that the public’s lack of knowledge leads to considerable consequences. “You cannot have a democracy for very long if you don’t have an informed public,” he said.

Kennedy’s lecture inspired at least one person. Michael Rhubee, a doctoral student at Walden University and Minneapolis resident, said he wants to get more involved in his community. He even mused about Kennedy and the upcoming presidential election.

“I wish there were more candidates like Kennedy,” he said.

Source: http://RFKin2008.com

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