The Mindless Menace of Violence: ASL

Robert F Kennedy Speech City Club of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio
April 5, 1968 Performed By: Wink Smith Jr (www.WinkASL.com) I do not own the rights to the soundtrack, just for educational purposes. Written speech below.

It is not a day for politics. I have saved this one opportunity, to speak briefly to you about the mindless menace of violence in America which again stains our land and every one of our lives.

It is not the concern of any one race. The victims of the violence are black and white, rich and poor, young and old, famous and unknown. They are, most important of all, human beings whom other human beings loved and needed. No one can be certain who will suffer from some senseless act of bloodshed. And yet it goes on and on and on in this country of ours.

Whenever any American's life is taken by another American unnecessarily, whenever we tear at the fabric of the life which another man has painfully and clumsily woven for himself and his children, the whole nation is degraded.

Too often we honor swagger and bluster and wielders of force; too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of others. But this much is clear: violence breeds violence, repression brings retaliation, and only a cleansing of our whole society can remove this sickness from our soul.

When you teach a man to hate and fear his brother, when you teach that he is a lesser man because of his color or his beliefs or the policies he pursues, when you teach that those who differ from you threaten your freedom or your job or your family, then you also learn to confront others not as fellow citizens but as enemies, to be met not with cooperation but with conquest; to be subjugated and mastered.

We learn, at the last, to look at our brothers as aliens, men with whom we share a city, but not a community; men bound to us in common dwelling, but not in common effort. We learn to share only a common fear, only a common desire to retreat from each other, only a common impulse to meet disagreement with force.

Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in our land. Of course we cannot vanquish it with a program.

But we can perhaps remember, if only for a time, that those who live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short moment of life; that they seek, as do we, nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and in happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.

Surely, this bond of common faith, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something. Surely, we can learn, at least, to look at those around us as fellow men, and surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our own hearts brothers and countrymen once again.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• wink
• winkasl
• coda
• deaf
• ASL
• sign language
• bobby
• robert kennedy
• April 5 1968

[michaelcreason]

Beautiful! Loved the visuality that was utilized. I understand this is your first language, however it is not mine. As an certified working interpreter it is my goal to to be as visual as you were in this film. What do you recommend for a non-native user?

[WinkASL]

@michaelcreason Part 1 of 2 Very good question. When I approached this speech I looked at the context of time it was given in plus the history. JFK was murdered and just days before MLK was murdered as well. This speech to me was a pleading to humanity to stop the violence. The sentences have a metamessage of a negative tone. In that he is pleading, but is expressing his disgust for the violence acts that have happened. Once I understood that, I was able to parse the parts that

[WinkASL]

@michaelcreason was examples of negativity for example “When an american takes another americans life unnecessary ... the whole nation is degraded.” His metamessage is “HEY KNOCK IT OFF, You just make us look ridiculous” So I wanted to show the disgust he had with facial features and intensity. Bobby is presenting this in a very powerful fashion but controlled speech patterns. So I had to strip it to the concept and define that the two emotions is pleading and distain for the actions. it Helps

[TheCassiFish]

Your signing is absolutely beautiful, such emotion and passion expressed.... truly beautiful.

[WinkASL]

@TheCassiFish Thank you! :)

[kmklined]

W.O.W- that just completely took my breath away! I may even be drooling a little... your classifiers and expressions were right on- CHAMP!!

[WinkASL]

@kmklined Thank you! I enjoyed doing this video and thinking of ways to express and convey the speech, was a fun process.

[varnerdad]

AMAZING! I continue to be amazed at your skill. Thank you for sharing your talent with us!!

[mejore533]

Incredible. 

[beckypoeh]

thanks wink! we miss you in Oklahoma

[DeafandChrist]

Oh my word!!! You did an awesome job!!! This is amazing and beautiful!!!!! Congratulation, it's very inspirational!!!

[Malissiajane]

OMW! Oh My Wink....... Amazingly powerful your affect and concepts match Bobby's in an unbelievable manner! Leaving the English behind allows this to become tremendously powerful in ASL... The way you were influencing the child as the father is scary! I believe part of your process is the passion you have for non-violence. Kudos! As a child suvivor of domestic abuse I feel Bobby's and see yours as well!

[Malissiajane]

OMW! Oh My Wink....... Amazingly powerful your affect and concepts match Bobby's in an unbelievable manner! Leaving the English behind allows this to become tremendously powerful in ASL... The way you were influencing the child as the father is scary! I believe part of your process is the passion you have for non-violence. Kudos!

[Malissiajane]

OMW! Oh My Wink....... Amazingly powerful your affect and concepts match Bobby's in an unbelievable manner! Leaving the English behind allows this to become tremendously powerful in ASL... The way you were influencing the child as the father is scary! I believe part of your process is the passion you have for this type of non-violent message. Kudos!

[ancash1109]

You're my ASL Hero. :'-)