Robert F. Kennedy: Day of Affirmation Address in South Africa (aka 'Ripple of Hope') - FULL
“There is," said an Italian philosopher, "nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things." Yet this is the measure of the task of your generation, and the road is strewn with many dangers.
First, is the danger of futility: the belief there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills -- against misery, against ignorance, or injustice and violence. Yet many of the world's great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man. A young monk began the Protestant Reformation, a young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the earth, and a young woman reclaimed the territory of France. It was a young Italian explorer who discovered the New World, and 32 year-old Thomas Jefferson who proclaimed that "all men are created equal."
"Give me a place to stand," said Archimedes, "and I will move the world." These men moved the world, and so can we all. Few will have the greatness to bend history, but each of us can work to change a small portion of the events, and then the total -- all of these acts -- will be written in the history of this generation.
Thousands of Peace Corps volunteers are making a difference in the isolated villages and the city slums of dozens of countries. Thousands of unknown men and women in Europe resisted the occupation of the Nazis and many died, but all added to the ultimate strength and freedom of their countries. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage such as these that the belief that human history is thus shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.
"If Athens shall appear great to you," said Pericles, "consider then that her glories were purchased by valiant men, and by men who learned their duty." That is the source of all greatness in all societies, and it is the key to progress in our time.
“There is," said an Italian philosopher, "nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things." Yet this is the measure of the task of your generation, and the road is strewn with many dangers.
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Ahhh....too verbose, too confusing. Several years ago, Thy Sovantha was still in her teen years and she said this,
"I don't know if CNRP will lead [Cambodia] to better or worse, but I think it's time for change. CPP has been in power for too long and I want to see change."
Now, that is a smart cookie. But CPP is smarter and make her their friend with the help of CNRP who kept insulting her with sexual demand from Kem Sokha as well as financial demand from Rainsy.
And to top all of that, Kem Sokha's daughter utterly despited the rising young political star as a major threat...so she accused Thy Sovantha as CPP's spy. As it turned out, the accusation was totally wrong.
Ah Drgunzet, Viet/YUON racist troll 9:27 am - You are one Viet/YUON parasitoid among millions other when the late King NORODOM SIHANOUK simply asserted that the "YUON is a crocodile" [we have a clip]. Be gone You Viet/YUON parasitoid-crocodile Drgunzet"! Nobody cares about what you write here on T2P.
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