</s>June 17, 1968 FOR Joe Califano FROM Matt Ninetes As you requested I checked the President's statement of June 5, 1968, concerning the shooting of Senator Kennedy, to see whether Jack Valenti's comments about it were justified. Jack got the impression that the speech emphasized the "sickness" of our society -- an attitude that we have been hearing from some commentary. In particular, Jack was troubled by a theme that recured in the body of the speech, the notion that our society is disfigured, that we are sick and violent and that this assassin- tion somehow, that are sick of that affection. I can see how Jack got his impression, although the President actually went out of his way to disclaim this view of America. The key out, I believe, the following! "Tonight this Nation faces once again the consequences be wrong, hatred and self-once upon the midnight. It would be wrong. Hatred by self-acceptance and ignore the connection between lawlessness, hatred, and hatred and this act of violence. It would be just as wrong, and just as self-depreciate, to conclude from this act that our country itself is sick, that it has lost its balance, that our Country lost its sense of direction, even its common decency. "1200 million Americans did not strike down Robert Kennedy last night and more than they struck down John F. Kennedy in 1963 or Dr. Martin Luther King in April of this year ... " This passage is a clear statement against the "sicickness of America" thesis, which blames the deaths on the American people. However, the President did emphasize that a high level of violence in our society does set the stage for many of the unhappy events of 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

**Key Individuals and Organizations**

* John F. Kennedy, former President of the United States
* Robert F. Kennedy, Senator and brother of John F. Kennedy
* Joe Califano, White House staff member
* Matt Ninetes, White House staff member
* Jack Valenti, White House staff member
* James C. Gaither, White House staff member
* Bert Harding, OEO staff member
* Secretary Udall's office

**Dates and Locations**

* June 5, 1968: President's statement on the shooting of Senator Robert F. Kennedy
* June 6, 1968: Memorandum to Joe Califano from James C. Gaither
* New York City: location of Senator Robert F. Kennedy's services
* Washington D.C.: location of Senator Robert F. Kennedy's funeral

**Significant Events and Activities**

* Shooting of Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968
* President's statement on the shooting, calling for an end to violence and lawlessness
* Establishment of a commission to investigate the causes of physical violence in the United States
* Recommendations from criminologists, scientists, and psychologists to prevent assassination and eliminate basic causes of violence

**Connections to JFK, Assassination, or Related Investigations**

* Shooting of Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968, compared to shooting of John F. Kennedy five years earlier
* President's statement on the shooting, referencing the need for an end to violence and lawlessness in the United States

**Evidence, Testimony, or Findings Mentioned**

* Commission established to investigate the causes of physical violence in the United States
* Recommendations from criminologists, scientists, and psychologists to prevent assassination and eliminate basic causes of violence

RFK Declassified Files

12034693_lbj_aides_files_james_gaither_b017_f10.pdf

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